Discover a different side to Tokyo that’s normally hidden from tourists with bespoke tours of Japan’s capital that cover everything from architecture to food. Just don’t expect it to be cheap
There was a great article about custom made tours of Tokyo in The Daily Yomiuri newspaper recently, but unfortunately I can’t find it anywhere online. Anyway, the quite lengthy article explained how there are several expats in Tokyo who are now running bespoke tours of Japan’s capital with particular themes in mind. Going on a custom tour like this can provide a whole new way of seeing and experiencing a city, and when you’re with people who know it well, you can pick up a huge amount in a few hours. If a tour coincides with your own interests, then it makes it even more enjoyable.
The Tokyo specialist tours focus, unsurprisingly, on fashion and design, with a tour dedicated solely to each subject. Tokyo Fashion Tour started off as a way to showcase the newest trends for fashion and design professionals, and its price tag of 97,000 Yen is unlikely to attract many people without a corporate credit card.
Personally I’d much rather go on the Tokyo Design Connection tour, which takes in both the architecture and interiors of Tokyo. Again, this is often used by visiting professionals, but the tour apparently began as a way to show off to diplomats and other non-architects Tokyo’s design finesse.
Given that going on a tour of Tokyo isn’t cheap, you might as well go the whole hog and get exactly wat you want. The Bespoke Tokyo, company charge around 20000 Yen an hour for their services. Run by two British ex-journalists, Bespoke Tokyo promises to deliver on pretty much any request, hence the high fees, as they will customise to your exact specifications.
This is all interesting stuff, but there must be some cheaper alternatives out there for budget travellers to Tokyo who’d like to go on a tour of their own. The obvious solution is getting some Japanese friends who live in Tokyo fast, maybe through the CouchSurfing and GlobalFreeloaders travel networks. If you’ve got any suggestions on seeing more of Tokyo on a budget, please leave a comment below.
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