Discover great advice from our passionate guides and local experts in our series, “Ask Our Guides!”

What is your favorite Arigato Japan food tour, and why?

This month, we asked our beloved, adventurous guides Taena, Mario, and Gabi what their favorite Arigato Japan food tours were and why?

TAENA

Our Retro Shinsekai Tour gives you a glimpse into another Osaka, making it my favorite tour. Under the iconic Tsutenkaku Tower, Shinsekai is old Osaka, frozen in time yet buzzing with life and character. Billiken statues and giant fugu lanterns decorate the streets, while retro game arcades and noisy izakaya provide a festive soundscape. 

Amid this vibrant atmosphere, you can venture down a laneway and step into a different world – a time capsule of standing bars and shogi parlors.

So come and fill your bellies at the birthplace of kushikatsu with our Shinsekai tour!

GABI

My favourite tour is definitely the Osaka nightlife tour! It takes place in the Dotombori area, which is a very lively part of Namba, where most bars and restaurants are located. Just a walk around the area is already amusing, with all the street lights and shop facades… It is common to spot people wearing costumes or even carrying their unusual pets around. Also, the Osaka nightlife tour has amazing food stops, and you’re guaranteed to try original Osakan soul food. You’ll fill up both of your stomachs, including the one we have for dessert! After the tour, if you still feel like experiencing more of the area, you can easily find bars, pubs, nightclubs, live music, anything! This is, for sure, a great way to get started in Osaka!

MARIO

The All Star Tour, spanning the three areas of Yurakucho, Ginza, and Shimbashi, is rich in history, culture, and of course, gastronomy. It is also one of contrasts.

Why are similarly clad businessmen drinking in tiny bars under the railroad tracks? How did Ginza become the upscale shopping mecca that it is today? And why do identical brands found in Ginza look completely different in adjacent Shimbashi?

The All Star Tour serves as the perfect backdrop for me to delve into these questions and more, all the while eating our way through the district. With food stops, including local specialties, paired with eight years of experience living in Japan, I am also able to take guests on a virtual food tour of the country’s different regions without ever having to leave the city!

Discover more about our talented Arigato Japan guides, and be sure to mention them by name when booking if you want to book a tour with a specific guide!