2026 Tokyo Time Machine Exploring Old School Monzen Nakacho

We had an absolutely amazing time on this food tour. Our guide was terrific and had an excellent knowledge of both the local history and the delicious food we tried. They took us to some truly wonderful spots that we never would have found on our own. Highly recommend!

A wonderful mix of food and culture with Nikki Our Culinary Backstreets tour in Monzen\-Nakachō was a wonderful combination of food, culture and unexpected discoveries. We experienced a fire ritual at a Buddhist temple, explored Japanese fermented foods and pickles through a fascinating tasting, and visited an izakaya devoted entirely to tuna\. We even tasted ground tuna brains, quite an experience\! Along the way, we enjoyed sake and sampled several varieties of Japanese plum wine. Nicole brought everything together beautifully. Fun, kind and very knowledgeable, she helped us understand what we were tasting and the traditions behind it. Her company made the whole experience feel relaxed and personal. A memorable introduction to this corner of Tokyo, and a tour I would warmly recommend.

Kelly was fantastic! We thoroughly enjoyed the culinary tour. The food was wonderful and we learned a lot about the Japanese culture. A great way to spend an afternoon!

The most wonderful tour of a beautiful area with a great mix of food, culture and history. Chika our guide was superb.

The food tour guided by Nicole in Monzen-Nakacho was easily one of the highlights of my time in Tokyo. The tour was really balanced in terms of eating and drinking a massive variety from varied shops and restaurants in the neighbourhood, and also very informative and interesting. Nicole was a great host - very friendly, easy going and knowledgeable & passionate about what she does. She has a great rapport with the business owners and the tour guests which makes for a really fun day out. I would definitely recommend you do this if you have an interest in food and exploring an area of the city in depth. I would walk back to Tokyo for some tuna spine.

There are two types of travelers- those who have discovered culinary backstreets and the others. My experience, with five others, was an education, a day long feast, and pleasure. Our guide, Chika Ito, exceeds all expectations- comprehensive culinary knowledge, spirited energy and passion, and maximizing group dynamics. If you are a serious foodie or simply eats regularly, grab a plate at this table. Perhaps expensive, but you get what you pay for. Good value. Food, drink and purveyors you would otherwise not likely to find.

I have done many Culinary Backstreet tours in various cities around the world starting when travel restarted after COVID. For our 4 day stop in Tokyo my wife and i did two of them, this one (Monzen Nakacho) and also the Yanesen tour. Both were great and I reviewed Yanesen in a different Entry. This tour was led by Chica who was fun and knowledgeable and she was well versed with the food and culture of the neighborhood having grown up in a nearby Tokyo area. The food and drink selections were really great, especially the sake shop where everyone voted for Macho of all the ones we tried. Also the cabbage based dish (I can't remember the name) we all cooked together on a grill at the table, was really great. If you like deep dives into the history, culture, and food of specific neighborhoods in Tokyo, CB is a great choice. If you just want to get stuffed you might have an expectation mismatch. CB costs more, but I think you get more.

We thoroughly enjoyed our tour. This was properly off the beaten tourist track. We tried things which were local to the area and which were different and delicious. Our guide Michelle was excellent and shared her knowledge and experience with great humour and passion.

We had such a wonderful experience on the “Tokyo Time Machine: Exploring Old School Monzen Nakacho” tour with Nicole! She was super sweet and made the whole experience feel relaxed and personal. We got to see a completely different side of Tokyo and loved exploring a neighborhood that felt authentic and not touristy at all. One of the highlights was getting to experience a temple ceremony and learning about the differences between temples and shrines. The food was amazing too! We tried delicious local foods, tasted plum wine for the first time (and absolutely loved it!), and learned about Japanese fermentation. We even got to taste different flavors created through the fermentation process, which was fascinating and completely new to us. Nicole also treated us to little snacks along the way, including roasted chestnuts and the BEST matcha mochi I’ve ever tasted! This tour was such a great mix of food, culture, history, and local experiences. Nicole was wonderful, and we came away feeling like we had seen a side of Tokyo we never would have discovered on our own. Highly recommend this tour!

Wonderful food tour with Chika! She sent a WhatsApp message the day before to make sure we knew how to travel to our meeting spot. We went to several places that were really unique and interesting including a temple for a fire ceremony. Chika provided background and explanations for each stop on our tour. We recommend this tour and Chika to others!

Wonderful experience with the knowledgeable and bubbly Nicole. We got to meet and talk with local restaurateurs and some customers. Saw areas, participated in temple event and tasted flavours we never would have otherwise. Highly recommended!

Chika was a fantastic guide. She was deeply knowledgeable about not only the food, but also about the culture, history and community associated with the cuisine. We learned so much walking in off-the-beaten path neighborhoods, and eating in beloved local spots with her! We met people who truly loved food and truly loved Japan. The experience was so much deeper than a tourist jaunt. It felt like a true gift of culture. Highly recommended!

We had a great time with Niki as our guide. This probably is one of the best guided tour we have as frequent international travels. The places they select and the varieties create a unforgettable experience. Niki is so knowledgeable about the area and so nice to share all the information. The portion of the food and drinks are very generous. Highly recommended.

This is my 3rd tour with Culinary Backstreet and it did not disappoint. Chicka our guide was amazing and we had such a good time learning about a side of Japan we would have never thought to see on our own. The temple trip on top of all the food was amazing.

This was not just a food tour. It was a local cultural experience. We were taken to local establishments where we interacted with long term locals. They went out of their way to show us their passion. Our first stop was to sample the local clam soup. But it included instructions on the special cleansing ritual at the local shrine. We were privileged to witness the fire ceremony at the nearby Buddhist Temple. Then moving on to all things fermented. As we moved between food stops our guide stopped and purchased local snacks and treats to try. Our guide Nicole was amazing, she had a real connection with the owners and staff at every stop. This experience works because of its small size, on this day there were just 5. Highly recommend this experience for anyone who wants to get an little understanding of Japanese history, culture, spirituality and food.

Excellent tour of an old, traditional Tokyo neighborhood. Delicious foods and a fire ceremony at a temple were the highlights. I never would have discovered the places we visited on my own. Highly recommend this tour!

Michelle was such a great tour guide! Very knowledgeable and engaging. I learned so much on this tour and loved trying some foods I’ve never tried before. Highly recommend booking a tour with culinary backstreets. It’s probably the best tour I’ve ever taken on any of my travels. The fire ceremony was so special and unique. I feel lucky I was able to experience it. 10/10 experience and I’ll definitely be booking more tours with them in the future! 🙌

Amazing experience! Michelle was light-hearted but super-knowledgeable. The whole tour was excellent… informative, interesting and way beyond expectations. Food and drinks were interesting, different and tasty, and the bonus fire ceremony was incredible! Also loved that it was away from the tourist areas! Can’t think of any way to improve this tour. Probably my favourite culinary backstreets tour to date!

We had a great tour with Chika! We enjoyed getting to explore a new neighborhood in Tokyo and learn more about fermentation — in sake, plum wine, koji, etc. Chika was very knowledgeable and we appreciated how thoughtful she was throughout the day. We were in a group of six, and she made it feel like a very intimate tour.

This was a fascinating tour through a pocket of Tokyo we would never have seen. Diana introduced us to some wonderful characters and delicious local specialties. This was such a fun tour through - the time flew by!

We did the CB Istanbul tour back in 2015. It set the benchmark. Monzen-Nakacho in East Tokyo just cleared it! This was a Christmas gift for my 79-year-old father — six of us in total, plus Mairi and a fellow traveller who became a friend by the end. That’s one of Mairi’s gifts: she brings strangers together and everyone leaves exchanging contact details, little tips on what else to see, how to shop where the locals shop. She’s a New Zealander who has called Tokyo home for 35 years. It shows in every interaction. Mairi took us deep into a part of east Tokyo we would never have explored alone. Monzen-Nakacho is shitamachi — old town, Edo-era streets, generations of the same families doing the same things. You walk past all of it without CB. The food across six hours was exceptional and genuinely local. We tasted a remarkable array of fermented specialties — pickled mochi (surprisingly delicious), fresh shiso juice, artisanal pickles of every variety. The sake tasting at the kaku-uchi — Beach Side, Yamamoto, Macho, lined up in a row — was a highlight. The umeshu bar, Umeshudo, another. The finale at Maguro Standard, the neo-izakaya tuna specialist, was a perfect cap — we arrived to a welcome card with all our names written on it. That kind of warmth you can’t manufacture. The sumo detour at Tomioka Hachiman shrine was the surprise of the day — the birthplace of professional Edo-era sumo, with the actual hand and footprints of the great yokozuna cast in stone. Putting your hand against them is genuinely humbling. Mairi had briefed us on the context beforehand, so it landed properly. The fire ceremony at Fukugawa Fudo-do, same approach — explained in advance, so the meaning arrived with it. My parents were visibly moved. The locals made the tour. At one stop, the owner pulled out his photo albums of the neighbourhood festival and walked us through them, pointing out faces, telling stories. That’s what money can’t buy, and what CB — when it’s firing — consistently delivers. Highly recommended. Ask for Mairi.

My wife and I have been on a number of food tours and this was arguably the best. The Monzen Nakacho area is not super touristy so we were able to calmly experience local spots and had enjoyable moments with restaurant/shop owners. Our guide Michelle had put together an informative and thoughtful tour. We experienced so much and the day was relaxed and personal at all times.

Our guide, Chika, was top notch! Fun, energetic and very engaging. We thoroughly enjoyed every single minute! This tour was not only a food tour but was educational as well. We experienced a Buddhist fire ceremony, learned about fermentation, sake, plum wine and ate tuna ribs! Chika was an utter delight. We all loved this tour and would give it 10 stars if we could!

Our guide, Chika, took us on a wonderful tour of the Monzen Nakacho neighborhood. It was a 6 hour tour but felt longer since we had so many cool stops at small restaurants. It didn't seem like we walked too much. We had no problem meeting her at the subway stop, and she even recognized us first. Her English was very good and with a good sense of humor. We tried food we never would have thought of, which we really appreciated. We capped off a fun evening with making our own Monjayaki. Highly recommend this tour.

Talk about a multipurpose tour! History, food, and walking the city. The food was excellent, the chefs cared deeply about their craft, and Diana was a fun and knowledgeable host to stitch it all together. She took us to restaurants where we felt like family. Being from Texas, I’ll never forget one of the restaurant owners telling Diana the story of the Alamo in Japanese which she then translated to me! 10/10 would recommend

This was such a phenomenal and unmatched experience that I can’t imagine not doing it again. I’ve never been one for food tours, but everyone I spoke to was quick to suggest it considering the sheer variety that can be found in Tokyo. Michelle did not disappoint. She was intimately familiar with the culture, the food, and seemed to have personal relationships with many if not all the places we were brought to. The owners and staff welcomed us with open arms, showcasing a wide range of personalities to go along with the interesting food. Fukugawa meishi was a personal favorite, but there wasn’t one thing we tried that I didn’t enjoy. Finding the start location was easy, the tour was a great mix of cuisine with spots of culture to let us digest between meals. Seriously, I don’t think there’s any way to go wrong with this, and I’ll be sure to look up Culinary Backstreets the next time I’m out of the country.

This was my second tour with Culinary Backstreets in Tokyo. Such a fun, informative experience with our engaging, knowledgeable guide, Michelle. Not to mention all the delicious food and drinks we tasted along the way. This tour gives an insight into the backstory of the shop and restaurant owners in the Monzen Nakacho area of Tokyo. We walked the streets of this interesting part of the city,sampling all the culinary delights there, but Im not going to give anything away, just find out for ourself, make sure you don’t have much breakfast beforehand! There is only a max of 6 guests, I went solo and enjoyed meeting the fun, interesting people in my group. A non culinary highlight was watching the Buddhist ceremony in the local temple. Culinary Backstreets may well provide the best value food/cultural tours, and I’ve been on many. Will definitely try more in other parts of the world if I get a chance.

This is the second Japan tour I’ve done with Culinary Backstreets and I had the same tour guide both times. I have to say these are hands down some of the best tours I’ve done in my life. The curation of where we go is top notch, the food is always really delicious, and I end up learning so much. I’m a huge Japanese food nerd and I feel like I get exposed to really niche Japanese food history and experiences on these tours. Definitely well worth the time and money!!

We are avid travelers and enthusiastic foodies, particularly interested in local culinary excellence wherever we travel. When planning our trip to Japan, we put particular emphasis on extraordinary food experiences. Our extensive research led us to Culinary Backstreets Tours, (highly rated in some of the most prestigious travel magazines). Before we arrived and knowing only that Japan is one of the premier culinary destinations in the world, we chose them for both Osaka (see our review posted for the umami food tour, which also delivered a 5-star excellence rating from us!), and Tokyo. Our time schedule in each city was limited but we wanted to try as many culturally significant foods as possible, and Culinary Backstreets made that possible. The Tokyo Monzen Nakacho food tour was one of the best food tours we have ever taken anywhere in all of our travels of over 30 years! Our guide, Michelle, was beyond amazing, not only in the choices she made to introduce us to the very old school traditional food world of Japan, but also the history and clarity she presented while teaching us more than we ever dreamed possible about the food culture in this magnificent city. The description on the website cannot possibly do justice to the kind of tour this is, in both its authenticity and deliciousness! The way Michelle structured our day was like reading a thrilling book you just never want to put down, chapter by chapter, each one leading up to a grand finale that you would have never expected. This is no ordinary food tour; it is like eating a bite of history and culture at every stop! Michelle made our day absolute perfection, and by the end of the day we not only had one of the most memorable and educational days ever, but we had made a genuine friend who shared everything she knew with a group of 6 six American strangers to her city, all eager to learn and understand the importance of food and it's traditions to a culture. Her love of her city and all the amazing and unique food treasures she introduced to us was nothing we could have ever imagined before this tour, and we did it in the oldest part of Tokyo with a guide who had a personal relationship with these small local purveyors who have been honing their craft and producing the purest versions of this food for years. The places she took us to were small, quaint and incredibly authentic; every bite was not only delicious, but felt like a bite of historical knowledge, impossible to get anywhere else except on this tour. We were warmly welcomed at every stop and enjoyed meeting and learning from the dedicated people who have been part of building the incredible food culture Japan is so well known for, and who have been doing it with purity and discipline all their lives. We came away feeling like we saw the very best parts of this amazing city and left feeling like we had had the most incredible and unique food experiences in all of Japan. We know it was because of Michelle that we came to understand the country of Japan more than we ever dreamed possible in the short time that we were there. She was passionate and knowledgeable and so enthusiastic to share what she knew with us, and the time we spent on this tour with her was worth far more than the price of the ticket; every stop was better than the last and each one so thoughtfully selected not only to delight us with the best bites possible but to educate us in a way we never could have expected. She truly cares that you understand and enjoy your day, and it's so obvious she loves what she does by the way she interacted with us, and that is worth so much more than money can buy. There is absolutely nothing touristy about this tour, which was our goal, and Michelle achieved it 100%. Absolutely everything we ate, drank or experienced was included in the cost of the ticket so that you never had to reach for your wallet once. We cannot thank her or Culinary Backstreet Tours enough and many thanks and much respect to all the purveyors and everyone we met along the way who helped us create memories of Japan that we know we will carry for a lifetime! Culinary Backstreets is absolutely the top of the line, first class tour company for private food tours, and they will for sure be on our tour list for our next adventures!

We had an incredible tour. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and did a great job teaching us not only about the food culture but many aspects of Tokyo. Would highly recommend and would take it again given the opportunity.

We had a wonderful long lunch/ dinner experience with Nicole and our small group of 6. Nicole made sure that all in the group had a great time! The food was excellent across the bars and intimate restaurants, and provided an educational window to Japanese culture through the varied dining (and drinking) experiences. We will be back for more.

Great way to eat and drink your way around a less touristed area. Michelle was terrific in leading us thru some great dining spots both more formal and some less formal. She was also able to provide some knowledge of the area, Tokyo and Japan. We got to meet many of the proprietors of the places we visited. We’d recommend this to anyone.

Our guide Nicole was friendly, helpful, well organised and inclusive of all members of our group. The tour was well paced and interesting, and the food diverse nd delicious

Michell was an amazing guide and we got to learn a lot from her. We truly got to experience food that we normally would have as it was our 2-3rd visit to Japan and it was new experience for us

This was a great experience; fabulous guides, food and stories throughout. The shopkeepers were wonderful and so memorable. It was nice to explore an area we otherwise wouldn’t have visited. 10/10.

I’ve worked in the travel and tourism industry for years, and expect a lot from tour operators - believe me when I say this team does great work! Not only was our guide able to accommodate the limited mobility one of our guests had, providing alternatives to the longest walking part of the tour, but she went above and beyond to connect us with local vendors and share tales of Tokyo. It speaks a lot that other guests on our trip were also repeat guests - when your international reputation has people coming back again and again, take note. Thank you for all you do!!!

Second culinary backstreets tour (first was Lisbon) and this one was just as awesome! Great variety of visits, from tiny restaurant with delicious heritage food to fire ceremony at local temple to shop specializing in plum wines… Diana was a great tour guide, and it was fun to meet the other visitors on their way to a Japan skiing adventure.

I’ve done a few food tours in my 2 week Asia trip and this blows the rest out of the water. Michelle was so thoughtful and knowledgeable, and I never ate so well and met so many kind and interesting people on the way. They also gave some great recommendations for the rest of my time here.

Absolutely amazing experience and China was a fantastic guide. We got to try so many different things we never would have tried. Highly recommend to anyone wanting to experience something outside of what “everyone” knows about Japan.

Another fantastic food tour with Culinary Backstreets! Diana is a fantastic tour guide. She shared her knowledge and love of Japanese food, history and culture. The tour covered a wide array of foods from classic and traditional to new twists on old favorites. I recommend this and all CB food tours. They never disappoint!

Experience was great. The assortment of places we visited made it very fun. Shrine to temple and a fire service by monks. Wine, gin to mochi. Nicole is the best.

Michelle, was a wonderful hostess. Each spot gave us an insight to the culture and the people of this lovely neighborhood. From a warming fisherman's clam broth/rice stew to a plum wine tasting. A view into the religious heart of the neighborhood with a fire ceremony, and handprints of the local sumo wrestlers. To sake and tuna tasting, to a late nite spot for monjayaki. Michelle showed us the HEART of Japan. Thanks for the personal touch! You made Japan come to life for us.

Tour was great…leaders fabulous…write-up did not reflect that one focus would be sake…loved the different food, visiting the temple & walking through the neighborhood…but, not a huge sake fan..I would have liked more focus on the food

If you ever get the chance, choose Culinary Backstreets for a food tour. Do so early in your trip. This was our third tour with CB and truly, they are the very best. Maira, our guide in Tokyo, was fantastic. Our group was so fun and the whole experience was unforgettable. We learned so much, tasted many, many new things, met amazing purveyors and experienced things we never could have on our own. We chose the Monzen-Nakacho tour and wish we had time to do all the tours offered by CB in Tokyo. One of our best days in Japan! Never hesitate to book a tour with this consistently great company.

Denis was an amazing host, very informative, treated us to some unexpected treats, would definitely recommend him 100%

This was amazing! Japan is overwhelming! The best places to eat are the ones you would honestly probably never find as a tourist. This is why you want this tour. The food was so good that one participant who had never eaten fish, hated fish, tried many different types of fish and loved it! Kind business owners, not feeling out of place for being a tourist. Amazing! Just be kind, respectful and thankful and you will have an amazing experience!

I have been in Japan for 2 weeks now, only a few more days til I leave. My first trip here. The Tokyo Time Machine Culinary backstreets Monzen-nakacho tour is one of the highlights of my whole trip ( I spent time in Tokyo, Hakone,Hiroshima and Kyoto). Diana is an observant communicator and guide. She shared her knowledge with us in a conversational way, over the 6 hours +, our little group of 5 participants bonded , drawn together by Diana's generous sharing, her relaxed manner of introducing us to each new experience of food, drink, custom. The food ( I have a food restriction re pork) was fantastic. I think I loved the clams and rice the best, but all of it was wonderful. It was clear too that with each place we visited, Diana's relationship with each trader was positive and respectful. Anyhow, when I get back to Melbourne, I shall first of all be telling my friends, if you go to Japan, this tour is a must. One of my young adult sons loves cooking and food chemistry and history, I hope one day he visits Japan and does this tour. Thank you Diana!

I had a great time on this tour. Great food, great company, great sake and plum wine. Our guide Diana was amazing. She has a Japanese background and speaks Japanese. Five stars!

Elly was an amazing guide! So knowledgeable and fun. The tour was a special combination of both food and cultural experiences. Going to the fire ceremony at the shrine was a unique experience. Thank you for a memorable experience!