We have now launched our self guided walk tour experience! Partnering with our friends at Voicemap you can explore Tokyo on your own while learning about the hidden stories of the past and exploring foodie delights. This is a self guided Tokyo walking tours meaning you DON’T need a guide! Of course having guides has many merits, but if you’re short on time or just want to be solo, make sure to download our app.

During the Edo Period (1603 to 1868) Nihonbashi was at the center of all trade and commerce. It was home to the most powerful people in all of Japan.

This sightseeing tour of Tokyo will transport you back to a time when Samurais and Shoguns walked these streets.

Follow their footsteps and discover the best of Tokyo’s living history. This district is packed with age-old snack shops and traditional Japanese crafts. Yes they are still standing, hundreds of year later! Nihonbashi is Tokyo’s best kept secret, a treasure trove of a district overflowing with cultural and historical gems.

Highlights include:

• Nihonbashi Bridge where the zero-mile-marker is located.

• The Bank of Japan.

• Mitsukoshi, Japans oldest department store.

• Our top-picks of Japans must try local snacks.

• Authentic souvenir shopping at a 400 years old fan shop and Washi Paper shop.

….and much more!

https://hellotokyotours.com/self-guided-tours#nihonbashi-tour

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Here is a top ten list of my favorite casual eats in Tokyo. This list is comprised of some of my favorite CASUAL restaurants that I like to go to, when I’m craving something, passing through the area or want to have a cheat day. This list is NOT a list of what I think are some of Tokyo’s best, but rather a list of my favorite chain restaurants, comfort foods and hangout spots that are affordable. If I am ever your Tokyo tour guide, you can ask me about this list and we can go eat at some of these spots!

*The list is in no particular order.

Tsukemen from Rokurinsha

When it comes to ramen, I’m more of a “tsukemen” kind of person. Tuskemen is basically dipping ramen where the broth and noodles are separate. Rokurinsha’s tsukemen is the creamiest, most umami packed tsukemen ever. They have restaurants in Tokyo Station, Ueno Station and the Skytree.

Fruits Sandwich from Sembikiya

My favorite sandwich is not a savory kind but a sweet one. The founder of the the fruits sandwich - Sembikiya - lives up to it’s expectation and has the fluffiest, sweetest, juciest fruits sandwich one can imagine. In the winter time, it’s strawberry season so I like going in the winter for a strawberry sandwich! They’re flagship store in Nihonbashi is nice, but the one in Kitte building in front of Tokyo Station is my favorite!

Udon and Tempura at Inaniwa Udon Kaneko Hannosuke

Kaneko Hannosuke is arguably one of the most famous tendon (tempura donburi which is tempura over rice) restaurants in Tokyo. Sometimes lines are about 1.5 hours long. BUT, if you don’t want to wait you can head over to their udon store nearby. Their udon set comes with a mini tendon so you can get a taste of their famous tendon plus some udon! There are toppings right in front of you that you can add to enhance the udon. Honestly, I think this is better if you want both noodles and the tendon.

Address: Japan, 〒103-0022 Tokyo, Chuo City, Nihonbashimuromachi, 2 Chome−3−1 コレド室町 2 地下1階

A 1 minute walk from the Mitsukoshi-mae station. It’s on the B1F of Coredo Muromachi Department Store 2

Tonkatsu from Maisen

There are many highly rated and Michelin rated tonkatsu restaurants in Japan. The problem with those restaurants are that the lines can be very long. If you’re stopping by and want a quick lunch with good tonkatsu, you can’t go wrong with Maisen. They’re tonkatsu is honestly one of the softest tonkatsus I’ve had. Don’t miss out on their katsu sandwich either. They have many stores throughout Tokyo but I usually go to the one in Shibuya’s Hikarie Department store

Japanese sweets from Umezono

Dating back to 1854, this Japanese cafe serves some of the best traditional Japanese sweets. My favorite is the Anmitsu (in the photo) which basically includes small cubes of agar jelly, a white translucent jelly made from red algae, mochi, red beans and sometimes fruits and ice cream on top. If you’re willing to try new Japanese desserts, this is your place to come.

https://goo.gl/maps/ETb1TK6go8EiVRTa7

Sushi from Midori Sushi

Sushi can be very expensive. Really good places can also be hard to make reservations for. Midori sushi (although they may have long lines) is one of my favorite decent priced sushi. You can get full on sushi from about 20-30 bucks which is an absolute steal in Tokyo! Midori sushi is a chain restaurant (Katsu Midori is their revolving sushi version which is also highly recommended) although there aren’t that many throughout Tokyo. My personal favorite is the one in Tamagawa at the Takashimaya Department store. I dream about their toro all the time.

Website: https://www.sushinomidori.co.jp/eng/

Curry from Curry Bondy

Cocoichi curry is a famous curry chain restaurant but, Curry Bondy in my opinion is the more superior chain (by miles). It’s not really a chain as there are only 8 shops throughout Tokyo but this Japanese styled curry hits the right spice. The flagship store is in Jimbocho, which is considered a curry town, so it’s a perfect place for any curry lovers. You can find all the stores here http://bondy.co.jp/web/contents/shoplist.html

Gindaco

Now this one on the list isn’t necessarily a special one, but a personal favorite. Gindaco is a very popular chain takoyaki restaurant. There are over 30 of them around Tokyo. Takoyaki is basically an octopus ball made of wheat flour based batter, filled with octopus. It’s topped off with your choice of sauce (typically their regular takoyaki sauce) but I personally love their cod roe (mentaiko) sauce as seen in the picture. Most Gindaco’s have take out, but you can also dine in. Usually Gindaco’s are used as a drinking establishment and I like to mix it in when I’m bar hopping for a great late night snack!

*Takoyaki is a very popular snack in Osaka.

Yakiniku from Beef Kitchen Nakameguro

Now this one is borderline sticking onto this list because it can be casual and not-so casual depending on how you look at it. Yakiniku, or Japanese BBQ can be very expensive. A5 wagyu cuts will literally melt in your mouth, but it comes at a price. Some of the best yakiniku restaurants in Japan can be hard to get reservations and will cost you couple hundred dollars. But, Beef Kitchen has some of the best yakiniku I’ve had and the prices are not so bad, compared to the best. You can look to spend around 50-100 USD a person (depending on how much you eat and drink), and that’s not too bad considering how mouth watering their meat is. Of course, there are much cheaper options, but I rank it in with my casual eats because of the quality and price correlation. If you’re not looking to ball out, but willing to pay a little extra for good food, Beef Kitchen Nakameguro is the way to go.

https://goo.gl/maps/w6fiSpm1VrMWGpJ16

Matcha Ice Cream from Sawawa Asakusa

It’s one of the best richest, creamiest and flavor full matcha ice creams I’ve had. Simple as that. It has the perfect balance of matcha and cream so you can get the best of both worlds. A plus because it’s right by the world famous Sensoji Temple.

Photo Credit: Tabelog

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When you think of a sandwich, you might think of a ham and cheese, BLT, tuna or even a PB&J for any sweet tooth’s. But, have you ever thought about a fruits sandwich before? It’s exactly what you think it is. A sandwich with fruits! This delicious Japanese treat uses sweet cream and Japan’s very own high quality seasonal fruits sandwiched by two of the softest, milky white breads. Because Japan’s fruits are very seasonal you can always get their seasonal fruits sandwich for your best experience!

Try a fruits sandwich on a private food tour Tokyo. Ask your Tokyo tour guide and they will show you the best fruits sandwich in Tokyo.

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Nothing beats the experience of eating UNDENEATH the railroads at Gado Shita in the center of Tokyo. Gado Shita literally means under the railings. These former warehouses, captures the perfect atmosphere of what eating during the Showa period was like. Lot’s of late night drunk salary men stumbled upon these streets (even today!) after work hours to exchange intriguing thoughts or discuss more business. Today, there is a word in Japan for meeting up, discussing/talking and drinking. It’s called nomunication which combines the word nomu for drinking in Japanese and communication. So lets nomunicate in Tokyo and join your Tokyo tour guide on a Tokyo food tour!

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Asakusa is the historic center of Tokyo housing Tokyo’s oldest temple and many traditional craft shops. On our Tokyo tours, you can ask your Tokyo tour guide to take you here and show you a locals way of visiting Asakusa.

We can’t leak all our secrets but you can get a special view of the area from a nearby building that your Tokyo tour guide would know about! You can also have the chance to learn about the history of Ningyoyaki - a dessert that’s special to this place and houses the original founders of this delicious snack!

The highlight of Asakusa Sensoji is the Nakamise shopping street. Lining up to one of Tokyo’s oldest temple is a long road of shopping streets that dates back several hundred years. There are many traditional arts and craft’s shop, food stands and much more. Branching off to the side of the shopping street, your Tokyo tour guide would know more about hidden shops for delicious food and unique shops!

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The Meiji Shrine on our tours in Tokyo

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Our tours in Tokyo are mixed with both tourist highlights and hidden gems.

When you visit Tokyo you don’t want to miss out on some of the most popular places. After all, they are popular for a reason. A popular destination amongst our guests and even the locals is the Meiji Shrine and Harajuku area.

The two are right next to each other but it reminds you that Tokyo has such a big contrast of old and new. The Meiji Shrine is a shrine dedicated to the late Emperor and Empress Meiji. It was built in 1920 and became one of the most popular shrines in all of Japan. It houses a massive forest with over 120,000 trees donated from all around the world. You can easily spend an hour to 2 hours here wandering around its natural beauty.

Once you step outside, you can visit the world famous Takeshita Dori in Harajuku. It’s the youth fashion center of Tokyo. The trendy shops and dozens of unique sweets and crepe shops make it a popular visit from teenagers and young adults. Trying a crepe is a MUST! Make sure to ask your Tokyo tour guide to come here!

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The Meiji Shrine on our tours in Tokyo

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On our popular Tokyo food tours - you’ll have have the chance to try some foods that you NEVER would of had in Japan.

We know that most people try to aim for ramen, sushi, tempura and tonkatsu in Japan. But we KNOW that. What we would like for you to try is something that you never would of tried if you hadn’t come on our tour.

We begin our Tokyo food tour in Nihonbashi where you will try foods from the past and learn about the foundation of Japanese food. We try foods such as dashi, imo kenpi and satsuma-age (never heard of it right?). Then we continue forward in time and land ourselves at Ginza where we eat like modern salary men and try food stalls and drink alcohol! We end our journey in the “future” in Akihabara where we try fusion foods and see where Japan’s food culture is heading.

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Trying a dorayaki on our Tokyo food tour

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A top desire for many travelers to Japan is whether they can drink nice tea anywhere. Well, our Tokyo tour guide can show you where to get the ultimate tea drinking experience in Tokyo!

In one of Tokyo’s most popular gardens - Hamarikyu Garden - there is a quiet little tea house that sits in the middle of the lake. You have to cross a bridge to step foot inside and it’s one of the most unique tea drinking experiences you will have. After ordering their tea set, they will bring you a freshly whipped up matcha tea that comes with a nice little wagashi (Japanese sweets) on the side. There are no seats here - but rather you sit on the traditional tatami mats - so you have to practicing your floor sitting skills!

The tea house looks at out over the lake and has a nice view of the garden. Depending on the time of year, your view can change along with the color of the leaves! Ask your Tokyo tour guide to visit this garden for a very special tea experience.

Our Tokyo tour guide Laura enjoying her tea experience

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How about a private tour in Tokyo for you when you visit after this pandemic? One of our Tokyo food tours features a visit to the funky town of Akihabara where you can try a taiyaki. A taiyaki is a fish-shaped pancake with a red bean filling. It’s a classic sweet treat for locals in Japan.

However, the one in Akihabara adds a little twist. Rather than a regular fish shape, a store in Akihabara has a pokemon themed taiyaki where the fish is replaced by a Magikarp - a koi fish from the Pokemon world!

Akihabara is known for its unique otaku culture. An otaku is a geek or “nerd” usually for anime and manga. So the pokemon-themed taiyaki checks out! Join us on a private tour Tokyo

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Planning on your future trip to Tokyo and looking for activities to do? Check out Hello! Tokyo Tours and Travel Guide just for you!

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