Top Japan Unique Experiences - page 7

Overall, it was a great experience from beginning to end. The combination of athletic displays, supportive staff, and memorable interactions created a birthday celebration we’ll remember for a long time. If you’re considering it, I’d recommend booking in advance and arriving early to soak in the atmosphere.

​If you are planning to do Street Kart Akihabara, do yourself a huge favor and ask for Gyula as your guide. He made what was already an exciting activity into the absolute highlight of our trip to Tokyo! From the moment we arrived, Gyula brought incredible energy. He was incredibly funny, kept us laughing, and made the entire group feel like family. ​Epic Photo Shoots: Driving through the streets of Tokyo dressed up in costumes is surreal, and Gyula made sure we have the memories to prove it. He took tons of fantastic, high-quality photos of us on the road that we will treasure forever. I was a bit nervous about how my mom would handle the experience, but Gyula went above and beyond. He took special care of her, constantly checking in to ensure she was comfortable, confident, and okay every single step of the way. His kindness was truly heartwarming. ​His safety briefing and driving instructions were incredibly clear. We always felt secure and protected under his watch, which allowed us to relax and have the absolute best, most memorable time. ​ Thank you, Gyula, for taking such amazing care of us (especially Mom!) and giving us a core memory of Tokyo! 10/10 highly recommend!

Absolutely excellent experience. I learned more about sake than I ever expected. If you ever wanted to demystify sake and know what you’re ordering and how to pair it with different food, this is the activity for you. The guides were excellent - friendly and knowledgeable. And answered all the questions we had.

We had the best tour guide with Luigi. We felt so lucky to have been placed with him. He went out of his way to customize our experience while allowing us to feel flexible to stop and eat and shop. He had a wonderful way of showing us all the highlights while missing the crowds and finding the best picture spots. Ending on the tanuki street was awesome! Highly recommend as a great way to be introduced to Tokyo.

Mayu did a great job for our 2 hour tour. She met up with us at our hotel at 1 pm, and we visited and took photos at Namba Yasaka Shrine, Kuromon Market (a covered indoor/outdoor market with a wonderful collection of small businesses that specialize in sushi, sea food, tokoyaki, Wagyu Beef, Mochi, sweets, and many others), photos at energetic Dotonburi and the 2 bridges, photos near the Glico man sign, photos outside Don Quijote, Hozenji temple, and photos at quiet Hozenji Yokocho Alley. Mayu completed the tour by walking us back to our hotel. After the fantastic tour with Mayu we went to quiet Hozenji Yokocho Alley at 5 pm and ate incredible Wagyu at Kitashinchi Harami Hozenji. The restaurant was fully booked the entire evening, but they kindly offered us a table if we could finish our meal before 6:50. It was the best Wagyu meal ever! We went to Dotobori, and purchased a roller suitcase at Don Quijote (needed for the souvenirs for the trip home). We rolled our newly purchased roller suitcase all over Dotonbori and experienced the neon lights and high energy at Dotonbori topped by soft served Cremia Ice cream at Excelsior Cafe (possibly the best ice cream we have ever tasted). Mayu gave a fun and highly informative tour and many useful tips that we were able to use immediately during our 1 day visit to Osaka. We highly recommend Mayu as a tour guide and highly recommend a visit to Osaka - the “food capital of Japan.”

I came to Tokyo and took my 18 yr old son and his 19 yr old best friend to this excursion. I thought doing this at night would be particularly fun. We all had a great time. I’m glad I wore a sweater (I didn’t put on a costume) as it was cool driving around at night. The highlights for us were the Rainbow Bridge and seeing Tokyo Tower lit up. Overall the kids had more fun than they thought they would. My 14 yr old couldn’t come unfortunately so I’m sure we’ll be back in 4 years to do it again. Our guide, Brian, was great. Of note I booked through Viator so had to pay for the optional insurance when we got there but no big deal. There seem to be other amenities offered if you booked through the tour directly (Go pro camera, etc).

Small group, great instructors, great menu. We each prepared our own meal. We leaned techniques in Japanese cooking cuisine ,about the ingredients they use. I fell in love with Japanese cuisine and intend to practice it at home. We were not hungry but we ate it all. In the following days bought the egg pan , cooking tools and a lot of spices.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ We absolutely loved YUCa’s cooking class and it may well end up being our favourite experience from our entire Japan trip. Yuca’s studio kitchen is beautifully set up — intimate, welcoming and clearly designed with love. Our class of six felt just the right size, and Yuca and her husband were both incredibly warm, hospitable and knowledgeable. The ramen and gyoza we made were genuinely delicious, and we left feeling confident enough to recreate them at home. We were travelling with our nine month old son and Yuca was wonderfully welcoming of him from the moment we arrived. She was happy for us to bring his pram up the stairs so he could sit comfortably during the class, and she even made him his own little onigiri for lunch — such a sweet and thoughtful gesture that completely melted our hearts. It’s about an hour from Shinjuku but don’t let that put you off — it is absolutely worth every minute of the commute. And when you arrive, Yuca provides a sheet of local recommendations for sightseeing, cultural experiences and food nearby, which is such a thoughtful touch. We followed her suggestions and spent the afternoon at Yanaka Ginza and Ueno Park — a perfect way to round out the day and explore a part of Tokyo most tourists never see. Don’t hesitate, just book it. The experience, the food, the hospitality and the local knowledge Yuca shares make it exceptional value and a truly memorable way to connect with Japanese culture. Highly, highly recommended! 🍜🥟