Tokyo Food Tour: Japanese Food Through the Ages

Hop on a time machine, spanning three geographical districts and three eras, with a seasoned tour guide! This food tour of Tokyo is packed with various traditional and innovative Japanese specialties. Nihonbashi represents the past. Here you’ll learn about some key ingredients that underpin Japanese cuisine. These are dashi, the almost ever-present stock at the base of countless dishes; katsuobushi, millimeter-thin bonito fish flakes; and finally kelp, a seaweed. In addition, you’ll get to try fried fish cake, a fermented rice drink, and more! The shops introduced here are carefully selected and some date back to the Edo period, all are over 100 years old. Moving on to the present day, you’ll hit Ginza and Yurakucho, which offer a myriad of eateries and izakaya gastropubs, located under the railway tracks, with fast food options and flowing drinks like sake. These “gadoshita” (literally translating to “below the girder”) establishments under the tracks are the result of post-war industrialization and of thousands of salarymen commuting through this area to work. Stop by and enjoy classic dishes at these buzzing food stalls. The menu includes quintessential “yakitori” (meat skewers), a “sour” drink which is an alcoholic beverage unique to Japan, and a steaming bowl of noodles. Passing by Tokyo Station on your journey towards the future, you’ll get to try representative dishes of today’s Japan: tamagoyaki (Japanese sweet omelet) and fruit sando (a delicacy that is absolute perfection, composed of milky bread, whipped cream, and fruit). The last stop is Akihabara, a wonderland for electronics buffs, anime fans, and maid cafés, which also offers a selection of desserts combining traditional flavors with a modern twist.