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Monzen-Nakacho Tour: Explore Old-School Tokyo
5.0
7 Ratings
Koto City
Discover Monzen-Nakacho’s hidden izakayas, historic temples, and vibrant traditions on a captivating tour blending Tokyo’s ancient spirit with modern creativity.
Discover Monzen-Nakacho’s hidden izakayas, historic temples, and vibrant traditions on a captivating tour blending Tokyo’s ancient spirit with modern creativity.
Duration:
6 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine - Tokyo’s largest Hachiman shrine, established in 1627. Celebrated for its ties to sumo history (yokozuna stele) and lively monthly markets on the 1st, 15th, and 28th. Visitors can enjoy the striking red torii and festive atmosphere.
- Fukagawa Fudodo - A harmonious blend of tradition and modernity, this temple is…
- Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine - Tokyo’s largest Hachiman shrine, established in 1627. Celebrated for its ties to sumo history (yokozuna stele) and lively monthly markets on the 1st, 15th, and 28th. Visitors can enjoy the striking red torii and festive atmosphere.
- Fukagawa Fudodo - A harmonious blend of tradition and modernity, this temple is renowned for its Goma fire rituals and magnificent wooden statues, along with charming fox inari shrines along the path.
- Tatsumi Shindo - A vibrant alley featuring approximately 30 small bars that maintain the Showa era ambiance. Ideal for late-night bar hopping, karaoke, yakitori, motsu-nikomi, and experiencing the local vibe.
What's Included
- Dinner
- Alcoholic beverages
- Snacks
- Tea and coffee
- Dinner
- Alcoholic beverages
- Snacks
- Tea and coffee
What's Not Included
- Private transportation
- Private transportation
Additional Information
Monzen-Nakacho offers a delightful blend of hidden izakayas, age-old food shops, and historic temples featuring taiko drum and fire ceremonies, making it a dream destination in Tokyo. This afternoon-to-evening tour invites participants to discover this enchanting part of traditional Tokyo, where the city’s rich history and contemporary innovation coexist harmoniously.
Monzen-Nakacho offers a delightful blend of hidden izakayas, age-old food shops, and historic temples featuring taiko drum and fire ceremonies, making it a dream destination in Tokyo. This afternoon-to-evening tour invites participants to discover this enchanting part of traditional Tokyo, where the city’s rich history and contemporary innovation coexist harmoniously.
Location
Monzen-nakacho Station
The meeting point is Monzen Nakacho Station on the street by Exit 1 of the Tozai line.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(7 Ratings)
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849malavikac
Sep 21, 2025
Very unique experience in a small, cultural neighborhood - We loved our tour with Michelle in Monzen Nakacho! It was the perfect blend of tasting food/sake and learning about Japanese traditions in a very hands on way. We enjoyed food that’s very local to this part of Tokyo (rice with clams), a Monja (that we had to go back for), and a delicious tuna meal. We got a chance to understand fermentation practices commonly used to make Miso. Michelle even took us for a traditional fire ceremony at a temple! We would not have been able to curate this itinerary for ourselves, despite all our research before we visited Tokyo. I highly recommend this experience to all! A perfect complement to the usual Shibuya, Shinjuku, Akasuka destinations.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
E8292uxmichaels
Sep 13, 2025
Wonderful - A wonderful tour that opens you to the people and food of the area. Incredibly informative and generous amounts of tastings. Highly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
351trentb
Sep 1, 2025
Excellent selection of authentic Japanese bars and restaurants - Diana was an incredibly informative, interesting and welcoming guide. The stops were all excellent, great food and a good mix of local places. This is my second culinary back streets trip. I am tempted to book holidays to other destinations they do as both times have been amazing. They're not the cheapest option but I wouldn't to with anyone else
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Emilyd2901
Aug 31, 2025
Highly recommend! Delicious and fun! - Can’t say enough good things about this tour. First off, our guide Michelle was GREAT! She was helpful, knowledgeable, interesting, and most importantly, fun! We were a little intimidated by how long the tour was going to be (especially with the heat) but time flew by. The food and drinks were delicious and the history we learned was so interesting. Highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
190ciaranc
Aug 20, 2025
Amazing tour - This is the 5th or 6th tour I've done with Culinary Backstreets. They have all been fantastic - this tour was no exception. Diana was a fantastic guide and I loved learning about the history and food traditions of this part of Tokyo almost as much as I loved the food. Definitely add this tour - or their other Tokyo option - to your itinerary if you can.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Berrli
Aug 3, 2025
A magical experience - The food tour was an incredibly rich experience. While the food and drink were the centerpiece, health, spirituality, philosophy, history, geography and art all played major roles. Our tour guide, Diana, shared her knowledge, passions and background generously and openly, contributing to our sense of belonging and wonder. Starting with the local clam and rice spot tot the synchronized taiko drums at the local Shinto shrine and all the local purveyors we came in contact with, we gained abundance of knowledge from these many experiences! Having just traveled for three weeks weeks in Asia, to some of the world‘s most celebrated locations, we found ourselves in awe throughout our 6+ hour tour of the Monzen Nakacho neighborhood.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
R5226pllynneb
Jul 23, 2025
- On a sweltering hot Tokyo day our guide Diana showed us a side of Tokyo we wouldn’t otherwise have been able to find or experience. The variety of what we saw and tasted (from plum wine, pickles, sake and even a matcha floater), the business owners we met and the experience of the fire ceremony were all great. The tour was a highlight of our visit to Tokyo.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
