Yanaka retains Japanese-style wooden houses and small private shops, allowing you to still feel the old town atmosphere and lifestyle. It's also famous as a "cat town" where you frequently spot cats. There are many recommended sightseeing spots such as Yanaka Ginza with its 60 private shops offering Japanese food and street food, as well as the historic Yanaka Cemetery.
This article introduces various guided tours around the Yanaka area categorized by interests like strolling, wearing a kimono, art, cuisine, and more. Joining a guided tour is recommended to deeply experience the charms of this retro area.
Tours Focusing on Strolling Yanaka Area
The Old Quarter of Tokyo - Yanaka Walking Tour
Source: TripAdvisor
If you want to experience Japanese culture and lifestyle that typical sightseeing tours don't cover, this Yanaka walking tour is recommended. With a guide well-versed in history and culture, you'll discover traces of traditional culture still remaining in modern metropolitan Tokyo.
You can walk through serene spots less frequented by tourists, such as old Japanese-style wooden houses, temples, shrines, and shopping streets. You'll even get a glimpse of daily life by exploring residential alleyways. See if you can find your own favorite places.
Details: The Old Quarter of Tokyo - Yanaka Walking Tour
Yanaka Sendagi Nezu : Explore Traditional Life & Beauty Tour
Source: TripAdvisor
If you want to leisurely explore the Yanaka, Sendagi, and Nezu areas where old-town Tokyo living and traditions can be glimpsed, this tour is recommended. You'll discover the beauty found in the traditional Japanese lifestyle.
The tour visits temples, shrines blending into the local communities, as well as a small but impressive sculpture museum. You can also see a Japanese hand puppet show and try freshly-made Japanese sweets at an old shopping street.
The 3.5-hour tour includes the guide, museum and show admission, Japanese sweets, and soft drinks.
Details: Yanaka Sendagi Nezu : Explore Traditional Life & Beauty Tour
Guided Walking Exploration of Historic Tokyo
Source: TripAdvisor
Yanaka is the perfect area to experience the old-town lifestyle of Tokyo. Since many places avoided damage from major earthquakes and World War II, there are still numerous old Japanese-style wooden houses. This tour lets you explore Yanaka while deepening your knowledge of Tokyo's history.
In addition to one of Tokyo's oldest shrines, Nezu Shrine, you'll visit lively shopping streets where locals gather and residential neighborhoods offering glimpses into daily life.
The 2.5-hour tour includes the guide and a chance to try local snacks and sweets.
Details: Guided Walking Exploration of Historic Tokyo
Food-focused Tours
Old Town Tokyo Food Tour
Source: TripAdvisor
This tour explores Tokyo's old town focusing on food. Yanaka has many shops offering traditional Japanese cuisine, sweets, and street food, and you can sample highly recommended dishes at 6 shops.
The 3-hour tour includes a Japanese tea ceremony experience with green tea and Japanese sweets, as well as a set lunch. You'll also visit recommended strolling spots like Yanaka Cemetery, allowing you to experience the old-town culture and lifestyle.
Details: Old Town Tokyo Food Tour
Private Food Tour in Downtown Yanesen and Nezu Shrine
Source: TripAdvisor
If you want a private food tour just for your group around the old towns of Yanaka, Nezu, and Sendagi, this is a great option. The 3.5-hour tour has guides available in English, Korean, and Chinese.
An experienced guide will take you to spots like the Yanaka Ginza shopping street lined with private shops and an antique store with a tea room. You can enjoy street food, take cafe breaks, and experience Japanese culture through cuisine. The tour also visits Nezu Shrine.
Details: Private Food Tour in Downtown Yanesen and Nezu Shrine
Tokyo Old Town Nostalgia Food Tour Of Yanaka Ginza
Source: TripAdvisor
If you want to thoroughly explore the Yanaka Ginza area, this 4-hour tour led by a guide well-versed in Japanese food culture and Yanaka is recommended.
The tour fee includes tasty desserts, snacks, soft drinks, korokke (fried mashed potato croquettes), yakitori (grilled chicken skewers), Japanese sweets, and soba (buckwheat) noodles. It's a great tour for deepening your understanding of Japanese culture through food.
Details: Tokyo Old Town Nostalgia Food Tour Of Yanaka Ginza
Traditional Food and Culture in an Old Shopping District
Source: TripAdvisor
If you want to experience the local life and culture of Tokyo through food in a way that large group tours might miss, this tour is recommended. You can try classic Japanese commoner foods like onigiri (rice balls), korokke (fried mashed potato croquettes), and in summer, kakigori (shaved ice with syrup).
The 4-hour tour walks you through places offering glimpses into local living like shrines, a puppet theater, and strolling spots in the retro, old-town atmosphere of the Yanaka area. Note that food and admission fees are not included in the tour price.
Details: Traditional Food and Culture in an Old Shopping District
Japan Travel in Tokyo Nostalgia Tour with Local Guide
Source: TripAdvisor
In the old Tokyo towns of Yanaka, Nezu, and Sendagi, traces of the traditional lifestyle remain everywhere, from Japanese-style wooden houses to family-run private shops, lending a nostalgic charm.
This 3-hour, 2km walking tour lets you enjoy Japanese street food while visiting recommended spots like Nezu Shrine, with its impressive approach lined with torii gates, and Japanese gardens.
Details: Japan Travel in Tokyo Nostalgia Tour with Local Guide
Tours for Strolling in Kimono
Authentic Kimono Culture Experience Dress, Walk, and Capture
Source: TripAdvisor
If you want to stroll around wearing a kimono, the traditional Japanese garment, this tour is recommended. In summer, you can wear a casual cotton kimono called a yukata, while in winter, a silk kimono as you explore the streets of Yanaka, a quintessential retro, old-town area, and Nezu Shrine.
The 2.5-hour tour lets you get dressed in a kimono (choose from about 50 styles) and learn how to walk properly in one. Professional photography/video using an iPhone 14 Pro is included, with hair/makeup services available for an additional fee.
Details: Authentic Kimono Culture Experience Dress, Walk, and Capture
Tours for Art Enthusiasts
Experience Old and Nostalgic Tokyo: Yanaka Walking Tour
Source: TripAdvisor
If you want to visit recommended Yanaka spots like the historic Nezu Shrine and Yanaka Cemetery, as well as art galleries/museums, this tour is recommended.
You'll stop by the contemporary art gallery SCAI The Bathhouse, converted from a 200-year-old public bathhouse, and the Gallery Okubo where you can optionally experience a tea ceremony for ¥1,000. The Shitamachi Customs Museum deepens your knowledge of downtown Tokyo's culture and daily tools.
The 3.5-hour tour has guides fluent in English, Chinese, Italian, and French.
Details: Experience Old and Nostalgic Tokyo: Yanaka Walking Tour
Yanaka & Nezu: Explore Retro Japan through Food and Culture
Source: TripAdvisor
If you want to deeply experience the old-town culture of Yanaka through food and activities, this tour is recommended. Along the Yanaka Ginza shopping street lined with private shops, you can sample delicious sweets and freshly fried cutlets, experiencing Japan's commoner food culture.
A highlight is watching a traditional puppet show offering a glimpse into old Japanese living. You can also feel the history at the iconic Nezu Shrine with its red gates. The 4-hour tour has guides fluent in English and Korean, with admission to the puppet show, cat painting experience and more included.
Details: Yanaka & Nezu: Explore Retro Japan through Food and Culture
Tours with Maneki-neko (Beckoning Cat) Painting
Yanaka Historical Walking Tour in Tokyo's Old Town
If you want to not only stroll through recommended Yanaka spots but also paint a traditional Japanese Maneki-neko (beckoning cat) figurine believed to bring good luck and fortune, this tour is recommended. At a renovated old Japanese-style cafe, you can relax while getting creative with this auspicious cat decoration.
The 3.5-hour tour includes the cat painting experience, a drink, and a chance to try classic Japanese snacks and sweets. You'll also visit nearby Nezu Shrine.
Details: Yanaka Historical Walking Tour in Tokyo's Old Town
Tours with Calligraphy Experience
Let's experience calligraphy in YANAKA, Taito-ku, TOKYO !!
Source: TripAdvisor
If you want to experience the traditional Japanese art of calligraphy using special brushes and ink to write characters, this 1-hour experience class is recommended. A friendly instructor will teach you in English, explaining the characters and helping you practice writing them beautifully on a card.
Calligraphy requires technique and concentration to produce satisfactory characters, but you'll receive guidance on brush holding and more to discover your favorite Japanese words to immortalize.
Details: Let's experience calligraphy in YANAKA, Taito-ku, TOKYO !!
Tours with Japanese Cooking Experience
YANAKA home cooking experience, homely and local style
Source: TripAdvisor
If you want to experience cooking home-style Japanese dishes in the retro, old-town area of Yanaka, this cooking class is recommended. A friendly local will teach you in English how to make classic homemade dishes like teriyaki, as well as simple tips to expand your repertoire of Japanese cuisine.
You can also try making a bento lunch box, learning how to prepare healthy, balanced side dishes and cook rice properly. Menus can be customized on request, though some requests may require an additional fee.
Details: YANAKA home cooking experience, homely and local style
2-Hour Tuna Cutting and Sushi Small Group Workshop in Sendagi
Source: TripAdvisor
If you're interested in sushi-making, this small group workshop is recommended. While tuna is indispensable for Japanese sushi, most Japanese rarely get to see the process of breaking down a whole large tuna. But in this workshop, you can experience that special opportunity alongside a sushi chef.
Not only will you learn how to cut tuna, but the chef will also teach you how to make sushi rolls that you can taste at the end. The workshop lasts around 2 hours.
Details: 2-Hour Tuna Cutting and Sushi Small Group Workshop in Sendagi
Do it yourself Lunch with Local Dish & Riceball Making in YANAKA
Source: TripAdvisor
If you want to make classic Japanese riceballs (onigiri) alongside a friendly instructor in the retro old-town of Yanaka, this hands-on class is recommended. In addition to the iconic triangular shape, you can get creative making animal-faced riceballs that are popular with kids.
For your homemade lunchbox, you'll also prepare side dishes like Japanese-style omelets, fried chicken, and korokke (croquettes) using ingredients sold in the Yanaka neighborhood. Customize your old-fashioned bento with your favorite local dishes.
Details: Do it yourself Lunch with Local Dish & Riceball Making in YANAKA
Tours Covering Yanaka Area & Surroundings
Tokyo Off the Beaten Path 6hr Private Tour with Licensed Guide
Source: TripAdvisor
If you want to explore not just the Yanaka area but also handpick other recommended spots like Shibamata or Asakusa to visit, this 6-hour private tour is a great option. From a selection of candidates, you can customize the itinerary to include 3-4 locations of your choice.
Options include Nezu Shrine, Yanaka Ginza, famous temples in Shibamata, Asakusa's temple and kitchen district, and more hidden gems that only knowledgeable local guides are aware of in the old towns and backstreets of Tokyo.
Details: Tokyo Off the Beaten Path 6hr Private Tour with Licensed Guide
Yanaka and Asakusa Walk around DOWNTOWN TOKYO like a local
Source: TripAdvisor
If you want to explore not just Yanaka but also the retro area of Asakusa on foot, this tour is recommended. In addition to Yanaka Ginza and Yanaka Cemetery, you can see traditional handicrafts in Asakusa and visit the popular Sensoji Temple, an iconic Tokyo landmark. Depending on the start time, you may even catch the Tokyo Sky Tree's illuminations.
The 3.5-hour guided tour is led by a friendly, knowledgeable guide eager to share the local charms of old Tokyo with you.
Details: Yanaka and Asakusa Walk around DOWNTOWN TOKYO like a local
This article introduced various tours exploring the Yanaka area of old-town Tokyo, known for its traditional Japanese culture and atmosphere. In addition to walking tours, there are tours focused on food, handicrafts like cat figurine painting and calligraphy, wearing kimono, cooking classes, and more to deeply experience the local culture.
All tours are led by knowledgeable local guides fluent in English, with some also offering other languages like Chinese, Korean, and French. Choose a tour matching your interests to fully enjoy the nostalgic charms and retro ambiance of traditional Japan in Yanaka.