Small Town in the Big City: Tasting Tokyo’s Kichijoji
Overview
6 hours
Mobile ticket
The food tour of Tokyo — the world’s biggest city, and perhaps its most delicious — explores the exquisite culinary heritage of a single neighborhood, Kichijoji, sampling our way through old school yakitori joints, gleaming department stores, avant grade taverns, hopping street food stands and much more.
Additional Info
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Public transportation options are available nearby
Specialized infant seats are available
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Kichijoji
Our food tour of Tokyo — the world’s biggest city, and perhaps its most delicious — explores the exquisite culinary heritage of a single neighborhood, Kichijoji, sampling our way through old school yakitori joints, gleaming department stores, avant grade taverns, hopping street food stands and much more.
Inokashira Onshi Park
Our food tour in Tokyo neighborhood begins at a depachika to experience one of Tokyo’s incredible department store food halls, where food pays tribute to both tradition and the newest trends. Making our way past highly prized pickles, fruit fit for a king and the aisle of Japanese junk food, we arrive at the sushi bar of choice among locals. Along Kichijoji’s bustling shotengai shopping street, we’ll rub elbows with locals as they shop for daily needs, learning about the basics of Japanese cuisine and tasting some of them, such as skewers of yakitori and octopus balls prepared and served street-side. We’ll meet three generations of a family of artisanal senbei makers working side by side in their tiny shop and atelier and, further down the road, we’ll visit a restaurant dedicated entirely to miso. We’ll sample unusual food rarely served outside Japan, such as sake infused with the fin of fugu, the famous puffer fish, plus expertly-crafted old standbys like tea and sweets.
What‘s Included
Alcoholic Beverages
Snacks
Lunch
Coffee and/or Tea
Meals
Private transportation
Options
Small Town in the Big City: Tasting Tokyo’s Kichijoji
Reviews
23 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
High end very creative
worldcruiser222,Apr 1, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our guide, Mairi, was fantastic. The neighborhood is authentic, artistic, and very atmospheric with alleys and dens. We had so many different kinds of food, all of which was explained and put into historical context. And needless to say we went places tourists do not even know about. All in all an absolutely fascinating day with Maira, a highlight of our trip.
Energetic tour
Jmills499,Mar 14, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Excellent tour from CB! KICHIJOJI is a wonderful area to explore. Ken was so knowledgeable and energetic- we very much enjoyed learning about Tokyo’s food history.
If you do one thing in Tokyo, do this!
602jackip,Mar 12, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Amazing tour with fantastic food, history and knowledge about the neighborhood and people
An Absolute Highlight! Authentic Kichijoji with the amazing Mairi
33ronaldg,Mar 10, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We cannot say enough good things about this food tour! Mairi was an outstanding guide who showed us a side of Tokyo we never would have discovered on our own. The stops were fantastic—each one unique, interesting, and incredibly delicious. We loved the small group size, which allowed us to duck into intimate, "locals-only" establishments that wouldn't fit a larger crowd. It made the whole experience feel authentic rather than touristy. Mairi seemed to know everyone in the neighborhood. Watching her interact with the shop owners made us feel like welcomed insiders rather than just visitors. This was a highlight of our trip!
Great Eats!
I8270JHcarlam,Mar 8, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Ken was an amazing tour guide. We had a lovely mix of food experiences that we never would’ve found on our own. He even showed us where to go that night for a jazz club.
Small Town - Great Food!
V2950TTalang,Dec 12, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00From the start of the tour until the end we had a great time in the company of our guide, Ken, who took us on a tour of the local food scene with a couple of hidden gems that the ordinary visitor to Tokyo would not be aware of. Ken gave us an interesting commentary about the different foods we tasted and because of the small number in the group (only four of us) it felt very close and personal. From sushi to fugu to tempura, sashimi, miso - we enjoyed a variety of flavours and textures and got to experience the genuine side of Japanes cuisine away from the tourist centre of Tokyo. Unfortunately, Mrs G and I had to leave the tour early as we had booked something in town and it was going to be a close call getting to it on time. This was a great pity as I would love to know what we missed out on (Ken had two other venues lined up). To pick out a favourite venue is difficult. The miso tasting with "Mr Miso" was definitely an eye opener as to the different flavours available. The chicken wings I sampled at Toriyoshi were absolutely divine. The fugu was certainly... interesting and the venue we started at in the morning (sushi and sushimi) was excellent. Overall I would thoroughly recommend this tour.
An enriching introduction to the people and cuisine in an artisanal neighborhood of Japan
Travelnow7777,Nov 25, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Ken was an engaged and interesting guide who had developed deep connections with restaurant owners in the neighborhood. He gave us a range of experiences that gave us a real feel for life in Kichijōji.
Great tour!
JeffreyS2441,Nov 23, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Fantastic tour. Our guide, Elly, was terrific — excellent English. We walked, talked and especially ate! The highlight of our trip!
Inconsistent booking and repeated cancellations made it difficult to rely on their service.
535dv,Nov 17, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
1.00They have cancelled multiple attempts to book in an untimely manner, which made planning very inconvenient and frustrating. I would not recommend relying on them for timely reservations.
Michelle is Amazing - This is a 10/10 Tour!
erinfD4434UU,Nov 11, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was hands down the best food tour I have ever been on. The choices were unique and the city was authentic and charming. Michelle was the absolute best host, she was knowledgeable, engaging, and fun. She knew everyone and cared deeply about their stories which really added to how genuine she/this tour was. Thank you and I really hope I can enjoy this tour again with more friends.
From US$195.00
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