The Ghibli Museum is tucked away in a small part of Tokyo Prefecture, where visitors can escape center city life and enjoy the slower pace. For many fans, the Ghibli Museum has been a place of interest, since movies such as Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Ponyo, are renowned worldwide. 
Five unique rooms are dedicated to the animator’s life. Viewers can see how one blank slate goes through trial and error to become an amazing cinematic piece, and even witness an original short film in the theater room. Nature is also an important part of the museum, and the rooftop garden provides a great place to relax, enjoy a view of Inokashira Park, and take a picture with the Giant Robot. With a cute cafe right below it, visitors can have a quick snack while taking in the peaceful surroundings. Fans can also obtain their favorite Ghibli memorabilia at the gift shop.

The Ghibli Museum brings one of Japan’s most famous directors, Hayao Miyazaki’s masterpieces to life. Browse nearby restaurants and food experiences!           

Ghibli Museum Food Experiences & Restaurants | byFood

Ghibli Museum

Home to the futuristic capital of Japan, the Tokyo Metropolitan Area is the most populous metropolis in the world and the largest in the country. The bustling central city area of Tokyo consists of 23 wards, while the Greater Tokyo Area spills out onto its prefectural neighbors of Saitama, Chiba, and Kanagawa. Needless to say, Tokyo is simply enormous, separated into pockets of unique communities that bring the city together as a whole. Step out of the train at a different station and step into a new world, be dazzled by the vibrant city rush of Shinjuku, or wander the open park spaces and galleries of Ueno. From the top of Tokyo Tower, buildings stretch as far as the eye can see, as if the city goes on forever. Yet, every corner is interconnected by Tokyo’s impressive network of subways and train lines, a futuristic marvel that somehow moves millions of people every day. That’s 9 million, to be exact, totaling to 30% of Japan’s entire population living within the Tokyo Metropolis. 

Divided by waterways like the eastern Edogawa River and the Tama River to the south, unique districts with their own subcultures bubble beneath the city’s surface. Whether it's shopping in Shibuya or partying in Roppongi, neon lights and towering skyscrapers are deeply integral to Tokyo’s identity. With a number of big company headquarters producing the latest high-tech toys and creative designs, Tokyo represents a symbol of the future. Science meets outlet shopping on the manmade island of Odaiba, with a view overlooking the sparkling waters of Tokyo Bay. Have the happiest day on earth in Disneyland, or immerse yourself in one of the city’s major museum institutions. All things kawaii in Harajuku contrast the humility of traditional Asakusa, while salarymen help the economy go round, crunching numbers in offices throughout the city. 

Fueled by long nights of drinking sake and eating every type of food your heart could ask for, Tokyo’s fast-paced energy is undeniably infectious. However, the Greater Tokyo Area offers moments of bliss on beaches and mountains amidst the chaos of urban life. As exciting as it is overwhelming, with access to both high and low culture Tokyo offers the best in traditional sights, nightlife, and shopping. And of course, with mouthwatering Japanese food and world cuisine at every turn, it would take multiple lifetimes to explore Tokyo’s thousands of bars and restaurants.

Browse cooking classes, tastings, dining experiences & food tours in Tokyo, the city with the most Michelin stars in the world and tasty Japanese food at every turn!

Discover Tokyo byFood | Restaurants, Experiences, Travel Tips

Tokyo

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Spreading as far as Kanagawa, Chiba, and Saitama, the mega-metropolis of the Greater Tokyo Area functions as the country’s futuristic capital, featuring the latest in art, technologies, food, and pockets of every subculture imaginable. 

Flowing with dreams, exploration, and creativity, the Ghibli Museum brings one of Japan’s most famous directors, Hayao Miyazaki’s masterpieces to life.

Gluten-free

Vegan

Vegetarian

Pescetarian

Pet-friendly

Free drinks

No strollers

Want to experience the hit Netflix series "Midnight Diners: Tokyo Stories" in real life? Then this Izakaya experience is the best way to see them all and live the true local experience in Tokyo.

Kichijoji is widely known as one of the best places to live in Tokyo, but many don’t know of its local reputation for eclectic little bars and gastropubs. Some are so off-the-grid that even Google Maps doesn’t know of their existence! Most of these tiny bars are located in Harmonica Yokocho (or Harmonica Alley), which started as a flea market after World War II. Now, Kichijoji and Harmonica Yokocho are home to 1950s themed pubs, record-scratching bartenders, horse meat cuisine, and even a bar where the staff drink with you! Bar hopping in Harmonica Yokocho is for sure the best way to explore the winding maze of historic pubs and eateries in Kichijoji.

Each Harmonica Yokocho bar only seats a few people, with some of the smallest seating only seven. No sooner will you have sat down and ordered a drink than you’ll be drawn into the exuberant atmosphere, conversing with talkative locals. Whether or not you speak Japanese, Harmonica Yokocho is the perfect place to strike up a conversation with your neighbors at the bar counter, because even if you don’t know Japanese, our bar hopping tour guide is happy to interpret. Soon, you’ll be cracking jokes and saying “kampai!” like a local.

The trilingual tour guide is something of a local celebrity; every few minutes, somebody recognizes him and calls out his name or claps him on the back. Having lived in Kichijoji for the past couple of years and gotten to know the owners and bartenders of some of the most eccentric and friendly bars in Tokyo, he’s the perfect tour guide to take you bar hopping in Tokyo’s most livable neighborhood, Kichijoji.

(Please note: from May-June, the experience will not be with Alejandro, but with another guide)

In the eclectic Harmonica Yokocho drinking alley, hop from bar to bar, chatting with your trilingual guide and locals, and trying creative food and drinks like horse meat shumai and tea-infused cocktails.

Discover eclectic pubs and local Tokyo nightlife by bar-hopping through Harmonica Yokocho, a historic and authentic Japanese drinking alley in Kichijoji, Tokyo.

Local Bar Hopping in Harmonica Yokocho, Kichijoji | byFood

A tour of several drinking establishments.

Bar Hopping

The Midnight Diners: Tokyo Experience

Halal

Family-friendly

Rain or shine

With recipe

Enrich your Japanese food experience by creating it yourself! Prepared with hand-picked ingredients, learn how to make okonomiyaki and golden soup with Japan’s first special halal cooking class.

Okonomiyaki is a scrumptious savory pancake made with meat, vegetables, and noodles. Cooked on a teppan metal griddle and served with delicious sauces, it is a must for food lovers. Participants will learn how to prepare the okonomiyaki, and also practice their pancake-flipping technique. Paired with golden soup with fluffy fishballs to warm the belly, people will learn first-hand how to make a wholly satisfying homemade Japanese meal. A dessert is a great way to end a feast, and green tea pudding is the perfect bow to wrap up the experience.

The special cooking class ensures that all ingredients and equipment are halal-certified, giving assurance to travelers of different backgrounds. Carefully hand-picked from trusted sources, enjoy creating a complete, halal Japanese meal!


Enrich your Japanese food experience by not only eating it, but learning how to make it! Make okonomiyaki and golden soup using halal-certified ingredients and equipment, ensuring safety and comfort.

A fun, hands-on cooking experience for home cooks, people with basic cooking skills, or kids.

Casual Cooking Classes

Japanese Halal Food! Okonomiyaki and Soup Cooking Class

Japan’s food scene has been spreading worldwide, with more and more people enjoying the delights of ramen and gyoza. Even with its ever-increasing popularity among different countries and cultures, there are not many places that serve halal Japanese food.

For those concerned, worry not! This cooking class takes their ingredients, from meats and spices to even their dishware, from halal-certified sources around Japan. Participants can rest easy knowing their cooking space is carefully prepared to accommodate 100% halal cooking.

Learn how to make delicious ramen, topped with roasted chicken and vegetables of the season. Gyoza’s scrumptious parcels of meat and veggies are a popular choice for parties, and instructors will take you through each step in the process, no wrapping experience is required! Topping off the cooking experience is green tea pudding, a refreshing dessert after a hearty meal.

Prepared for you in mind, take to the chopping board and create halal Japanese favorites!


Ramen and gyoza are scrumptious staples of Japan’s iconic dishes known worldwide. Learn how to create these delicious, heart-warming meals in a halal environment, ensuring safety and comfort for halal!

Halal Ramen and Gyoza Japanese Dishes Cooking Class

Learn how to make halal Japanese curry and shabu-shabu! Creating some classic Japanese dishes yourself is sure to be a memorable experience, and being able to recreate it at home  will be a special souvenir from your travels.

Joining this cooking class gives foodies a great opportunity to make Japanese-style curry, a staple in families, topped with vegetables and a scrumptious chicken cutlet. Shabu-shabu is a delicious hot pot meal with various dipping sauces, and this cooking class offers lessons using thin-sliced Wagyu beef. Topping off the cooking experience is green tea pudding, a refreshing dessert after a hearty meal.

This special cooking class ensures that all ingredients and equipment are halal-certified, providing greater accessibility to food-minded travelers. Carefully sourced and made in Japan, halal travelers can enjoy preparing these heart-warming meals. 


Make it Halal! Homemade Japanese Curry and Shabu-Shabu

tokyo

Food

Drinks

Tableware

Sushi

A former wholesaler in Tsukiji Fish Market, Kotaro Sakita, opened his own sushi restaurant that specializes in Edomae-style sushi.

The fish are handpicked by Sakita himself with an eye well trained over years as a broker. He looks out for the freshest and highest quality, using seasonal ingredients unsparingly at his restaurant. The heightened natural flavors are almost unnatural, but rest assured they 100% are. As skilled with his hands as he is with his eyes, chef Sakita has a magical touch that adds multiple dimensions to every single dish.

The traditional Japanese-style room in which you’ll enjoy his cooking has the atmosphere of a tea room. Despite the formal setting, it has a homey atmosphere that allows guests to relax while savoring the delicious dishes — yet another charm of the restaurant Sakita.

A former wholesaler in Tsukiji Fish Market opened his own sushi restaurant that specializes in top-quality Edomae-style sushi.            

Sakita | Sushi Restaurant in Tokyo | byFood

Sakita

Ramen

Tokyo ramen enthusiasts caught onto this highly-regarded ramen shop in the city for its quality and excellent ingredients. Torikokuchuuka Suzuki reinvented chicken shio ramen, and has taken it to the next level. Offering only two menu items, Koku Shio and Koku Shoyu, each has their own unique aspects, but both are excellent. 

On top of the usual two-item menu, Torikoku Chuka Suzuki also has daily specials for toppings and rice bowls, however they sell out extremely fast even though the shop only opens for three and a half hours. With the broth simmered carefully for hours to get a perfect level of richness, and no cream or thickening agent added, the consistency of the soup is basically a work of art.

Unparalleled by any other chicken ramen shop, it’s worth making several visits to Torikokuchuuka Suzuki to sample the full range of options.

Torikokuchuuka Suzuki reinvented chicken shio ramen and has taken it to the next level. Offering only two dishes, Koku Shio and Koku Shoyu, they’ve perfected both.

Torikokuchuuka Suzuki | Ramen Restaurant in Tokyo | byFood

Torikokuchuuka Suzuki

Izakaya (Japanese Style Pub) / Bar

Yakitori

Locals have been pouring through the doors of this yakitori shop for decades, with generations of Japanese meat skewer lovers making it their home away from home. Iseya is located in Kichijoji, just north of the beautiful Inokashira Park (a great spot for cherry blossom viewing).

Its corner building has a Meiji-era facade, with tiled wooden awnings and red izakaya lanterns hanging from them. You can just grab a few skewers in passing from their takeaway street counter, but you’d be mad to not take a seat and make a full meal out of it.

That’s because their prices are unbelievably good. You don’t find such good chicken at such crazy cheap prices just anywhere. Grab a beer and settle in for a leisurely meal, ordering skewers as and when you feel like it. Their Chinese steamed dumplings are also definitely worth a try.

You’d struggle to find such a delicious and affordable yakitori shop anywhere else, which is why the locals love it. Reserve your seat here.

Iseya | Yakitori Restaurant in Tokyo | byFood

Iseya

Traditional Japanese / Kaiseki / Kappo

A burst of color greets you in the dishes served at Cuisine Kichijoji Waltz, a top-floor eatery with night views of the city. Relax in this intimate restaurant conveniently located next to Kichijoji Station, just two minutes from the east exit. Enjoy the sparkling night view overlooking Shinjuku while relaxing with a glass of sake. 

A sophisticated space above the hustle and bustle of Kichijoji, Cuisine Kichijoji Waltz offers a variety of rare and premium ingredients, like their soft-shelled turtle soup, thinly sliced fugu, and yellowtail shabu-shabu. 

Cuisine Kichijoji Waltz offers both course menus and a la carte dishes, featuring fresh, in-season ingredients. Each ingredient is hand selected for each course, and requests for certain ingredients can be accommodated. The restaurant also boasts over 20 varieties of sake, to match your meal.

Relax with a glass of sake while enjoying the cityscape views from Cuisine Kichijoji Waltz. Colorful, seasonal dishes feature fresh ingredients that pair perfectly with a wide variety of sake. 

Take in the evening view from the top floor of Cuisine Kichijoji Waltz, a restaurant featuring colorful seasonal ingredients and a large selection of Japanese sake. 

Food Experiences

Restaurant Reservation

Gourmet Product

Ghibli Museum

Sakita

Torikokuchuuka Suzuki

Iseya

Cuisine Kichijoji Waltz