Yokohama Chinatown - or Motomachi Chukagai in Japanese is the biggest Chinatown in Japan. Located just a 5 minute walk from Motomachi Chukagai Station on the Minato Mirai Line, you don’t want to miss out on Chinatown on your Yokohama tour. In the 1850s/1860s, when Japan opened up its country after hundreds of years of seclusion during the edo period (1603-1868), many foreigners began settling in Japan. Foreigners were designated to live in certain places: Westerners on Yamate Hill and the Chinese in Motomachi Chukagai.

When the Chinese began setting up in the area, they also brought along with them their religion. According to legend, a local migrant brought a statue of Guan Yu, the most famous general from The History of Three Kingdoms and set up the Kanteibyo Temple for him in 1871. The Chinese respect Guan Yu for his integrity, steadfastness and leadership. He is often recognized as the Guardian God of the nation and God of Commerce and Wealth.

The temple has been destroyed several times from fires and earthquakes, so it’s not the original temple from 1871 but rather a resurrection of it in 1990, but the temple grounds has been there since.

Location:

140 Yamashitacho, Naka Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa 231-0023

Yokohama tour: Tokyo Guide Laura in front of Kanteibyo temple in Yokohama Chinatown.

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Recently in Tokyo, dagashi bars have been popping all over the city. With just an entry fee of 500 Yen plus one drink order per person, you can enjoy some dagashi snacks to go with your alcoholic beverage. Dagashi - literally meaning cheap or low quality snacks, are basically an equivalent to the penny candy - cheap snacks and candy. Dagashi are traditionally priced at anywhere from 10-50 Yen, but at dagashi bars, all the snacks laid out around the store are free to take, and as much as you want! The stores are themed in a post war Showa era bar - a common association between dagashi and post war Japan.

Dagashi has been around since the edo period (1603-1868), but the modern, popular form took shape post war Showa Period from the 1950s-1980s. Many dagashi stores began popping up and started selling small snacks that could be bought with pocket change - a budget that small children would have through allowance. These stores became an after school hangout for school children where they can purchase small, cheap snacks. Many of the dagashi are packaged in bright, childish wrappings that often includes a prize or toy. Some are even themed with popular TV show characters or famous athletes - a child’s sports hero.

Dagashi Stores are not too common anymore as many have been turned into convenience stores now, but you can still enjoy dagashi at the Ebisu Dagashi Bar in Shibuya. If you want unique things to do in Tokyo, Japan then this bar is definitely a go to! Just a 5 minute walk from Ebisu Station, you will feel as if you are back in the 1960s as a Japanese child.

Location:

150-0021 Tokyo, Shibuya City, 13, 恵比寿西１−１３−７

Tokyo Guide: The Ebisu Dagashi Bar in Shibuya themed in a Showa Era styled building.

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Whether it’s PB&J or ham and cheese, you’ve definitely had a sandwich before. But have you had a fruits sandwich before? If you’re booking a food tour with us, you’ll have the chance to indulge in one of Japan’s favorite sweets - the fruits sando as it’s known here. There’s a lot of different kinds of fruit sandwiches, but your guide will help you pick out the best flavor.

The origin of the fruits sandwich are not exactly clear, and its thought to have been invented in either cafes in Kyoto during the 1920s or by Senbikiya, Japan’s first fruits parlor shop in Tokyo. Some other interesting theories are that it was invented for geisha workers to eat fruits without getting their hands sticky and dirty. It’s also thought to have been invented as a cheap way to enjoy fruits and cake, two luxury items during the early-mid 19th century in Japan because it uses small slices of fruits and replicates the taste of cakes by being sandwiches by two pieces of bread. There are many interesting theories, but all we know is that Japan invented these wonderful sweet and savory snacks.

A fruits sandwich is literally a sandwich with whipped cream and your choice of fruits inside. Soft white bread with the ears cut off are used to sandwich the whip cream that’s not too sweet (so it doesn’t mask the flavor of the fruit) and sliced fruits. They taste a bit like cake, but not too overwhelming. The softness of the bread and the not-too-sweet whip cream mixed with Japan’s fresh fruits makes this nice, wholesome snack. Because they are so popular, they’re sold just about anywhere you go. Cafe’s and fruit parlors will have high quality fruits sandwiches that can be priced anywhere from 1000-2000 Yen! (10-20 USD). If you’re looking for something a bit cheaper and quick, any convenience stores will sell them (7-eleven, Lawson, Family Mart) which are literally on every block in Japan.

Some common fruits sandwiches are strawberry, kiwi, mango or banana. Not many juicy fruits like citruses and berries are used because the liquid from the fruit might make the bread soggy, but rather more solid fruits are a popular choice. The most common one is probably the strawberry fruits sandwich. Because it’s so common, it’s sometimes referred to as just ichigo sando, or strawberry sandwich.

Making these at home can be easy, but deciding on the right kind of bread and making sure that the whip cream isn’t too sweet would become the game changer.

By joining us on a Tokyo food tour, you can try some delicious fruits sandwiches!

Tokyo Food Tours: Winter in Japan means strawberry season. Many shops will have delicious strawberry sandwiches as their winter specialty!

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Ever wanted to eat sushi for breakfast? Sounds crazy right? Well Tsukiji Fish Market is opened at 5:00 AM to satisfy your needs. Taste the fresh seafood with us. The seafood comes straight from the Toyosu FIsh Market from that mornings catch. While it’s a maze in there, you needn’t worry because our Tokyo Tour Guides can help you find the best place to enjoy some mouth watering seafood.

Be careful though, if you don’t have a guide - most of the stores close by noonish. So, it’s best to visit in the morning with your guide. Matthew, from Pennsylvania, who has never been to Japan and was here on a business trip joined us at 9 am on a 4 hour private tour so that he can enjoy the morning bustle at the fish market. Two thumbs up from Matthew!

Tokyo Day Tours: Matthew visiting Japan on a business trip enjoyed the the fresh caught tuna at Tsukiji Fish Market.

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We offer tours in English in Tokyo, but what makes it special is our team of guides are Japanese natives and locals who are fluent in both Japanese and English. Our carefully trained team have the knowledge and skills to give you a great tour in Japan! Our guides and tours have received 5 star reviews on experiences and we plan on giving more.

We offer a variety of tours to choose from. We have a Journey Through Time Through Food Tour where we eat foods associated with different time periods. We go through the past, present and future. We also have private customized tours where you send us your interests and must see places and we guide you through the city based on your interests. If you are more interested in history, you can come on the Yokohama History Tour where we learn about the history of Yokohama through the eyes of immigrants in the late 1800s/early 1900s. Come join us on a 5 star tour experience!

Tokyo Guide: TripAdvisor review

Tokyo Guide: TripAdvisor review

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When visiting Japan, you may notice that there are shrines and temples to visit. If you don’t know the difference, its okay, we’ll break it down in this Japan guide for you. Japan’s two dominant religions are Shintoism and Buddhism. A shrine is for Shintoism while a temple is for Buddhism. A distinct feature of a shrine is a torii gate at the entrance pictured below. You’d only see these at a Shrine and never at a temple.

At a shrine and temple there is usually a basin of water where you can cleanse yourself. To cleanse yourself, grab the water scooper and scoop water. Wash your left hand. Then you wash your right hand. After washing both hands, you must rinse your mouth. Put a little bit of water in your left hand and wash your mouth. If you do not feel comfortable putting public water in your mouth, just bring the water near your mouth. Then with one more scoop of water, tilt the scooper backwards and rinse the scooper for the next person. Now you are ready to pray!

At a temple there is no particular way to do so, but there is at shrines. First, throw in some money into the container sitting in front of the shrine. Then, shake the bell (If there is one) to greet the deity. Bow twice, clap twice, pray then bow once more to finish praying. Its quite simple once you have it down!

These are just basic etiquette’s and differences to know for anyone visiting Shrines and Temples. So next time you want to visit one, try identifying if its a shrine or temple!

Tokyo Guide: A Torii gate for a shrine

Tokyo Guide: Learning to pray at a shrine

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Spanning over 5 generations and more than 100 years, you can have the chance to fan yourself at Bunsendo Sensu (Sensu= folded fans) Shop. They have been crafting their fans to perfection. They have two locations, one right on the Nakamise Shopping Street at the Sensoji Temple and one at Kaminarimon Yanagikoji where you can find a large variety of hand made folded fans. It’s a perfect souvenir for you - especially during the summer time! Witness history by asking your Hello! Tokyo tour guide to bring you here.

Tokyo Guide: Interior of the Bunsendo Sensu Shop in Asakusa

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Is it jello? A toy? No, its hand/facial soap from Konnyaku Shabon in Japan. Konnyaku Shabon is located all over Japan, but is distinct from other soaps. The very jello-y feel rubs delicately against your hands to make your skin feel softer than ever. The secret to their soap is that they put konnyaku [konjac], a type of jello like potato in their soaps. When you rub the soap in your hands, it creates a lot of foam! They offer a variety of soaps for different uses and different sensitivity levels and even has an English explanation book for you to understand! Ask your Tokyo Guide about these awesome soaps!

Tokyo Guide: Konnyaku Shabon soap in Yokohama Chinatown.

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In 2019, Tokyo held the record for having the most Michelin stars in a city, clocking in at an extraordinary 230 restaurants holding one or more stars. In comparison, Paris came in second at 123 stars. Third was Kyoto and fourth was Osaka, two more Japanese cities. Japan has such a rich food culture it even invented (or discovered rather) the fifth flavor called umami. But, what makes Japan have such a rich food culture? It may lie in their use of dashi.

Dashi is a Japanese soup stock which forms the foundation of Japanese cooking. It’s a soup stock that’s used in a wide range of Japanese dishes like miso soup, noodles, takoyaki, okonomiyaki and more. The simple form of dashi is made by boiling kombu (Japanese kelp) and katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) in water (they sell dashi in packs where you can use it like tea bags).

Dashi was actually the main reason the fifth flavor of umami was discovered. In the early 20th century, Chemistry Professor Kikunae Ikeda came home from a long days work and was sipping on soup that had dashi in it. As he was tasting this he wondered, “Why is it so good? What am I tasting?”. It wasn’t salty, sweet, bitter or sour, it was “pleasant”. He went on to call this umami (umami is derived from the word umai which means delicious).

To best describe the taste of umami , it’s a pleasant, savory taste. But, dashi isn’t the only food that has umami in it. Cheese, nuts, tomatoes, eggs, fish, meats, and even human breast milk have umami in it. But what ties all these different foods together? Professor Ikeda discovered that it had something to do with the chemical compound of these foods.

Foods that are high in glutamates have a lot of umami in it. Our taste receptors respond to glutamates separately from the other four flavors. Kombu and katsuobushi, the two main ingredients of dashi is very high in glutamates which is why it has a lot of umami in it.

Because dashi serves as a base for so much Japanese cooking, it could be a contributing factor to why Japan has three cities in the top five cities holding the most Michelin stars. The pleasant, savory umami taste that’s present in a lot of Japanese food makes everyone fall in love with it. Maybe you can try using dashi in your next dish for some umami taste.

Come join us on Tokyo Food Tours to learn about the rich culture of Japanese cooking and food!

Tokyo Food Tours: Learning about dashi in a store that dates back to 1699. Ask your Tokyo Guide for more.

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New Years is the biggest holiday in Japan. It is celebrated from January 1st-3rd and used as a time to spend with family. Many shops close in Japan on New Years, so If you are wondering what you can do during New Years, we have a list of things to do in Tokyo, Japan during the New Years holiday.

1. Visit a Shrine or Temple: It is tradition for Japanese families to visit a Shrine or Temple to pay respects to their local deities and pray for a good upcoming year. Beware of massive crowds at popular Shrines and Temples like the Meiji Shrine or Asakusa Temple!

2. Eat mochi: A common thing to eat on New Years is mochi (glutinous rice cake) which is paired with ozoni soup (red bean soup). It is said to bring you good luck in the upcoming year. If you are lucky enough you might be able to see some neighborhoods hand-make their mochi by pounding rice and water! Handmade mochi tastes much better than store bought machine made ones!

3. Enjoy some peace and quiet in the busy streets: Because everyone is off on New Years, the bustling city streets might be a little less busy than usual. Its a rare sight to see!

If you are in Japan during New Years, you’d definitely get a sight that’s rare to see throughout the rest of the year!

Japan Guide: Small neighbor in Ota-ku, Tokyo pounding mochi to prepare for the New Years holiday.

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