Would you like to explore the 'food capital' of Japan? This is a food-themed tour, which takes you to ①Tsukiji, the bustling fish and vegetable market, ②Ginza, the elegant shopping area where food takes on a different note, ③Asakusa, an old temple town with traditional sweets, and ④Kappabashi, the 'kitchen town', where you can make your own food replica!
At your central Tokyo hotel or at any station convenient for you in central Tokyo
Pick up / meet up
Tsukiji was the world's No.1 fish and vegetables market until 2018, when its wholesale section was moved to Toyosu. The retail section and a part of the wholesalers remained in Tsukiji, and the place is bustling with ordinary customers and professionals as before. The shelves are packed with seasonal goods of superior quality that cannot be found elsewhere and sampling them would be a good introduction to understanding our rich food culture. Ideal place to have an early lunch of sushi!
Two stations from Tsukiji is Ginza, Tokyo's most expensive and elegant shopping district. At the basement floor of a department store, you will find an incredible array of foods at delicatessen section.
Asakusa is a temple town retaining an old-Edo (former Tokyo) feel. The Thunder Gate, with its iconic giant red lantern, and the Nakamise Shopping Street are the approach to the Senso-ji Temple. You can try various traditional sweets and enjoy looking at Edo-style goods sold along the street. At the Main Hall of the temple, let's pray for your safe trip!
Kappabashi, the 'kitchen utensils town', lies next to Asakusa. It is an 800m street almost entirely populated with shops supplying the restaurant trade. What you cannot miss here is the elaborate replica food, a Japanese invention. They are often displayed outside restaurants to show what you should expect for what price you pay. You may have found them very helpful when no English menu is provided. And they do look very tasty, don't they? Here you can actually make wax replica yourself. You would be really surprised to know how miraculously they are made, so come on, let's try!
(If you and your group wish to try other experiences instead of food replica making, like traditional indigo dyeing, please let me know.)
Fee: replica food making - ¥2,500/person, indigo dyeing experience - ¥2,000~/person
End of the tour
The tour ends here, but if the weather is fine and you are still full of energy to call it a day, the Tokyo Skytree is right in front of you, so why not extend the tour a little and see the daytime view from its observation deck gradually change into the gorgeous night view? Tokyo Skytree is the world's tallest TV tower. At the foot of the tower is Soramachi, with 300 shops and restaurants, aquarium, planetarium, etc.
You can decide on the tour extension on the day of the tour, because the visibility depends largely on the day's weather. Extra hour cost: ¥4,500 per hour / group.
Admission Fee (adult/weekday): up to Tembo Deck at 350m ¥2,100/person, up to Tembo Galleria at 450m ¥3,100/person
At the place of last visit or at a pre-arranged place
Tsukiji was the world's No.1 fish and vegetables market until 2018, when its wholesale section was moved to Toyosu. The retail section and a part of the wholesalers remained in Tsukiji, and the place is bustling with ordinary customers and professionals as before. The shelves are packed with seasonal goods of superior quality that cannot be found elsewhere, and sampling them would be a good introduction to understanding our rich food culture. There are many sushi shops here, but simply buying a box of sushi at the market, you can have an equally good lunch at the rooftop space with a great view!
Two stations from Tsukiji is Ginza, Tokyo's most polished neighborhood with luxury stores. Let's wander into their underground food maze, and see what we can find there.
Asakusa is a temple town retaining an old-Tokyo feel. The Thunder Gate, with its iconic giant red lantern, and the Nakamise Shopping Street are the approach to the Senso-ji Temple. You can find various traditional sweets and enjoy looking at Edo-style goods sold along the street.
Kappabashi, the 'kitchen town', lies next to Asakusa. It is an 800m street almost entirely populated with shops supplying the restaurant trade. What you cannot miss here is the elaborate replica food, a Japanese invention. They are often displayed outside restaurants to show what you should expect for what price you pay. You may have found them very helpful when no English menu is provided. And they do look very tasty, don't they? Here you can actually make wax replica yourself. You would be really surprised to know how miraculously they are made, so come on, let's try!
The tour ends here, but if the weather is fine and you are still full of energy to call it a day, the Tokyo Skytree is right in front of you, so why not extend the tour a little more and see the daytime view from the observation deck gradually change into the gorgeous night view?
guide fee
hotel pick-up within central Tokyo area
transportation fee of you and guide: about ¥1,000 / person
lunch cost of you and guide (please pay the whole bill)
experience fee (please refer to the itinerary)
Please note that in case of extension of the tour, the followings will be added:
extra hour cost: ¥4500 per hour / group
entrance fee of you and guide (please refer to the itinerary)
・I am basically available from Thursday through Sunday. As for Monday through Wednesday, please contact me for availability.
・Some of the experiences/visits require prior reservation. Please send a direct message to me before booking a tour.
・Tsukiji Market is closed on Sundays, most Wednesdays and on National Holidays. This TOUR WILL NOT BE HELD ON MARKET HOLIDAYS. Please contact the guide for holiday information.
・Replica food making / indigo dyeing experience requires prior reservation. Children aged 4 or older can participate in the experience. Please contact the guide before booking the tour.
・Many shops in Tsukiji do not accept credit cards, so please bring cash.
・Please inform the guide in advance of any FOOD RESTRICTIONS.
Sue and glen W.
We had a marvelous experience our first day in Tokyo, Japan. Keiko met us first thing in the morning at our hotel lobby, and went out of her way to accommodate our requests, mainly of learning how to use the rail system and where to pick up our JR Pass. She was so lovely throughout the tour, helping us understand some of the japanese customs we needed to be aware of, and taking us through a guided food tour of the Tsukiji Market. Her English is very good, and we were made to feel at home from the moment we met her. We couldn't recommend her highly enough, especially if you are taking your first trip to Japan!!
Sue-san, Glen-san, thank you very much for your lovely comments! After your arrival in Tokyo way after midnight, being caught up in such a delay of your flight, you must have been exhausted when we met. Nevertheless, you were in high spirits and were so eager to get accustomed to our ways. I hope you had a memorable stay in Japan and would come back again in the not-too-distant future! Keiko
Janis W.
We had an amazing day with Keiko. Her planning of the transport system to fit in all the things we were to see was incredable. Our Raman lunch was delicious, as were the afternoon refreshments! Her knowledge of her city and the sight we experienced really brought them to life. She even managed to organise a wedding ceremony timed to perfection of our visit to the shrine. I would recommend her guided tours without hesitation
Janis-san, thank you very much for your very nice comments! It was indeed a pleasure to show you around the city, and I enjoyed talking with you all. They brought back the fond memories I had of England. Today I showed you some of the very famous places in Tokyo, but the city has a lot more enchanting places so please come back again sometime in the not-too-distant future!
Marianna S.
We had Keiko guide us in Tokyo for two days. She communicated with us well ahead of time to determine what our interests were. She proceeded to take us all over Tokyo via subway and bus and we saw way more than we could have on our own. We had a lovely tea and two wonderful lunches. Keiko also made sure we were comfortable and prepared to venture out on our own. Recommend Keiko’s services highly. Thank you.
Marianna-san and Patrick-san, thank you very much for your wonderful comments. I did pack many places in the two days, and I hope that it helped you for days on your own rather than to tire you out. It was indeed enjoyable to talk with you, and to hear of your experiences during your entire trip. This time you have mainly covered places along the coast, so now you have a GOOD reason to come back for the places you have kept for your next visit! Thank you very much and see you again!
Anne S.
Keiko is very professional, kind and caring. She taught us how to use the Tokyo metro And helped us to activate our JR rail pass. Would definitely book Keiko again. Anne and Barry from Australia.
Dear Anne-san and Barry-san, Thank you very much for your nice comments. I am more than happy if my assistance had given you a good start in your stay in Japan. I look forward to having another opportunity to serve you in the not-too-distant future! Keiko