I’ve been to Japan many times for work, but this tour was a fun way to try something new with a friend. Booking was simple, and the tour only took 2.5 hours during dinner time, so we still had time for other plans in the evening. Certainly, the food was the highlight of this tour. Tasting horse meat and blow fish was unforgettable and distinctive! The guide was friendly and explained everything well. If you want a quick and adventurous food experience, let's try it.

I’m a baseball fan, and I’ve seen tons of games back home, but watching the Yomiuri Giants vs. Yakult Swallows last September in Japan was on a whole other level. The fans here are wild (in the best way possible). They’re so into it, with chants, songs, and cheers for every single player. The energy was insane! I even ended up dancing and learning some of the chants with help from our tour guide, Yuko-san, she was awesome!! Super knowledgeable and made the whole experience even better by explaining all the traditions and what makes Japanese baseball so special. If you’re visiting in Japan during baseball season, do yourself a favor and go to a game. It’s something you’ll never forget! 5/5 stars for sure! 🙌⚾️

A wonderful experience! Communication was easy for booking with Kate at Japan Awaits. There were 8 of us and the evening was delightful. The translator helped with communication. The geisha and apprentice (forget the official name) were wonderful in interacting with us. An authentic experience which is what we were looking for. The dinner was good but it was the geisha experience which made the evening special for us. I definitely recommend and would do it again if returning to Tokyo.

We had a blast on our Ebisu Food Tour in Tokyo! Our guide was awesome and took us to some amazing local spots. We tried yakitori, okonomiyaki, gyoza, and some delicious ice cream. If you're a foodie visiting Tokyo, this tour is a must-do. You'll learn about Japanese culture and have a ton of fun. We highly recommend this tour!

Shun was an amazing guide, I had such an amazing time. The time flew by, wish it lasted longer. I would recommend this tour without a doubt.

Shun-San was great! He took us to try amazing food, especially foods I've never had before!! Sashimi, hot pot, and fried food! No spoilers but all the food was incredibly unique!!

This food tour was the perfect way to do enjoy local life in Tokyo! We were introduced to a variety of unique and delicious dishes that surprised and delighted us. The highlight was definitely the horse meat – it was a bit intimidating at first, but it was surprisingly tasty. This tour is a must-try for anyone looking to experience another side of Japanese cuisine.

We decided to take this tour after wanting to learn a bit more about Shintoism and we were in Japan for our Honeymoon. We have a great time, learnt loads about Shinto and the Japanese culture in general. We were taken to three completely different shrines and the travel between was easy. Hiro was very friendly and really made this experience memorable for us. It felt like he was tailoring it to us as we walked around, he was attentive and no question was too much. Definitely an experience I would suggest anyone who has an interest in Japanese culture and Shintoism to go on. At the end he gave us some suggestions too for how we could spend the rest of our day based off of what we were interested. Definitely a brilliant memory for us, thank you :)

We did the Sumo Tournament Experience in Fukuoka. Our guide Yasuhiko Ikeda fully emerged himself in the experience with us. He explained the tradition of the sumo and the wrestlers. We learnt about sumo practices and the order of the tournament. With a guide like ours, this was an experience of a lifetime. Yasu made this experience for us so exciting and fun. A highlight of our Japan holiday. Thankyou Yasu!

If you get motion sickness, taking seasickness pills is a good idea. I felt a bit uneasy at first but got used to it quickly. Once I settled in, the cruise was amazing. The views along the Sumida River were beautiful, and it was a perfect way to celebrate our anniversary. The fresh Japanese meal was a nice touch, and even with a good number of people onboard, it felt comfortable and smooth. I’d recommend this to anyone visiting Tokyo who wants a unique way to see the river!

Just finished the river cruise, and even though it rained a bit, it was still a great experience. There were quite a few people, but it didn’t feel too packed. The lunch was really nice, crispy tempura and fresh sashimi, exactly what we expected. Everything was well-organized, and the rain didn’t ruin the vibe. Overall, it’s a good way to spend a few hours with some good food and nice views. Would definitely recommend!

We wanted to do something special, and this was definitely worth the money! The sashimi was the highlight of the meal, so fresh and full of flavor. The whole experience was amazing, with beautiful views and a calm atmosphere. It was the perfect way for us to enjoy Tokyo.

Had a great photoshoot in Shinjuku Garden! The photographer knew all the best spots for beautiful shots. It felt relaxed, not staged. Photos came out better than we expected. It was the perfect way to create lasting memories of our time in Tokyo.

Our guide Yuka was exceptionally knowledgeable and patient with us! The half day tour was fully customized to our interests and lasted for 4hrs - just enough to get a sampling of all that Tokyo has to offer. We highly recommend using this tour service, especially if this will be your first time visiting Japan as it was for us.

We just returned from Japan after visiting from 10/19-11/02/24. This was our first trip overseas, not just Japan. The overall experience was amazing and was easily the best trip that we’ve ever taken. My wife and I went on the Japan Discovery tour as a private group, and I would highly recommend going this route if you can afford it. Since the tour only included us, we were able to make several changes/adjustments to the itinerary and even fit in some additional activities (e.g. Kabuki theater). The hotels that we stayed in were all top notch, and the rooms were comfortable and clean. The tour was well organized and prompted us to explore sites and activities that we would never have considered on our own. Neither of us speak Japanese and were unfamiliar with many of the local customs, but our guides were incredibly helpful and made it a smooth experience for us both. Our first tour guide was Miya Mikami in the Tokyo/Hakone areas. Miya-san was an amazing guide. She was always helpful and would frequently check to ensure that we had everything we needed. She was knowledgeable about Japanese history, best places to shop, various restaurants based on food preferences, etc. She was always happy to answer our questions, regardless of the topic. She went out of her way to make sure we always had the best view of wherever we went and took multiple pictures of us throughout the tour. I would highly recommend Miya-san as a tour guide, private or otherwise. Our second guide was Naoko Kito. She covered Kanazawa, Takayama, and Shirakawa-go. Naoko-san was also very nice and accommodating. There was a bit of a language barrier, but we were able to communicate effectively 99% of the time. Naoko-san also tried to ensure that we were always satisfied and having a great time. She gave my wife and I handmade tote bags to carry the items we purchased, and she also taught us how to do origami. We had to take two trains on the day that we left the area. The first train got delayed on the tracks, and we were very close to missing the Shinkansen at our scheduled time. Naoko-san quite literally ran through the train station to guide us through. When we reached the ticket entry area, our tickets wouldn’t work. She then spoke with the guard and got us through. Since we didn’t know how to reach the right platform, Naoko-san convinced the guard to let her guide us. We got on the Shinkansen as it was leaving, then suddenly heard someone shout our name. Before we could react, Naoko-san had jumped on the Shinkansen to give me a bag that I dropped in the station. Overall, she went above and beyond to make sure that we were happy and I would definitely recommend her as a guide. Fair warning - she walks very fast so try to keep up. 😂 Our third guide was Yukari Onishi for Kyoto/Nara. Yuka-san was an amazing guide as well. She was extremely knowledgeable about the history of Kyoto/Japan, and she always had interesting tidbits of information to supplement our tours. She was very friendly and accommodating and she spoke/understood English very well. Yuka-san was always happy to take us wherever we wanted to go, regardless of the scheduled itinerary. She was always on time, but she never made us feel rushed. She also took multiple photos of us and made sure we had the best possible backgrounds. At the end of our tour, she gave us several postcards that represented each of the areas we saw together. Overall, Yuka-san was an amazing guide and I highly recommend her for any upcoming travels.