Insider guide to Japan

Taste typical Japan on a street food tour 

Eat and live like a local at these hidden gems across the country. Take your pick of some of Japan’s best and unique experiences.

A Tokyo street food tour is unmissable. Sample some new and tasty bites at unexpected venues. Try shioyaki - fire-cooked mackerel which come served on a stick and seasoned with salt, a simple but exquisite snack. Or kate pan, a sweet bread filled with Japanese curry. Taste as many as you can from street-side stalls or in tiny pubs known only to the locals.

Osaka is full of mobile street stalls where you can find the best and most bizarre snacks. Meander between bars and stalls, try kushikatsu, a kind of Japanese kabab skewer loaded with grilled and deep-fried meat, as well as Yakiniku, a charcoal barbeque of bite-sized western meats and vegetables. 

Or for a more upmarket dining experience, try NARISAWA or DEN, both in Tokyo.

Sing your heart out

Karaoke is synonymous with Japan, and in particular, Tokyo. It is taken very seriously across the country and dedicated venues are popular nightspots where hidden talents can be loudly showcased. The best time to partake in some karaoke is after a night or food tour of the city because the very best guides for these tours, know the very best karaoke bars. But be warned, your guide might know and be able to book the hottest karaoke ticket in town, but typically they won’t sing-along with you or accompany you inside the bar. They will leave you at the door – with their pride and your talent intact. If you fancy some night time songs but don’t to venture out too far, stay at Gora Kadan, a ryokan in Hakone with its own karaoke room for guests.

Make the most of Japan’s innovation 

If one thing is constant in Japan, it is change. 2018 is a shining example of many new hotels, events and sights for an adventuring tourist. Here is just the tip of the iceberg.

If you want to experience more tea ceremony and tea drinking than you dreamed possible, green tea is the hot beverage in Japan right now. Tokyo is home to Hotel Koé, a fashion and lifestyle boutique hotel and bakery, with an emphasis on ‘stay’, ‘fashion’ and ‘music’.

Guest rooms here are inspired by the tea ceremony, with a modern twist on the chashitsu (tea rooms) incorporating features such as an engawa porch. 

Speeding along Japan’s rail tracks this year is a new and revolutionary ‘invisible train’, designed by Kazuyo Sejima. This has been carefully constructed to blend into its surroundings by reflecting them. 

Tokyo Disney Resort will mark the resort’s 35th birthday, from 15 April 2018 until 25 March 2019, showcasing the best of the attraction in with new day- and night-time parades, special events at Easter, Halloween and Christmas. Its Universal Studios counterpart will host the 4th annual Universal Cool Japan, the biggest ever celebration of cool Japan with an ultra-immersive ride attraction. 

Not simply a guide, simply the best 

Our best insider tip, perhaps ironically, is to find an expert. The guides in Japan are some of the best in the world. This is not a student summer job, but a highly regarded, highly qualified career. It takes years of studying to become a guide in the country and rightly so, because there is a lot of ground to cover. It is like a taxi driver in London – you only want to take a cab where the driver has passed The Knowledge – because then you really know where you are going. A&K only hires the unforgettable guides who truly have the knowledge we want to pass to you.

Stay in a ryokan

A ryokan in Japan is a traditional style inn which is found throughout the country and notably in hot spring resorts. This is a way to experience all elements of Japanese hospitality and ways of life – including tatami floors, futon beds, Japanese style baths and local cuisine. There is no one set style of ryokan – there are small, family-run environments or grand hotels so you can choose the style and price that best suits you. Most stays include dinner and breakfast – consisting of local and seasonal dishes.

At Sumiya, you will experience a very authentic Japanese welcome. Through the fusuma (Japanese sliding door), you step into an old Japanese home, built more than 100 years ago. Enjoy the Japanese garden, tea ceremony rooms, and Japanese antiques as you step back through time and delight in exceptional and unforgettable dining experiences.