Starting in Nihonbashi, in the past, we will look at key ingredients and flavours that underpin Japanese food. We will learn about Dashi, the stock that forms the base of many Japanese dishes. We will focus in on two key ingredients; Katsuobushi and Kelp. From there we will enjoy some traditional Japanese snacks that have been eaten for generations. Satsuma-age (fried fish cake), Amazake (a healthy fermented rice drink), Imo Kenpi (sweet potato chips) and Daifuku (glutinous rice mochi with a sweet filling). All of the shops that we have chosen have been carefully curated. All are over 100 years old, several date back to the Edo period itself!
Nihonbashi Bridge
Fukutoku Shrine: Discover the differences between Shrines and Temples. Learn how to cleanse your spirit and pray at a shrine.
Arriving into Ginza / Yurakucho we learn about how Japan industrialised after the war. With industrialisation came Salarymen and with Salarymen came Gado Shita’s (small bars and restaurants built under the railway tracks) to serve the working men before their commute home. We will eat and drink like Salarymen at an Izakaya (Japanese style pub) and noodle stall under the tracks. On our menu we have Yakitori (grilled meat on skewers), a Sour (an alcoholic drink which is unique to Japan) and tempura soba or curry udon ( noodle soup dishes).
Arriving into Ginza / Yurakucho we learn about how Japan industrialised after the war. With industrialisation came Salarymen and with Salarymen came Gado Shita’s (small bars and restaurants built under the railway tracks) to serve the working men before their commute home. We will eat and drink like Salarymen at an Izakaya (Japanese style pub) and noodle stall under the tracks. On our menu we have Yakitori (grilled meat on skewers), a Sour (an alcoholic drink which is unique to Japan) and tempura soba or curry udon ( noodle soup dishes).
From the railway tracks of Ginza and Yurakcho, we stroll to Tokyo Station calling in at the impressive International Forum Building on the route.
Kitte Building
At Tokyo Station we will try some foods popularly eaten on a commute home; Tamagoyaki (Japanese omelette) and a Fruits Sando (Japanese milk bread sandwich filled with fresh fruits and whipped cream).
At Tokyo Station we will try some foods popularly eaten on a commute home; Tamagoyaki (Japanese omelette) and a Fruits Sando (Japanese milk bread sandwich filled with fresh fruits and whipped cream).
Arriving in Akihabara, an area famous for its many electronics shops, Maid Cafes and Anime culture, we consider the future of food in Japan. We will be trying a selection of desserts which combine traditional foods or flavours with a modern fusion twist. In addition to our three fusion desserts, we will discuss Akihabara’s prominence in bringing new technology, ideas and subcultures to Japan.
Our time with Miko-san was a huge highlight of our trip. She is incredibly knowledgeable about the different aspects of her beloved Japanese culture and is a wonderful storyteller! Cannot thank her enough for showing such warm hospitality to us, throughout a rather dreary rainy day. All in all, a great balance of history and nourishment for both the tummy & spirit!
We had a fabulous 4-hour walking tour of Tokyo with Yasu. He shared wonderful highlights of the city, the culture and the people with us on our tour. He kept a perfect pace, talked the right amount and was open to questions. We would highly recommend!
Wonderfully pleasant and informative! Very unique history of Tokyo through the lens of its cuisine.
This was an awesome experience. Our guide, Tina, was so knowledgeable and took us to wonderful spots that we would have never found on our own. We not only ate great food, but learned a lot about Tokyo's history. I highly recommend this tour!
This was a great experience! Our guide, Tina, gave us a great tour of Tokyo, and we learned so much about the city's history. She took us to out-of-the way stops that we would have never experienced on our own. It was well worth it!
This was such a fun and memorable food tour! We visited parts of Japan that we had never seen before and discovered so much about the variety of Japanese food and the history behind it. Our guide Akira was excellent — very knowledgeable, friendly, and happy to share interesting stories along the way. We had a great time and came away with a much deeper appreciation for Japanese food and culture. Definitely worth doing!
This is the worst food tour we ever had and we have done over 20 in different cities around the world. When you think about exploring local food for over 5 hours in Tokyo all kind of amazing food comes to your mind but not this! During the first 2.5h you get little bites, mostly sweet, bought at shops for you that you taste in the street - nothing to drink, not even water. Then you get some cheap noodles and chicken in “salary man” style places. Tina, our tour guide was great - hence the 2 points. Hint: if you research enough you can actually find the food offered for this tour.
Enjoyed many things I would never find by myself
Mike gave us an amazing tour of the past, present, and future of Japanese cuisine, covering three different areas of Tokyo. She also provided the history to compliment what we tried, and we stopped at a Shinto shrine. It's a lot of walking and several short subway rides.
A combination of sightseeing and tastings in three different neighborhoods of the city. We enjoyed Andrew‘s insight and his expertise. Thirteen year old says: “Very knowledgeable guide, great locations, interesting.” And he wants to go back to the same udon place for lunch today.
Yasu was such a lovely guide. He was very thoughtful in choosing locations to visit in Tokyo for us. He shared wonderful historical information which we loved. He was extremely knowledgeable and very kind. His love for Tokyo showed! Having him meet us at your hotel and return us to our hotel eliminated any type of worry trying to navigate Tokyo on our own! It was an amazing 5 hour private tour. I’d highly recommend booking a private guided tour with Yasu.
Andrew is thebideal guide for this tour. His knowledge experience and dedication was incredible. He never rushed, get ready for a long day full of experiences.
Really excellent. Yuma was a great guide who knew so much and was very personable company. I would highly recommend this tour.
Amazing food tour! Our tour guide Yasu was great. Very knowledge about the areas, food, and culture
What a fantastic day we had with Miko! She had carefully planned a really interesting day - taking us to quality, local food businesses - treasures way beyond the scope of what the ubiquitous instagram folk are recommending - we were treated like guests and got to try so many interesting foods - Im still enjoying some of the packaged delicacies I bought home -
Absolutely fabulous tour. Our group of 3 friends did this tour whilst in Tokyo and it was a highlight of our 5 days in the city. Our guide Miko was fantastic - knowledgeable and passionate about the history of Japanese food. The tour was in 3 stages taking us from food of the past, to food of the present and ending with food of the future. Each stage was in a different area of Tokyo. We tried so many different types of foods that we would never have found on our own. Everything we tasted was absolutely delicious. You certainly will not need dinner after this tour! I’d highly recommend this tour to anyone in Tokyo who wants to learn a little more about the history of Japanese food or those who simply love food.
Excellent food tour with Yasu. Our ten year old daughter said it was the best food tour she's ever been on!
Great tour, Yasu is an excellent tour guide, very knowledgeable, easy to talk to, and very friendly. Absolutely loved the tour, learnt so much about Tokyo and Japan.
We enjoyed this very detailed and delicious food tour. Our very kind and expert guide Miko traveled with us through time introducing to us some key components of Japanese food ways. We learned so much.
Keiko was an amazing guide. Loved the journey through Tokyo past, present and future all told through various local snacks, traditions and tasty meals. As this was a walking tour, we had the chance to work up an appetite between stops as Keiko shared history and cultural insights. Fabulous day in Tokyo - highly recommend!
We had Miko-san as our guide and had a fun time! She was very sweet and enthusiastic, and the food and snacks tasted so yummy. I recommend this tour at the beginning of your trip as an introduction to some Japanese food. Thank you, Miko-san!
The food tour was amazing. Miko was very nice and took us to places we never would have found on our own. Her explanations were fascinating, guiding us through different periods of Japan’s history. We started with very traditional dishes from old-world Japan, then moved on to foods popular today, and finished with modern creations developed in recent years. Everything we tried was authentically Japanese — from old traditions to present-day favorites and modern, younger trends. Miko was so kind, and it was a pleasure spending the day with her and the other couple on the tour. We’re so glad we did this food tour; it gave us a completely different perspective on Japan that we wouldn’t have experienced otherwise. We highly recommend this tour.
We had the most amazing time with Miko and our new friends. It was four of us in the group and we had a blast tasting all the foods. Miko did a wonderful job melding history, story telling, and food together. We got a glimpse into Japan's past, present and future and saw a few different parts of Tokyo that we hadn't seen. We also experienced so many things that we would have never found on our own. So much of culture it tied to food and this is a great way to experience Japanese culture and fill your belly. Go hungry and pace yourself!
A comprehensive tour including history and cultural refectory all the food we tasted Lots of walking over the day Our guide Keiko was funA f and very helpful
The “Past, Present, and Future food” tour of Tokyo was a phenomenal five-star experience! In Nihonbashi, I explored Edo-era gems like Yagicho Honten (since 1737) for dashi, Nichigetsudo’s wagashi, and the iconic Nihonbashi Bridge with its zero marker. The present unfolded in Ginza and Tokyo Station, with tasty croquettes and fruit sandos, plus stunning views of the Kitte Building. Akihabara’s future vibe thrilled with anime-themed taiyaki at Taiyaki Kurokoan and the vibrant Radio Kaikan. This tour masterfully blended history, food, and pop culture—highly recommended! Ya Su our guide was absolutely amazing. Perfect English , very friendly and extremely knowledgeable of the food and history of Tokyo.
Our guide Yasu was wonderful! Being fluent in English and Japanese made the day easy and seamless. His attention to detail and personal touch was genuine and kind and educational.
What an amazing tour! Yasu met us right on time and we embarked on a delightful tour of three areas and eras of Japan. We tried so many little bites with different flavors and histories. Yasu did an wonderful job telling us what we were seeing and tasting and experiencing. He navigated the subways and alleyways and kept us entertained the whole way. A really nice introduction to the history and flavors of the city. Thank you!
Yasu was a wonderful tour guide who was knowledgeable and had a lovely personality. We learnt a lot about the history of Japan and got to try a huge variety of food we would never have discovered on our own. We loved everything about this experience. It was the perfect way to spend a day in Tokyo. Thank you Yasu.
I had an amazing day with Yasu in Tokyo! He showed me spots that gave me a real sense of the city’s history, both past and present. We had such interesting conversations about life in Japan and many other topics, and he explained everything clearly without ever rushing. Yasu is super kind, friendly, and fun to be with — I felt really comfortable the whole time. Definitely a 5-star guide, and I’ll be happy to book with him again when I come back to Tokyo.
I really liked this tour across different Tokyo neighborhouds that represented the past, present and future of Tokyo. The food was plenty and Yasu was very friendly and explained everything well. Great tour!
A wonderful experience! Yasu, our guide was excellent!! We toured three different areas of Tokyo and learned how to navigate the subway system as well. All of the food choices were interest insights into Japanese/Tokyo history and food; including the use of local ingredients. The only unfortunate part of the day was the 105 degree temperatures but Yasu wasn't responsible for that. - js
We thoroughly enjoyed this food tour and learnt a huge amount about Japanese food and culture. Keiko was a hugely knowledgeable and accommodating guide. We liked that she offered recommendations on her favourite choices, which led to us trying some things we might not have done otherwise, and loving them too. Thank you for a great day.
Our guide, Keiko, was very knowledgeable about the food and history of Tokyo. It was very hot outside that day and Keiko made sure that we were able to cool off and hydrate regularly. Make sure you are very hungry before embarking on this tour. The portions are generous and there are many delicious dishes to taste. The tour was very fun despite the heat, and we visited several interesting places in Tokyo. We highly recommend it!
Miko was such a fun and energetic guide who made the whole tour feel special. She was warm, accommodating, and always added to the excitement, even joining in when we all said “yay.” It felt less like a tour and more like exploring with a friend.
Great experience mixing Japanese unique food and history. I recommend this tour whether you are totally new to the Japanese culture or you are already familiar with it. Many thanks for the tour Yasu-san!
Went on this tour this week with my family. Keiko was incredible! She does an excellent job of mixing history with fun AND food! The small group combined with her expertise and energy at showing us Tokyo’s past, present, and future was such a treat, literally and figuratively! Couldn’t recommend her and this tour more!
The food we ate today were great. I really enjoyed the different places we went to, it exposed me to the amazing culture of Tokyo and Japan .
We enjoyed our tour with Yasu as we tasted and learned about the different foods of Japan! He was kind, funny and very knowledgeable about the history. We recommend this tour to anyone looking to learn more about the area.
We had Yasu and he was wonderful. Full of knowledge about history of Japan. Engaging and accommodating with little glitches such as one of us forgot our suica pass in hotel and when we got stuck exiting out. Well paced and enjoyable tour. Highly recommend Yasu.
Yasu was an outstanding guide. The tour was well structured, and the food options clearly had been very well researched. We visited places and ate food we would never have found by ourselves. The pace of the tour was perfect (we had just flown into Japan, and were in the grip of jet lag!) and the information given by Yasu kept us informed and amused the whole time. This was our second tour using Hello Tokyo. We had a private tour last year by Miko, and both tours have been professional from the point of booking to after the event. Do a tour with this company, you won't be disappointed!
I like how this food tour is designed to cover the three different time periods of Tokyo. Yasu our guide had an excellent command of the English language. He paced the tour well and had great knowledge of Japan culture as well as the local knowledge of Tokyo and of course, food!
We enjoyed our time with Yasu and the thoughtful, flavorful food tour he provided. Great experience and foods and Tokyo history lesson. Loved the scenic stop overlooking Tokyo train station. Love the tour review and summary, the first from any tours we've done. Would highly recommend Yasu and this tour!
Keiko was warm and engaging and gave us a great tour. The food tour was not only about meals but about history and ingredients used in Japanese food. There was a fair bit of walking but the ground covered took us to so many interesting places that we would never have gone on our own. It was just us and one other couple and I consider it an afternoon well spent.
The tour and our guide, Yasu were fantastic. You get a great overview of the history of Japan and how food inserted itself into or emerged from different time periods. Was highly enjoyable and considering the length, it wasn't that much walking - but you still get to travel to a variety of neighbourhoods in Tokyo.
A fantastic tour. Miko expertly guided us through old, present and future Tokyo giving many interesting historical facts. We tried many different and delicious foods and had so much fun. I thoroughly recommend this tour for anyone who wants to learn about Tokyo, Japan in general and its fascinating food.
We had a great time navigating through past, current and future. The food was amazing and above all Keiko and fellow tour participants Cory, Andie and Josh were great. We went to food spots that we would have never thought of visiting and most likely would have never found on our own. Keiko was very experienced, knowledgeable and just the sweetest person. We just had a great time!
Excellent tour from the time I booked the tour until we said goodbye to our tour guide. When I booked the tour hello Tokyo tours reached out with extremely useful information about having a Suica card to get around the subways, our meeting location, and what to expect. Day of - we received communication about who the guide was and where to meet. And the tour itself was a wonderful balance of food and history. The guide was delightful and we had a lot of fun. Thank you Hello! Tokyo Tours.
My experience was with the Hello! Tokyo Private Food tour. My guide was Yasu. This was an absolutely fantastic experience and I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a tour of Tokyo in general. The locations on the tour were fantastic choices, several of which we would not have found or thought about without the tour. Yasu was kind, conversational, casual, and happy to answer our many curious questions about all kinds of topics, not just food. Yasu also gave us recommendations and pointers for our stay in Tokyo after the tour based on our existing schedule, which was extremely kind! Highly, highly recommend this group.
Yasu was very professional, knowledgeable, and courteous with our Journey Through Time Through Food tour. I would definitely book another tour with Yasu. Thanks for the great time!
We had an absolute blast walking around Tokyo being led by the very knowledgeable and very friendly Miko. She kept the laughs coming and helped us feel at home in a city completely foreign to us. For those looking to do this tour; there are so many more stops that aren't listed on the itinerary. The food is varied, but in true Japanese style the food was pretty sweet. The trip is a day long, so be prepared to walk, laugh and eat! We love you Miko!! Shannen and friends
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