Welcome to Food Tours Japan. Here’s the story behind the site, its mission, and how it helps travellers explore Japan’s incredible food, drink and travel culture.
Our Mission
Discover authentic food, drink and travel across Japan through first-hand experience and insights you can trust.
Our Story
New Year’s Eve 2015, I was enjoying a turn-of-the-year family celebration banquet in Osaka. The main event was fugu (pufferfish, the renowned highly poisonous fish prepared by certified professionals), a favourite delicacy in Japan’s gourmet-obsessed city.
Between bites of tasty fugu sashimi and fugu nabe (hotpot), I shared photos of delicious, local and seasonal dishes I’d recently eaten. Some were from a pre-Christmas three-week Japan rail trip that took me from Aomori in the north to Kagoshima in the south, others from my local Osaka izakaya the day before.
This sparked another in-depth conversation about Japan’s culinary culture and how most visitors experience only a small fraction of it.
Later that evening, I bought the FoodToursJapan.com domain name to share my knowledge, passion, and expertise and help people make delicious discoveries.
From that moment, I knew my mission was clear: to help travellers embark on authentic gourmet adventures in Japan.
How We Can Help You
Food Tours Japan provides food, drink, and travel guides tailored to different budgets and travel styles across Japan, helping you plan your trip. All recommendations are based on my real-world experiences and insider perspective gained over a decade of living and travelling in Japan.
The aim is simple: to help you plan your Japan adventure with authentic advice you can trust.
About the Founder
Food Tours Japan was created and written by me, Chris P King, drawing on over 10 years of living, travelling, eating and drinking throughout Japan, to provide experience-led guidance you can rely on.
What Makes Us Different
Food Tours Japan is an authentic culinary, cultural and travel guide built on real-world experience. Each guide is informed by genuine encounters, detailed research and thoughtful inspiration to help you explore Japan with confidence.
All recommendations are 100% independent and offer honest, practical advice so you can plan your trip with confidence.
What You’ll Find Here
Across Food Tours Japan, you’ll find curated guides grounded in first-hand insight to help you experience Japan in a deeper and more memorable way:
- Recommendations for food and market tours across Japan’s major cities and regions
- Recommendations for cultural dining experiences, sake tastings, hands-on cooking classes and other culinary activities
- Food and drink guides covering regional cuisines and local specialities
- Neighbourhood and city guides with practical tips on where to eat and what to try
- Trip-planning advice for different budgets, seasons and travel styles
- Photography-led insights to help you understand places, dishes and experiences more clearly
How We Choose Experiences
Food Tours Japan features experiences that offer genuine cultural, culinary and travel value. Each recommendation is evaluated using clear criteria:
- Personal experience: many featured tours and activities are ones I have personally attended, over 50 so far, giving a real insider perspective into what makes them worthwhile
- Quality: experiences that consistently deliver excellent feedback, strong reviews and a reliable standard of food, drink, service and the overall experience
- Authenticity: meaningful local insight, cultural relevance and a genuine connection with guides and fellow travellers
- Depth: opportunities to learn, explore and gain useful food and travel tips from knowledgeable guides
- Reputation: a preference for well-established operators, while still recognising newer experiences that demonstrate exceptional quality
- Value: a worthwhile balance of cost, time and overall experience
If something appears on Food Tours Japan, it is because it genuinely stood out, the kind of experience that feels worth travelling for.
Transparency and Policies
Food Tours Japan values transparent, honest and independent advice. You can learn more about how the site works, how your data is handled and how recommendations are made below:
If you ever have questions, please get in touch.
Start Exploring
Here are some of the best places to begin your Food Tours Japan journey:
- Tokyo Food Tours
- Osaka Food Tours
- Kyoto Food Tours
- Tsukiji Market Tours
- Toyosu Tuna Auction and Market Tours
- Nishiki Market Tours
- Geisha and Maiko Dinner Experiences in Kyoto
- Tokyo Sushi-Making Classes
- Osaka Cooking Classes
Last updated: 13 December 2025
