Food Tours In Japan

Tailoring each experience to your wishes by locals who love their city

Tourists enjoying a meal with a local guide at a busy restaurant in Japan

Top 10 food tours & experiences in Japan

From exploring cool neighborhoods to eating with the locals to seeing iconic sites, these are some of our favorite experiences

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The best private food tours in Japan

Japan has quickly risen up the ranks as one of the most popular food destinations in the world – and for very good reason. With an emphasis on fresh, healthy ingredients and flavors that range from light and subtle to super-bold, Japanese cuisine can be tremendously varied, with something to suit every palate. Perfectly prepared traditional Japanese food – found at restaurants, markets, cash-only counters, izakaya, cafés, and even convenience stores – is overflowing across the country and you can discover it all on one of our Japan food tours. From familiar favorites like sushi and soba to the unfamiliar, unexpected specialties unique to each individual city, Japanese cuisine is utterly, mind-blowingly delicious.

Meet some of our food-loving local hosts in Japan

Kenji

Tokyo

Funny and friendly guy with a love for night hikes and deep conversations

Martina

Tokyo

Cultural explorer seeking hidden gems, local flavors, and seasonal natural beauty.

Patrick

Tokyo

Culture lover uncovering Tokyo’s hidden gems, local spots, and authentic stories.

Asuka

Sapporo

A calm Japanese part-time translator always with a huge smile on her face

Tourists experiencing a local chef preparing okonomiyaki in Osaka

A countrywide culinary adventure

From traditional Kaiseki in magical Kyoto and Okonomiyaki in Osaka to Fukuoka’s tonkotsu ramen and perfectly marbled Kobe beef (not to mention the lesser-known Sapporo “soup curry”), each of Japan’s cities has its own regional Japanese cuisine. Whether you snack on Omicho croquettes at a market dubbed the “Kitchen of Kanazawa”, sample Momiji Manjū – a creative take on the traditional rice cake – in Hiroshima or sit down for a typical Japanese breakfast of Nagoya-style miso soup and rice, Japanese cuisine consistently delivers on out-of-this-world flavor no matter where your Japan food tour takes you.

The traditional food market mecca

A food tour in Japan would be incomplete without jostling through the narrow, maze-like alleys of a local market – and there are a lot to choose from. The range of food markets in Japan is as diverse as Japanese cuisine itself and can be found hidden away underground in shopping centers, popping up in parks, or attracting locals year-round. At these markets throughout the country, you’ll find all sorts of incredible Japanese cuisine, from fresh seafood to sit-down meals to popular street food (and plenty of sweets!) – but more than that, you’ll get a true snapshot of local life.

Tourists enjoying a meal at a yatai with a local on a food tour of Fukuoka

Modest, modern and Michelin-starred

Perhaps you’ll tuck into Yakitori skewers at a night market in Fukuoka, or grab a bowl of ramen at a tiny 10-seater restaurant in Yokohama. Or maybe you’ll indulge in a 5-star-rated meal in Tokyo – the city with more Michelin stars than any other in the world. Japanese cuisine can be found in every type of environment. The best places to eat range from ramshackle restaurants that specialize in one thing and one thing only to sleek, sophisticated eateries serving trendy fusion fare. Whatever – and wherever – you eat, one rule of Japanese cuisine applies: it’s bound to taste sublime.

Japan travel tips and inspiration from our Travel Magazine

Find the best things to do, places to eat, must eat foods and lots of travel tips in Japan and around the world recommended by our local hosts

Latest reviews from our guests

We made a last-minute request for a food tour in Fukuoka in the evening and it was our good fortune that Bruce was available to take us for a tour the next afternoon. The tour was a great introduction to the food culture of the city. While the yatai tour is an evening experience, he was able to send us to one of his favourite yatai stalls where Mariko-san took care of us, introducing us to local seafood tempura.

April 2025

Pam B
Yu was great and showed me restaurants that I never would've known about without him. I'm going back to two of them everyday for the rest of the holiday now. Yu was great to talk to and hang out with. Had a fantastic time

February 2025

Samuel J
Great experience. Ai Kim is very responsive and professional. We went to some great spots. Good conversations. Highly recommended! Great value!

January 2025

James R
I did two tours with Ai and both were incredibly fun!

December 2024

Dan C