1day GOURMET TOUR

Visit the fish market

Start your culinary journey before sunrise at Toyosu Market, where you'll witness the famous tuna auction up close--the perfect introduction to a city with an enormous appetite.

The upper observation decks are open to all, but if you luck out in the ticket lottery--which you'll have to apply for beforehand at the official website--you can watch the auction from the lower observation decks, where you'll be closer to all the action and have a better view of the massive frozen tuna on display.

The shops at the Toyosu market are great for stocking up on Japanese pantry essentials like soy sauce, skipjack bonito flakes, and seaweed.

Toyosu Market

Afterward, head over to the Outer Market at Tsukiji for breakfast. With dozens of shops, restaurants, and specialty ingredient shops, it's a vibrant attraction in its own right. Have a sit-down meal, or even better, sample all the snacks available at the market. Think ultra-fresh slabs of sashimi, delectable skewers of grilled eel, and wedges of custardy Japanese omelet.

For a deep dive into Japanese cuisine, consider a private cooking lesson with a Michelin-starred chef at Tsukiji Cooking. Pair with a market tour for the full experience.

Tsukiji outer market

Dive into kissaten culture

For a brief respite from the frenetic energy of the metropolis, spend an afternoon at one of Tokyo's hallowed kissaten. They're a far cry from the minimalist chic of third-wave coffee bars: the superb coffee at these old-fashioned shops is but part of the experience.

One place not to miss is Chatei Hatou in Shibuya, whose coffee Blue Bottle CEO James Freeman describes as "life-changing." A short jaunt from the station transports you to a world steeped in elegance and nostalgia. Classical music plays softly amid the hum of conversation and the clink of fine china. Sip on their smooth, inky brew, and let the retro atmosphere wash over you.

Another option is Cafe de L'ambre in Ginza. Operating since 1948, this legendary coffeehouse has counted literary luminaries like Yasunari Kawabata among its patrons. Watching the baristas make your slow-drip coffee at the counter is akin to seeing a live art performance. The focus is on coffee--the beans are roasted in-house--and rather unusually, you can choose among aged coffee beans.

Cafe de L'ambre (Japanese Website)

Alternatively, venture northeast to Cafe Bach in Minami-Senju. This is a gem of a meikyoku kissaten, where patrons can listen to and appreciate music over their coffee. It's feted by the likes of Alain Ducasse not just for its precisely brewed cups, but also its glorious pies.
Hunker down with a slice of buttery American-style apple pie and let your troubles drift away.

Cafe Bach (Japanese Website)

Note that kissaten are typically smoking establishments.

Experience Tokyo's finest izakaya

What better way to finish a day than with dinner at an izakaya, or Japanese gastropub? Mimasuya in Kanda is a fabulous choice. This warm, down-to-earth restaurant has been serving delicious food and booze to working Tokyoites for more than a century. Fine dining it is not-think hearty, flavor-packed dishes like soy-simmered loach, braised pork and tofu, and deep-fried oysters. Wash it all down with several flagons of draft beer.

Discerning gourmands and sake lovers will love Kushikoma in Otsuka. This small neighborhood izakaya serves up creative and powerfully flavorful bites. Think dishes like gloriously fresh horse sashimi from Kumamoto and ishiri-mizore hot pot spiked with Japanese fish sauce (which must be ordered in advance). To accompany these morsels, sip from their astonishingly wide-ranging sake selection, including rare Juyondai bottles from the legendary Takagi Shuzo brewery.

Kushikoma