Tokyo After 5

Forget wasting your precious time getting stuck in awkward 'Lost In Translation' moments. Join a local guide on this Tokyo tour to experience the capital's busy, but oh so friendly and compact charms by night.

Tokyo’s vibrant food culture is legendary, and is one of the many reasons why people flock to the Japanese capital. On this Tokyo tour enjoy the food culture of Tokyo from an ordinary businessman’s perspective, as well as the tradition of foods in everyday life of Tokyo.

Throughout your Tokyo food tour, your local guide will explain the history of food and places you visit, sharing with you their own personal experiences and food-related family traditions and customs during the tour.

We’ll begin our tour in Yakitori Alley, near Yurakucho, an area with many casual bar-style restaurants and the birthplace of yakitori, one of many Japanese people’s favourite appetizers. As many businessmen and women do after 5pm, we’ll enjoy a drink of sake or a local beer, then sample yakitori at one of the many local restaurants, each with their own “tare” (sauce) mixed with their secret ingredients.

After having a drink to go with the yakitori, we’ll travel to Tsukishima to visit “Monja” Street, where “Monja-Yaki” is said to have originated. Often compared with Okonomi-yaki in Osaka, Monja-yaki is a type of Japanese pan-fried batter with various ingredients. The ingredients are finely chopped and mixed into the batter before grilling. You’ll have the chance to watch your food being cooked, chat with the cook, and devour your Monja-yaki fresh from the hot plate. In true local style, you’ll use a small metal spatula for cutting it to pieces then chopsticks to eat with right from the grill.

We’ll take a quick stroll through Ginza, where you can find great confectionery shops and learn about the rich variety of traditional Japanese sweets — and, best of all, choose one to try! Usually made of rice and red beans, these sweets change based on the ingredients available at each time of year, and even their shapes are inspired by what you can find in nature during that season.

Your tour ends here but don’t forget to ask for tips on what else to see do and eat during your stay. Fancy a cool local bar or a karaoke place? We’d be happy to recommend our favourites so that your night can continue.  Equally, your guide can help with directions back to your accommodation or you can return to the start point with them.

Tour photos by Ben McNamara