Published on Feb, 2025

As first time visitors to Tokyo (and Japan too), we were not sure quite what to expect on this tour. After having walked around the Ginza area and Shibuya, bright lights, crowds and high-end labels seemed to be permanent fixtures. Yanaka turned out to be the exact opposite, and our guide, Sui, was as good a guide as one could expect. First, you can walk safely on the side streets of Yanaka. There were far more pedestrians than cars. The streets are also narrow and full of turns, so cars travel slowly. What I am saying is, you can comfortably stroll along this lovely little corner of Tokyo that is so completely different from anything you might have seen before. Different? Little bakeries, small coffee shops in pre-war buildings, a real vegetable and fruit stand such as you might see is small town USA but with a Japanese twist, a beer hall- tiny, but serving locally brewed beer that you might find anywhere else) , an antique store with real antiques (bit prices, though), plenty of temples, just a wonderful opportunity to see a more normal small town. The Yanaka Ginza that you come to towards the end is another delight. Exactly the opposite of the 'more famous' Ginza, with not a single brand name, all tiny local stores selling hand-made artifacts and family-owned food stands, an absolute delight - if you like that sort of thing, that is. It can be a long-ish walk, around 3 hours, but its worth every minute. And our tour guide, Sui, took us to so many interesting places that time just zoomed by.

Published on Jan, 2025

Our guide Sui gave great directions to find her to start the tour (a challenge on other tours we have been on). Having a Japanese person conduct the tour (rather than just someone who could speak English) really helped us to understand more about Tokyo and Japan. Sui answered even the most obscure questions, provided a great tour of not just temples and shrines that you would not normally see, but also of Tokyo neighborhoods showing how the locals live. Our 8yo daughter was in a difficult mood the morning of the tour and Sui was very patient with her and by the time it was over, she was sad to see her go. If you have been to Tokyo and seen the "highlights" already, this is a nice relaxing tour that shows you things you would not discover yourself.

Published on Jan, 2025

The tour was very enjoyable and informative. Sui was a good tour guide - accommodating and had answers to most of our questions. We saw several old wooden houses that have survived and are now repurposed as restaurants and a bakery. Nezu Shrine is well worth visiting. Recommended.

Published on Jan, 2025

I booked this Yanaka walking tour in October and it was such a great experience! I was lucky enough to be the only customer that day, so I was given a personalised tour of the Yanaka Ginza area! I love wandering through backstreets and my guide Sui was very accommodating and knowledgeable. I chose to do a tour because I wanted to get the most out of visiting the area. As a non-Japanese speaker, I found it incredibly helpful to have Sui by my side, who helped order food and speak with the shop vendors. I highly recommend this tour to anyone who wants to experience the history, food and culture of the Yanaka Ginza area.

Published on Nov, 2024

A thoroughly enjoyable your. The guide, Sui, was friendly and engaging. She led the tour at at even pace, which gave sufficient time to stop and enjoy each site. In particular, her explanations of the importance of temples and shrines in Japanese history and present day life, especially the significance on monks was wonderful. It was also pleasing that much of the tour was spent and residential areas, thus giving an insight into modern day Japanese life. Having said that, it was great to conclude the tour in the Yanaka Ginza, and to shop without neon lights from all angles