What Our Guests Say…

We’ve taken over 26,800 food explorers on culinary adventures since our first tour in Feb. of 2016. Here are just a few of the kind comments they have sent our way.

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Two happy food explorers on our Golden Gai Food Tour! 

Flavors of Japan — Frances and Joe Vescio

We did two tours with Arigato Japan and were extremely happy that we chose them. Our guides Anne and Jason where fantastic, they are very passionate about Japan and there food, very knowledgeable that you could ask them any question. We felt very welcomed and looked after. We where taken to all different places, raging from stand up and sit down, eating all sorts of food and lots of it. We highly recommend them because you walk away with so much knowledge of their culture and food. Anne and Jason are two amazing people who took care of us like family.

Check out these All Star reviews of our most popular food tour!

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Family Fun at our Tsukiji Breakfast Tour, Exploring the world’s largest Fish Market.

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Shinbashi Food Tour — Garth and Alex Oakden

My teenage son and I spent the evening on the Shimbashi walking food tour with Anne the owner and it was fantastic. On our own we would not have found the restaurants that we visited and certainly would have ordered blindly. Anne not only explained the food to us but where in Japan it originated. Anne was absolutely delightful dedicated and knowledgeable. I would recommend this company to anyone visiting Tokyo as a first night thing to do. It definitely points you in the right direction for the rest of your stay.

Highlight of Our Trip – Tours in Osaka and Kyoto,  C. Forney

On our second visit to Japan, we experienced two tours with Arigato Japan – the Osaka Food Tour and the Kyoto Nishki Market Tour. Toshi as a guide is beyond 5 stars and these two tours were the highlights of our trip. The Osaka Food Tour was such a memorable evening that we decided to back track to Kyoto (which we had already visited) solely to do another food tour with Toshi. If we had not discovered this company so late in our trip we would have definitely also used them for our tours of Tsukiji Fish Market and Kobe Breweries which we did with other groups.
During the Osaka Food Tour we visited some small-back alley places that were intimate and friendly with Toshi serving as an excellent guide and translator. Getting to experience cooking okonomiyaki was a treat.

The daytime Kyoto tour was equally excellent, with the cumulation of our visits to the many stalls being a traditional lunch prepared at a restaurant with the items we had purchased along the way! Toshi was very focused on our interests, even taking a deter to a special presentation of northern food vendors at the nearby department store.

I highly recommend the Arigato Japan, diving into praise any time someone mentions an upcoming trip to Japan. We will be back and when we return we will incorporate as many of their tours as possible.

Osaka Tour “The Best Local Food Tour Ever”– Yoshie Onishi

My wife and I recently did an Osaka Night Food Tour with Toshi-san and Anne-san, and it was one of the best tour experiences we have ever had. We made okonomiyaki and monja-yaki, ate delicious takoyaki and taiyaki on the street, and went to a special local sushi joint with the freshest fish and delicious tamago sushi. Toshi-san also surprised us with some truly off the beaten path experiences, walking through small alleyways and mingling with locals in an authentic and respectful way. We even went into a local watering hole and had high balls with the most generous Okinawan barkeep who took great care of us.

I would share more but don’t want to give away all of their secrets!

If you are looking for a generic, touristy experience where all of the foreigners and ex-pats go, this is not for you. But if you want to have a special and authentic local experience with knowledgeable, giving and fun-loving guides then you’re in for a treat. This company has heart and they are laser-focused on giving each of their customers the best possible experience. Thanks again to Arigato Japan for making our experience such a memorable one!

Shibuya Food Tour “The ultimate foodie tour!” —Alexandra Lee
We joined to the Shibuya Tour with my family and it was a night to remember! We had so much fun going with our guide! Wow we had 5 food stops, the sushi was great, takoyaki was yummy, okonomiyaki was so delicious, the dessert was soooo good and to top it all WAGYU SKEWERS! This all in one tour, wow we couldn’t believe everything that we ate that night! It was so worth it! We had only two nights in Japan, the first night we got so lost and didn’t know how to order. This tour was a life saver! To have everything ready, organized and laid out perfectly was just fantastic! The information we had on this tour was priceless, the guide was extremely informative, fun and passionate!

I highly recommend the Shibuya Tour, it was definitely an unforgettable experience. This was really the ultimate food
Japanese Street Food Tour – “Great Food Tour in Shibuya” —Amy G

This was a fun experience and perfect for our second night in Tokyo. We learned a lot about different kinds of restaurants, how to order, how to eat, and different types of food. There was good local information and a variety of food options. Our guide, Keiko or Kay, was the best and had a lot of good knowledge!! We would do it again!!
Shinjuku Omoide Yokocho, Kabukicho and Golden Gai Food Tour – “Good tour of Golden Gai” —Natalie P

Had a great tour from Yappy of Golden Gai! He did an excellent job showing us around Shinjuku and taught us some great Japanese phrases and cultural tips that we used for the rest of our trip in Japan. Food was tasty, but the educational aspect of the tour was our favorite part! I like that they took lots of photos for us and shared them with us after the tour on Facebook. Thanks Yappy for a great tour!
Luxury Tokyo Sake, Cocktail, Whisky and Pairing Tour – “Amazing experience!” —Cindy B

Although I am studying in Tokyo this was absolutely amazing!

We went to places I have not been to before and many of them only accessible if you are a local! Our Guide was amazing and shared many stories about the area and Japanese culture. We even went to a stylish cocktail bar where we were able to choose a drink made with Japanese ingredients and got a chance to try Wagyu beef jerky. So delicious, I absolutely loved it!!!
Flavors of Japan Daytime Tour – “One of the best experiences of our trip to Japan! Learned about food and so much more” —Nancy Dunlavy

We were so fortunate to have Mandy as our tour guide. My husband and I are both from the US, visiting our son here for ten days. We happened to be the only two on this daytime tour of the Nihonbashi area of Tokyo on Wednesday, September 18th, and we peppered her with so many questions that she happily responded to.
 
Mandy was born and grew up in the US, has lived here in Japan for most of the last nine years, and now considers Tokyo her home. She loves this country and all of its traditions, holidays, sense of seasons and nature, etc. … and she shared that all with us. Her Japanese seemed to be perfect, and of course so was her English!
 
We did attend another food tour a few days later with another tour company in the Tsukiji Fish Market area — the latter tour was “as expected,” this tour with Arigato was well beyond expectations! The choice of multiple food stops provided a wonderful overview of Japanese culinary experience. Beyond that, Mandy explained the history of the area (with maps, art work, other props she had), the importance of *seasons* and *regions* in Japanese culture and menu, and then we asked her things like “what is it like for her child to grow up in Japan?,” “is there a ‘me-too’ movement awareness here in Japan?”, “tell us more about Tokyo in the Edo period and also about how Tokyo is preparing for the 2020 Olympics!”, etc.
 
We were so eager to understand and appreciate the culture, history, daily life, politics, everything about Japan, and our several hours spent with Mandy gave us a wonderful perspective. Plus, again, let me mention .. the food stops were each a treat, taste wise and what we learned! Easy to find the meeting spot, and not too much walking. Thank you, Mandy!
Crazy, Cute, Kawaii Food Tour – “Fun and Tasty Food Tour with Excellent Guide” —Elizabeth F

We had the best tour guide, Norma, to show us all the fun food we have missed since we moved here 2 years ago. We started with a candy store making beautiful lollipops and hard candy. Next, we visited a sesame ice cream shop. We had the sampler and each picked our favorite. After that we went through the backstreets to a cute art exhibition hall that has an amazing make your own okonomiyaki and yakisoba grill right in the middle of your table. Our 11 year old son and 18 yo niece loved it! Although full, we went to the animal ice cream store for the kids and then a creperie for the adults. Delicious! The final stop was Totti for the instagram worthy cotton candy. A fun and delicious day! Thanks so much to Norma.
Retro Shibuya Tour – “SUPER FUN TOUR!” —HoneymoonGRL

Keiko made this tour! She was such a fun host that took us to so many places to try adventurous and delicious foods. She was so sweet and took so many fun pictures along the way for us to remember the experience. The group was so nice and we actually made friends with everyone on the tour, so it made for a really fun night! Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking to try some of Japan’s classic dishes as well as some adventurous ones!
Tokyo’s #1 Family Food Tour – “Amazing!!” —Andrew C

Amazing food tour. Highly recommend for families, this was a great way for us to spend our first day in Tokyo. Very friendly guides were great with our 2 children ages 7 and 8. The company was very accommodating. Prompt replies. Can’t recommend enough! You won’t be disappointed
Old Town Tokyo Food Tour – “Great food, wonderful guide and a fascinating slice of history” —sealspeak

Our family of four food lovers chose this tour because it incorporated some history, exercise and many different food types. Our guide Michie was outstanding. From the moment we met we felt comfortable, and in very good hands. We learned the stories of the shop-owners and their products, as we munched happily through the charming neighbourhood. We sampled foods we had never before tried, and a wonderful lunch of soba noodles, complete with slurping, and tasty tempura.
 
The post lunch drink and fruit outside the bottle shop was a highlight, as was the amazing tea ceremony. The family who presented this ritual to us were warm and fun, and really endeared themselves to our children (10 & 14). We have no hesitation in highly recommending this tour – in particular Michie – she was friendly, calm, knowledgeable, and went out of her way to make sure we ha a good time. She even made sure we caught the right train back to our hotel. We would go anywhere in Japan with her!
Daytime Hanami (Cherry Blossom) Tour: Tokyo – “Hanami in Yanaka!” —Nancy K

Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and lots of fun. She also did a fantastic job adjusting to our interests and food allergies. She obviously loves Tokyo and made sure to convey her enthusiasm and also that our time in Tokyo outside the tour was well spent by recommending several activities to do. We saw several areas of sakura (we were so fortunate to have hit the peak sakura time!) and also visited numerous shops along the way, eating our way down the street, trying all kinds of native food, each at her favorite little shop. A fantastic way to spend a few hours and one of the best guides ever.
Evening Hanami (Cherry Blossom) Tour: Tokyo – “Evening Cherry Blossoms, all lit up, hanging over the Meguro River – Stunning!” —CrazzieCat

We had a fantastic Hanami evening tour with Haruka. We stopped off at a local store for some sweet snacks before strolling along the river in the early evening whilst it was still light. We were able to see the Cherry Blossoms at the height of their bloom and it was truly beautiful.
 
We then went to a local bar for some food and had some typical food from the region – pork skewers and seaweed. It was now evening and although dark, the whole area was lit up with lights around and under the trees to show off the Cherry Blossoms. We had a glass of champagne to celebrate and join in the walking hanami. We also had a good luck fish shaped pastry to end the evening.
 
We had a lovely evening and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this tour. We only wish we had booked more Arigato Food Tours as this one was definitely a highlight of our trip to Japan.
Japanese New Year Food Tour in Shibuya, Tokyo – “New Year food tour and feast” —Lorre W

Last minute booking of a wonderful and unique experience. Our hotel concierge told me this was the only food tour outfit worth using in terms of satisfaction. Lauren’s communication before and after we got to Tokyo was stellar. They squeezed us in with another lively group who we wound up being connected to from home. Go figure!
 
All week Lauren and her team guided me in terms of transportation, directions, expectations, etc. The tour was informative, fun and most of all the food was great! We sampled special foods of the new year and learned the significance of each. The tour culminated in an all you can eat and drink sukiyaki and shabu shabu feast. I wish we had time to do other tours with them, will definitely consider for next time in Tokyo! Don’t hesitate to try this.
Nightlife Osaka Food Tour – “Exceptional Tours~Tremendous Cultural Depth~ Excellent Food!” —laffinalot

As a well seasoned world traveler, I have experienced hundreds of tours, but none can compare with Arigato Japan Food Tours. The opportunity to experience Japanese culture and the history behind their delicacies from a local guide, added incredible depth to our trip. We took several of their tours along our journey throughout Japan, and these tours were truly one of the most superior highlights of our vacation!
 
Arigato caters to everyone, including those of us with gourmet pallets, such as my own. I cannot recommend this company enough. I have huge respect for Arigato Japan’s local tour guides, who consistently went far above and beyond to share their personal love and excitement for food, Japanese culture, and interesting historical facts! We learned so much, and we ate a ton of deliciousness!
 
Restaurant owners personally catered to us, which added an even higher level of entertainment, and our guides were also very flexible if we saw some interesting street food along the way that we wanted to dip into! Japan has the most delicious and interesting food options ever! I HIGHLY recommend Arigato Japan for your food tours in several different Japanese cities. I love the cultural depth they added to our Japan vacation, which we would not have experienced otherwise.
 
Also, a truly heartfelt thank you to Anne Kyle, CEO of Arigato Food Tours, Japan. Your tour guides spoke very highly of your passion and dedication to ensure that each of your customers experience a tour of a lifetime, which we did!
Osaka Market Tour – “Like hanging out with friends – amazing evening!” —Barb and Quentin Kuhrau

We did an evening in Osaka with Sarah and Ann in October. It was a highlight of our trip and we felt like we got an insight to Japan and what it is like to be able to order from restaurants with no English menu’s and dine with locals.
 
They arranged a perfect evening, great selection of food to try. It was like we were just hanging out with friends. Sarah was nice enough to help us at the train station that evening, since we were having so much fun we missed our train to Kyoto….thanks to you both, Sarah and Ann for a terrific evening and sharing your experiences living in Japan.
Shinsekai Street Food Tour – “Arigato Japan food tours!” —Daveyal

We booked a place on an Osaka food tour for 3 hours, it was our 5th day in Japan & we had struggled with understanding the types of restaurants and what to order once inside.
 
We should have done this tour on our 1st night in Japan!!! Ike, our guide, was excellent, spoke good English, very knowledgeable. He took us to a number of eating places in the quieter area of Shinsekai, rather than the busier Dotonbori district. We expected to be joining a group tour of up to 10 people, however only 2 of us had booked for the evening, which allowed us to ask any amount of questions.
 
Really enjoyed this tour & recommend you include it in the early part of a visit to Japan. I think this company also do tours in Tokyo and Kyoto.
Osaka Dotonbori Daytime Food Tour – “Fun afternoon with Arigato (Hiro)” —jjjbbb

Our family of 4 had a great afternoon in Dotonbori with Hiro of Arigato Food Tours. It ended up being just our family which was nice for us. We were definitely full after the tour and enjoyed everywhere Hiro took us.
Mt. Fuji Famous Food Tour Via Bullet Train – “Great service, great food, great company!” —Rick J

My wife and I went on the Fuji tour. Lauren and Alex were wonderful travel companions and had selected numerous local traditional (and great!) restaurants. The food highlight was the Yakisoba restaurant. Mt fuji was shy the day of our visit as it was raining all day… but with great guides and great food we still enjoyed ourselves immensely. We are aspiring foodies and found this tour to be a great way to experience very tasty local cuisine and learn a lot about the area. The Mt Fuji museum was another highlight.
Best of Hiroshima Food Tour – “Wonderful evening!!” —Marie A

Hugh was our guide through the Hiroshima food tour. He was an informative and lovely gentleman! We had a wonderful night full of laughs and Fabulous food! The final desert was the specialty of the night! We would recommend this tour for anyone wanting to see the side of Hiroshima we wouldn’t normally see just wandering around by ourselves.
Gion & Kaiseki Kyoto Tour – “Tour provided insights to a magical place you won’t get on your own” —Andy F

My wife and I spent 22 days in southeast Asia. This was one of our favorite activites. You get a lay of the land and get to try a lot of good food and drink along the way. You end the night with a traditional Kaiseki meal. This included many courses, sake, etc.. The guide was wonderful in giving us recommendations for the rest of our stay. We learned a lot about the culture and history while also throwing back some sake and having fun.
Kyoto Market w/ 7 Course Lunch – “Awesome tour with Rinrin” —Leigh W.

Ian and I did this tour on Wednesday. Rinrin was our guide and as we were the only participants on this tour we felt very special. Rinrin is so lovely and has a wonderful knowledge of Kyoto, the markets and local traditions. She was able to answer our many questions and I now have such a better understanding of Japanese culture. It was great to have the opportunity to taste foods we were unfamiliar with. We felt so comfortable with Rinrin, it was like being with family. Thank you again to Rinrin and to Arigato Tours.
Kyoto Casual Pontocho Evening Food Tour – “Best Japan Experience!” —Mariana Pinto

Our guide was Masaki. He was really nice and made this the best experience we’ve had in Japan. We went to 6 different places and tasted really good food – that we probably wouldn’t have otherwise.
 
Along the way we talked about the food, Japan’s history and culture and a lot of other things and got to see a few typical Kyoto neighbourhoods. It was a really fun afternoon (that because Masaki was so nice was actually a bit more than the 3 hours) and we really advise everyone to do this 🙂 Thank you Masaki!
Kyoto Sake Brewery Tour – “Amazing/informative/delicious sake tour!” —Untethered Together

My husband and I were led by our amazing guide, Hiroe and her assistant, Ayaka, through the neighborhood of Fushimi via back alleys and along waterways. We’ve been on tours about tequila, beer, wine, etc, but it was truly amazing to learn about the history and see the process that goes into making sake. There was a bit of walking involved, but nothing strenuous. We also tried several of the local spring waters around, which of course is a huge part of the flavor and creation of sake brewing.
 
Our lunch was delicious and came with a sake flight that paired nicely with all the different aspects of our deluxe bento box. We also visited a food stall restaurant where we were able to try 18 (!!!!!) select sakes from the 20 breweries in the area along with some traditional (and delicious!) snacks and finished up at our favorite stop — a local brewery where we were able to purchase sake that we watched them pour into a bottle straight from the tap! The tour was a great combination of tiny local places, trendy places, more manufactured places, and a palatable version of the history and sake making process. 10/10 would recommend!!
Matcha Kyoto Green Tea Tour – “Making matcha with Toby!” —Susan L

Hiroe is fabulous! She taught us so much about matcha and Japanese culture. We had such a lovely day walking around Uji eating matcha buckwheat noodles, making matcha tea and drinking it and having matcha and roasted green tea ice cream. The area was beautiful, the shrine awe-inspiring and Hiroe’s knowledge of the area and her excellent English explanations made for a wonderful day for Grandma, Mom and Daughter. Many of the things we did with her we wouldn’t have been able to figure out ourselves.
Kyoto Luxury Sake, Whisky, and Cocktail Tour – “Fantastic regional drinks and food” —Jada

Had a fantastic time on the tour and immensely enjoyed all the bars and restaurants our very knowledgeable guide, Gabriela, took us too. Even after living in Japan for 5 months, I was able to try foods I’d never had before and learn interesting things not only about the food and drinks we had and the places we visited, but also more broadly about Japanese culture and society as a whole. The people who worked at each spot we went to were also extremely nice and engaging. Gabriela was friendly, personable, and gave both excellent recommendations on things to order and fresh insight into life in Japan. 10/10 recommend.
Cherry Blossom Season Evening Hanami Tour: Kyoto – “A Wonderful Evening” —Laif F

We had a wonderful evening out with our guide, Lauren. A fantastic way to spend a couple of hours in beautiful Kyoto with great company too! It will be hard to say goodbye to Kyoto.
Cocktail Connections: Online Happy Hour in Japan – “These are not your regular cocktails” —Taylan A

I did an at home virtual DIY Cocktail experience with Arigato Food Tours. Our instructor/guide Lauren explained that Japanese cocktails, similar to their dishes, are seasonal so we prepared two very interesting cocktails: One with a Sakura liquor called Sayonara Sakakura, and the other with green tea called Ginger-Gin Genmai Tonic. There was a lesson portion filled with equipment explanation, suggestions, drink explanations, trivia etc. It was both educational and fun! Definitely changed the mood during these stay-at-home times.
Tokyo Online: Virtual Experience in Shibuya and Shinjuku with a Local Expert – “Awesome discussion and tour with Alex” —mcleanmafia

Alex was super great and answered a ton of my questions. I liked the images and the facts that he presented. Overall this was a great experience and I would recommend it. I took the May 13 tour by myself.