Spotlight On: Laura

In this episode of Spotlight On we meet the Laura - the foudner and CEO of Hello! Tours. We have asked Laura some questions about some of her favorite things in Japan.

What's your favorite food and where would you recommend people to get it?

My favorite dessert is Daifuku Mochi and I like to get it from a very old family-run Japanese sweets shop in Nihonbashi which has been in business for over 100 years. They have traditional fillings but my favorite is the mochi filled with fresh Hokkaido cream.

What’s your favorite place to take people to on tours?

I love going to Hamarikyu Gardens because they are a place of serenity in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the metropolis of Tokyo. Visiting these former imperial gardens is like stepping back in time. You can enjoy Japanese matcha and traditional sweets in the floating teahouse, its a very special experience.

Other fun facts about Laura

Languages Laura guides in: English

Month and year Laura joined Hello! Tours: Oct 2013

One thing Laura likes about working with Hello! Tours:

The people! Since I founded Hello! Tours in 2013 I have been fortunate enough to work with the most amazing people. Kind, caring, hardworking, passionate people who continuously go out of their way to give others the best experiences and lasting memories. Hands down, the Hello! Tours team is the most incredible group of individuals I ever could have hoped to have met, and they have all come together to work as one big Hello! family.

Something not many people know about Laura:

Not many people know that when I was 24 years old I was on a UK TV programme called Total Wipeout which was a giant obstacle course. I was so bad that I often get featured in the reruns of the best of / worst off moments!

A new robot cafe in Tokyo allows people with disabilities to control robots to serve customers

A new robot cafe has appeared in Tokyo. It’s not like like famous Shinjuku robot restaurant where there is wild music and human performers with a robotic theme to it. No, at Dawn Avatar Robot cafe there are real robots that serve customers. Here’s the unique catch - the humanoid robots offer more job opportunities for disabled workers.

The robots are operated via the internet and serve as an avatar for people who struggle to leave their homes due to a disability or other reasons. It opens up at a perfect time - during the COVID pandemic when people with health conditions might find it hard to leave to their homes, but must continue to work.

Ory Lab is behind this ingenious idea, as its own CEO Kentaro Yoshifuji was bedridden in a hospital for 3 years. This Japanese robotics company is striving to make a more accessible society - especially in Japan where traditional working conditions or the physical risks of navigating a hectic city like Tokyo could make it hard for people with disabilities to work in.

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Hello! Tokyo Tours Blog: All The Best Things To Do In Tokyo

We offer pandemic-friendly experiences such as our Holiday by Post Program. Every month we will send you a postcard and a thoughtfully chosen local gift with a video blog telling you more about your gift and the place that we bought it. For more info check here or subscribe down below!

*This list is updated as of June 22nd, 2021, more restaurants can be added as we discover more vegan eats.

Halal foods may have been quite hard to find in Tokyo, but recently as international tourism has spiked for Japan in this past decade (not with COVID of course), many Halal shops are trying to make their name for halal-friendly customers.

You can also take a look at our vegan list for vegan ramen and vegan treats for more options!

Halal Wagyu Yakiniku Panga

This is one of the few halal certified halal yakiniku (Japanese BBQ) restaurants in Tokyo. They offer delicious A-5 wagyu. For cheaper prices you can also order A-4 and A-3 ranked beef as well. They purchase their cows whole and serve the meat from parts that you order from. It’s recommended to make reservations before going.

Location: 3 Chome-27-9 Taito, Taito City, Tokyo 110-0016

Website: http://www.wagyu-panga.jp/index.html

Ise Sueyoshi

Mr. Tanaka, an English speaking halal trained chef owns this high-end kaiseki (seafood) restaurant in Nishi-Azabu. Reservations and requests for halal 10 days before is necessary to book your fine dining at this acclaimed restaurant.

Location: 〒106-0031 Tokyo, Minato City, Nishiazabu, 4 Chome−2−15 水野ビル

Website: http://isesueyoshi.blog.fc2.com/blog-category-8.html

Reservations: https://www.govoyagin.com/ja/activities/japan-tokyo-ise-sueyoshi-muslim-friendly-kaiseki/3649

Naritaya Ramen

This very popular Halal certified ramen restaurant is the go to in Tokyo. Besides their popular maze soba (mixing noodles) they have their original delicious ramens as well. They even offer praying rooms for those wanting to pray before their meal!

Location: 2 Chome-27-13 Asakusa, Taito City, Tokyo 111-0032

Website: https://www.facebook.com/NaritayaFellowsM

Honolu Ramen

Halal or not this ramen is loved by all people! A close walk from Ebisu Station, Honolu ramen is a highly rated halal/muslim friendly ramen restaurant in Tokyo. Their chicken based halal ramen is their most popular menu item.

Location: 〒150-0022 Tokyo, Shibuya City, Ebisuminami, 1 Chome−23−1 ＡＢＣ亜米利加橋 1F

Website: http://halalramen-honolu.net/index.html

Tokyo Chinese Muslim

Although it isn’t exactly Japanese food, you could argue that Chuka food (Chinese food) is a part of Japanese food and culture. This is actually one of Tokyo’s more popular and highly rated Muslin friendly Halal certified restaurant.

Location: 〒130-0022 Tokyo, Sumida City, Kotobashi, 2 Chome−18−6 地下一階 第２田中ビル

Website: N/A

Photo Credits:

Panga Wesbite

Favy JP

Tripadvisor

Timeout

Timeout

Spotlight On: Sid

In this episode of Spotlight On we meet Sid, one of the first guides for Tokyo. We have asked Sid some questions about some of his favorite things in Japan.

What's your favorite food and where would you recommend people to get it?

The fruit sandwich from Sembikiya is, one of, if not, the best fruit sandwich in the world. The milky bread, cushioned by their sweet cream and high quality fruits is the best! It’s a bit pricy but definitely worth it. Beware, there can be long lines!

What’s your favorite place to take people to on tours?

By visiting Nihonbashi, I believe you will understand the culture and history of Tokyo/Japan better. It’s a beautiful place that’s filled with hidden gems and historical sights. It amazes me that so many old stores have survived for so long there.

Other fun facts about SId

Languages Sid guides in: English and Japanese

Month and year Sid joined Hello! Tours: August 2018

One thing Sid likes about working with Hello! Japan:

I joined right before COVID-19 started, but the resilience and creativity of our team is what draws me the most. Even with the pandemic we’ve found ways to do what we love.

Something not many people know about Sid:

I love Brazlian Jiu Jitsu. I absolutely hate those injury videos where someone breaks an arm or leg, but I can’t stop practicing BJJ - where many injuries like that happen!

*This list is updated as of June 22nd 2021, more restaurants can be added as we discover more vegan eats. This list is subject to change.

Japanese food might be a bit difficult to find something that’s not non-vegan. With lots of its dishes including non-vegan foods and the vegan culture not being exactly a popular lifestyle in Japan (you could argue it is with Buddhists, but the majority is not), it could be hard to try and find vegan food in Japan. So, we’ve compiled a list of some of the top-rated vegan eats in Tokyo.

A great vegan source to finding your vegan treats in Japan can be found at Happy Cow.

Vegan Ramen Uzu

Uzu is located INSIDE teamlab planets making for a unique, immersive experience. Diners can eat vegan ramen while enjoying teamLabs famous digital art. Their vegan ramen dishes include shoyu, matcha, and miso ramen!

T’s Tantan

With multiple chains throughout Tokyo (Tokyo Station for anyone passing through) a highly rated vegan ramen store is taking over. Their tantanmen (sesame noodles) is their most popular dish.

Location: Stores inside of Tokyo Station and Ueno Station

Website: http://ts-restaurant.jp/

Gonpachi

Quentin Tarantino was so inspired by this restaurant’s decor that he based the movie Kill Bills: House of Blue Leaves scene off this restaurant. This place for inspiration is at the Nishi-Azabu store, but they have 6 stores throughout Tokyo. Gonpachi serves traditional Japanese food with a vegan/halal-friendly menu as well.

Location: Stores in Nishi-Azabu, Shibuya, Odaiba, Asakusa, Sakura-Shinmachi and Azamino

Website: https://gonpachi.jp/nishi-azabu/

Saido

One of the most highly rated vegan eats in Tokyo, Saido does not disappoint. It’s a chance to try what signature Japanese dishes taste like but also being vegan - amazing!

Location: Meguro-ku, Jiyūgaoka, 2 Chome−15-10, Tokyo, Japan

Website: https://saido.tokyo/en/

Bon -Taito

Specializing in Fucha cuisine - Bon offers traditional vegetarian cuisines of Zen Buddhist monks in China and Japan. A reservation is absolutely necessary, but their multi-course meals are a vegan Japan-lovers dream come true!

Location: 1-2-11 Ryusen Taito-ku Tokyo 〒110-0012

Website: https://www.fuchabon.co.jp/english/english.html

Sojo-Esperanto Vegan Kafejo

Pronounced Soyo, a small café near Waseda University that focuses on soy and Esperanto foods. Their menu consists of their daily special with brown rice and miso soup, chickpea Japanese curry or a small a la carte.

Location: 111 Wasedatsurumakicho, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 162-0041

Website: https://sojo.favy.jp/

Olu Olu Café

As much of Hawaiian foods are influenced from Japan, a vegan Hawaiian restaurant in Tokyo is a great find. Ranging from vegan ramen, curry and burgers, you can get a little bit of everything here.

Location: 1-11-1 Ikejiri Setagaya-ku Tokyo

Website: https://aloha-olu-olu-cafe-english.webnode.jp/

Shinbu Sakiya

With vegan/vegetarian and meat options, this traditional styled ramen restaurant is a popular chain in the heart of the touristy Shibuya region. The menu offers a few vegan options such as shio (salt), tomato and soy sauce based ramen.

Location: 2 Chome-10-3 Dogenzaka, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0043

Website: https://samurai-noodle.jp/

Photo Credits:

Vwage Website

Saido Website

Bon Website

Happy Cow

Lacan

Happy Cow

Vegan Uzu

Spotlight On: Keko

In this episode of Spotlight On we meet Keko, one of the longest-standing members of the Hello! Tours Team. We have asked Keko some questions about some of his favorite things in Japan.

What's your favorite food and where would you recommend people to get it?

My favourite food is Tuna Sashimi! The best can be found at any of the stands at the Tsukiji Outer Market. The tuna is super fresh and the atmosphere is great!

What’s your favorite place to take people to on tours?

Harajuku cat cafe. It's the puurrrfect place to stop for a refreshment break in the summer heat and families with kids love it. Also, I have lots of friends at the cat cafe and you will get special treatment from all of the other cats!

Other fun facts about Keko

Languages Keko guides in: Meow meow.

Month and year Keko joined Hello! Tours: Oct 2013

One thing Keko likes about working with Hello! Japan:

I was the first member of the Hello! Tours team (apart from Laura) and I've been able to live in and learn about the culture of three great cities across Asia.

Something not many people know about Keko:

Not many people know that I am the Chief Operations Officer of Hello! Tours. Most people assume I am just some office pet.

Tokyo is home to the most Michelin stars in the world. It’s basically a large stewing pot of some of the most delicious restaurants on the planet. Cheap or expensive, Tokyo has it all. So, I went ahead and tried a 1-starred ramen Michelin restaurant.

On a quiet Monday afternoon, I went to check out Sobahouse Konjiki Hototogisu in Shinjuku. This is a restaurant that I had been wanting to visit for a long time and I was not disappointed.

With wait times often topping two hours, and opening hours restricted to Mondays to Fridays I hadn’t managed to find time until….. Covid!

From arriving to getting my food I waited about 40 minutes. There were 7 people in front of me in the queue. 3 outside and 4 inside.

The restaurant seats 10 people. 6 seats at the counter plus two small tables that can accommodate 2 people each.

There was a nice atmosphere with soft jazz music playing. It was very quiet in the restaurant nobody was talking everybody was focused on their food.

I ordered the ‘recommended bowl’ Shio Soba at 950 yen. Bargain for a one Michelin star meal!

Details of the ingredients in the picture.

In addition to the ingredients mentioned I also discovered chopped basil in my dish (the green in the photo) and what I think was sun-dried tomato. Pork sweet and tender. The soup had quite a strong but delicate fishy flavor. I could taste the truffle oil. It was full-flavored but not overpowering.

Overall I would say it was a light dish with an interesting fusion and balance of flavors.

I can definitely understand why it's received so many awards. Compared to other ramen I've eaten this was a very cleverly balanced bowl.

It was a very relaxing experience which is quite often the opposite in Japan. When going out to eat, a lot of restaurants are loud with people shouting “welcome” and “goodbye” or orders being called or customers chatting. This restaurant was practically silent! Just the gentle sound of soft jazz drifting through the aroma.

- Laura, Hello! Tokyo Tours Founder

We can’t wait until Japan reopens again so that we can have delicious bowls of ramen like this. However, we offer pandemic-friendly experiences such as our Holiday by Post Program. Every month we will send you a postcard and a thoughtfully chosen local gift with a video blog telling you more about your gift and the place that we bought it. For more info check here or subscribe down below!

Matcha flavored sweets have taken over the world. You might have heard of matcha chocolates, matcha lattes or matcha Oreos. Might be a bit unique but not uncommon right? Well, let’s discuss five shocking matcha foods that you can find in Japan. We can’t guarantee you that you’ll find this on your next visit to Japan because lots of these items are seasonal or special items, but we can guarantee that you’ll find it very odd.

Matcha Cup Noodle

We didn’t think this existed either, but if its going to exist, it’s going to be in Japan. Apparently Nissin released a green tea flavored version of it back in 2017. It’s not common to find, and I as a guide in Japan have not found this before.

Photo Cred: Sora News

Matcha Curry

After discovering the noodles, we thought we couldn’t find anything weirder than that. But curry comes next on our list. Itohkyuemon - a green tea shop in Kyoto founded in 1832 unleashed an instant green tea packet. All you need to do is heat up the vacuum sealed packet in hot water for a few minutes and it’s ready to pour over your rice!

Photo Credit: Sora News

Matcha Chuhai

Tea based alcohol isn’t too uncommon in Japan. At an izakaya (Japanese drinking establishments) it’s quite common for people to order oolong-hai, oolong tea mixed with shochu alcohol. So it’s not much of a surprise to find matcha-chuhai, but for anyone outside of Japan this could be quite unique!

Photo Credit: Ruten Japan

Matcha Strawberry Sandwich

A strawberry sandwich might sound a bit unique to start off with, but why not give it a matcha twist? On our Tokyo food tour, we visit a strawberry sandwich stand under Tokyo Station and our guests love it! But we’ve never seen it with a matcha twist before. Lawson came out with a matcha strawberry sandwich where the bread is engrained with matcha to give it the matcha punch to it.

Photo Credit: Timeout

Matcha Potato Chips

The popular snack company Calbee always has interesting flavors coming out, so it’s not a surprise that we have a matcha potato chip! It’s a limited edition only so, unless it makes a comeback, you may be out of luck trying to acquire one in Japan

Photo Credit: Napa Japan

We know we teased you with different Japanese matcha delights to get in Japan and we’re sorry! However, we offer pandemic friendly experiences such as our Holiday by Post Program. Every month we will send you a postcard and a thoughtfully chosen local gift with a video blog telling you more about your gift and the place that we bought it. For more info check here or subscribe down below!

Cup Noodles have been a cornerstone in Japanese fast food. The ingenious design and convenience, taste and cost make it a favorite amongst people worldwide. On our private Yokohama tour, we visit the Cup Noodle Museum where you can learn about the history of how Cup Noodles were made and even create your own Cup Noodles. But, for now, let’s take a look at five different Cup Noodle flavors that you can find on your next trip to Japan.

Cheese Curry

Contrary to Indian and Thai curry, Japanese curry is sweeter and thicker. It’s often loved by children and is also one of the most popular Japanese foods in Japan. When you add cheese to the mix - it makes for a legendary flavor of Cup Noodles. The thick curry soup compliments the the cheese and noodles for a Cup of Heaven!

Miso

I’m sure a lot of have heard of miso soup before. If you thicken up the soup a little and some noodles in it, you get a delicious Miso Cup Noodles! This delicate tasting Cup of Noodle is perfect for you miso lovers.

Protein Cup Noodles

We know that Cup Noodles might not be the healthiest thing in the world. But, the Nissin team has tried taking a “healthier” approach to it by making their “PRO” Cup Noodle series that’s packed with protein! Each Cup of Noodle has 15 grams of protein for those that want a little more out of the noodles.

TONKOTSU (PORK)

Tonkotsu literally means pork bone. The tonkotsu ramen is a very common and popular broth due to it’s rich and refreshing taste. Now that it’s put into a Cup Noodle? Who wouldn’t like it?! It’s definitely worth trying for it’s delicious tasting broth.

HOKKAIDO MILK SEAFOOD

When it comes to food in Hokkaido (The northern most part of Japan) many Japanese people might think of two things - milk and seafood. Combine these two into a Cup Noodle and you get this unique, creamy seafood noodle! It’s oddly satisfying and is a bit similar to having a carbonara but in a Cup Noodle.

We know we teased you with different Cup Noodles to get in Japan and we’re sorry! However, we offer pandemic friendly experiences such as our Holiday by Post Program. Every month we will send you a postcard and a thoughtfully chosen local gift with a video blog telling you more about your gift and the place that we bought it. For more info check here or subscribe down below!

HELLO! TOKYO TOURS GUIDE TO MOTHERS DAY

With mothers day coming up soon, why not plan a mothers day gift with a Japanese twist to it? You can purchase lots of Japanese things at places like Daiso (online or in-store) or Sugoi Mart (online). Or you can even check out our Holiday by Post Program for unique, specialized gifts from Japan! (more details below). With our list below, you can combine and mix them up for an ultimate mothers day gift! This will be the perfect replacement for not being able to come on a Tokyo tours this year!

Origami

If your mom is the art and crafts type of person - maybe making origami together is the perfect mothers day activity! You can order origami from places such as amazon or buy them at Daiso. There are hundreds of YouTube videos to help you make origami - you can even go for the classic Japanese crane together.

Create a Japanese meal

Make your moms day special with a home cooked Japanese meal. Most Japanese ingredients can be found at regular supermarkets or Asian super markets. You can check out our Food Guide’s recipe page for some easy delicious Japanese food!

Bonsai trees

Mother’s Day flowers are nice, but how about a bonsai tree? If your mom is into taking care of plants and gardening, its the perfect gift! Many plant shops will offer bonsai trees, all you’ll need is a simple bonsai kit (which you can typically find online somewhere) to “craft” the bonsai and you’re good to go!

Subscribe to Holiday by Post

Every month we will send you a postcard and a thoughtfully chosen local gift with a video blog telling you more about your gift and the place that we bought it. Covid-19 has destroyed our livelihoods. Your monthly membership fee will provide our team with some much needed income. In return we will select meaningful souvenirs, write a heartfelt message and offer you discounts on future tours, when we can all travel freely again. Check it out here

Watch a Japanese movie/show

This activity is probably better if you pair one or two of the ones mentioned above. Most streaming services will have a good selection of Japanese movies. You can always check out YouTube and Amazon to rent the movies as well! For a good list of Japanese movies check out our film guide for more information.