Exploring Tokyo with Japan Vision: Tsukiji Food Tour, Asakusa, Yanaka & Japanese BBQ in Tokyo
- Alex
- May 22
- 6 min read
A couple of months ago, Cameron from Japan Vision reached out after coming across some of the content we’d been sharing about my move to Japan and the journey of building Welcome to Japan from the ground up.
What started as a few messages quickly turned into emails, video calls, and some really interesting conversations about Japan, travel, and life in general.
Cameron understood something that a lot of people miss. Moving from Australia to Japan wasn't simply a change of address. It was a complete leap into the unknown. I left behind a comfortable life, family, friends, a stable career, and the certainty that comes with having everything figured out. In exchange, I got the opportunity to build something from scratch in a country that’s part of my heritage, but also a completely different world from the one I grew up in.
It's been challenging, exciting, rewarding, and at times terrifying. But through it all, the goal has remained the same: to build a business that helps visitors experience Japan in a meaningful way, supports the people, communities, and culture that make this country so unique, and allows me to wake up every day feeling like I'm contributing to something bigger than myself.
So when Cameron mentioned that he and his mates, David and Josh, were planning a trip to Japan and wanted to experience Tokyo through the eyes of someone who actually lives here, it felt like the perfect opportunity to bring those conversations we'd been having to life. At the time, we'd recently soft-launched our Tsukiji Fish Market food tour, so the timing couldn't have been better.
One of the things I love most about what we do is providing the context behind what people see when they travel to Japan. Anyone can walk through a shrine, visit a market, or wander a neighbourhood, but understanding the stories, history, traditions, and people behind those places completely changes the experience.
After a little planning behind the scenes, and some fantastic work from Sebastian helping coordinate everything, the day finally arrived to show the Japan Vision boys around!
Starting the Day at Tsukiji Fish Market
We all met bright and early at Tsukiji Fish Market around 7:30am and got straight into it.
Now, one thing I’ve learned from running food tours is that you don’t immediately throw tourists headfirst into fatty tuna and otoro sashimi at sunrise. You’ve got to ease people into Tsukiji properly lol.
So naturally, we started with tamagoyaki, a sweet Japanese rolled omelette, which in my opinion is one of the best ways to begin a morning at Tsukiji. I went with the mentaiko version, while the boys grabbed the negi (green onion) tamagoyaki.
Simple. Warm. Comforting.
From there, things escalated quickly.
We followed it up with inari sushi topped with salmon sashimi and salmon roe, before moving into giant freshly shucked oysters roughly the size of my palm!
Then came the scallops.
Massive grilled scallops swimming in an unbelievably buttery, umami-packed sauce. The boys actually skipped getting their own scallops, but after tasting the sauce from my shell, everyone ended up drinking straight from it because it was genuinely too good to waste.
That’s the kind of thing I love about Tsukiji. It’s chaotic, loud, slightly overwhelming, but every now and then you stumble across a flavour that completely stops you in your tracks.
And, of course, we couldn’t leave without trying fatty tuna and otoro sashimi.
That ended up being the highlight for everyone. Proper melt-in-your-mouth tuna belly with rice and fresh wasabi. The kind of food that makes people go quiet for a few seconds while they process what they’ve just eaten.
We wrapped things up with an assortment of daifuku and mochi flavours, from yuzu and mandarin through to red bean, white bean, and even Japanese potato paste.
We spent nearly three hours wandering around Tsukiji together, eating our way through one of the most famous food markets in Japan, and honestly, it was the perfect start to the day.
Exploring Asakusa and Sharing Stories at Senso-ji Temple
After Tsukiji, we made our way across to Asakusa.
No matter how many times I visit, there's something special about walking through Kaminarimon, making your way down Nakamise Street, and seeing Senso-ji Temple emerge ahead of you. It's one of Tokyo's most iconic locations, but more importantly, it's a place where history, spirituality, and everyday life continue to coexist.
As we explored the temple grounds and wandered over towards Asakusa Shrine, I shared some of the stories and history behind Buddhism in Japan, explaining concepts such as suffering, impermanence, attachment, and self-awareness.
Rather than discussing these ideas purely from a historical or religious perspective, I always share experiences from my own life and the lessons I've learned along the way. Mistakes I've made, challenges I've faced, and moments that forced me to stop and reflect on the kind of person I wanted to become.
In many ways, those experiences help bring the Buddhist teachings to life.
What I appreciated most was how engaged the boys were throughout the conversation. They weren't just listening politely; they were genuinely curious. The questions kept coming, the discussion became deeper, and I think it brought all of us closer together as the day went on.
Of course, no visit to Asakusa would be complete without trying a few local treats. We stopped for some traditional dango before also sampling a Japanese sweet potato cake, a slightly more modern take on Japanese sweets that went down exceptionally well with the group.
By this point we'd already covered a lot of ground, both physically and conversationally, so it was time for lunch. As someone who previously owned an okonomiyaki restaurant back in Australia, there was really only one choice. We headed off for okonomiyaki, and it went down an absolute treat.
At that point, it no longer felt like a collaboration or content day. It just felt like mates hanging out in Tokyo.
Wandering Through Yanaka, Tokyo’s Old Quarter
After lunch, we headed towards Yanaka.
Yanaka is probably one of my favourite areas in Tokyo because it still feels deeply connected to old Tokyo. It's slower, quieter, and far more nostalgic than many other parts of the city.
We started around Tennoji Temple before walking through Yanaka Cemetery and taking a quick coffee stop along the way.
As we wandered through the neighbourhood, the conversation shifted towards Japanese history. We spoke about the Edo Period, the fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate, and the dramatic changes that came with the Meiji Restoration as Japan opened itself to the world and rapidly modernised.
Standing in a neighbourhood like Yanaka, it's actually quite easy to imagine what parts of Tokyo may have felt like before all the skyscrapers, neon lights, and endless train lines arrived.
From there, I shared stories about places like Enjuji Temple, known for blessings relating to strong legs and feet, before heading over towards Nezu Shrine. We spoke about Shintoism, fox and serpent messengers, spirituality, and the way religion and tradition still quietly shape everyday life in Japan.
That's one of the things I love showing people about Tokyo.
Beneath the crowds, bright lights, and busy stations, there's still an incredibly deep spiritual, historical, and cultural layer woven throughout the city. You just need to know where to look.
We wrapped up our time in Yanaka at Yanaka Ginza shopping street with a few more snacks, because somehow we were still hungry. The boys sampled manju alongside a variety of agemono snacks, including crab cream korokke, which was an absolute hit.
Finishing the Night with Japanese BBQ at Gyu-kaku
After a massive day walking across Tokyo, there was only one way to finish things off properly. Japanese barbecue.
I took the boys to Gyu-kaku, one of my favourite yakiniku chains in Tokyo.
And look, while it is technically a chain restaurant, I genuinely think it’s one of the best value-for-money meals you can get here when it comes to quality versus price.
The gold-standard order for me is always the same: Bibimbap rice, fresh lettuce, lots of gochujang and miso paste, paired with beautifully grilled beef short ribs cooked directly over the fire. Elite combination.
We ordered an entire spread of meats, shared plates everywhere across the table, and wrapped things up with assorted Japanese ice creams, jellies, and desserts.
By the end of the night, everyone was completely exhausted in the best possible way.
We shook hands, gave each other a hug, and promised we’d do it all again next time the boys were back in Tokyo.
A Huge Thank You to Japan Vision
Massive shoutout to Cameron, David, and Josh from Japan Vision. Absolute legendary gentlemen.
Thank you boys not only for trusting me to show you around Tokyo, but also for sharing ideas, conversations, and insights around social media, business, content creation, and marketing throughout the day.
Collaborations like this are exciting for me because they remind me exactly why I started Welcome to Japan in the first place. Not just to show people famous locations. But to create real experiences, real conversations, and real human connections through food, culture, and wandering through Tokyo together.
Thanks boys. See you next time for those beers!
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