Kappabashi Knife & Kitchen Town Tour — Guide Kyoko
February, 2025
This is a private guided tour report by Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.), a network of 1,000+ government-licensed, English-speaking local guides across all 47 prefectures of Japan. Not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association.
Tour Itinerary
- 10:00 Meet at Hotel – Imperial Palace East Gardens – Otemachi
- 11:10 Nihonbashi – Coredo Muromachi Knife shop Kiya
- 11:45 Mitsukoshimae – Ginza – Knife Kikuto
- 12:15 Ginza – Tawaramachi – Kappabashi – Knife Kamaasa
- 13:45 Disband on Kappabashi Street
Tour Itinerary in Detail
The tour started at 10:00 at Hotel – Imperial Palace East Gardens – Otemachi and ended at 13:45. The day ran to 3 hours and 45 minutes from start to finish.
Over the course of the day the route took in Nihonbashi – Coredo Muromachi Knife shop Kiya at 11:10, Mitsukoshimae – Ginza – Knife Kikuto at 11:45 and Ginza – Tawaramachi – Kappabashi – Knife Kamaasa at 12:15.
Travel between the sites was by public transport: Otemachi to Mitsukoshimae by subway (178JPY); Mitsukoshimae to Ginza by subway (178JPY); Ginza to Tawaramachi by subway (209JPY). Across 3 sections the fare came to 565JPY per person.
What's a Private Knife-Shopping Tour in Tokyo Like? A Licensed Guide's Report
The guest came to Japan for a trip and looked forward to shopping for kitchen knives, so the tour was arranged amid a busy schedule. We moved the shopping time up to 10:00 due to the shops' hours, but since there was still time to spare, we walked through the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace and I showed the guest the plum blossoms that had just started to bloom, as well as the former castle keep foundation. Perhaps because of usually having a busy schedule, the guest seemed to relax and thoroughly enjoy the natural surroundings. A little after 11:00, we first went to Kiya in Nihonbashi. The guest really liked the knives themselves, but unfortunately the shop did not offer overseas shipping. Kikufuji in Ginza, which we visited afterward, also did not ship overseas, so in the end we went to a shop in Kappabashi that could arrange international shipping. At Kama-Asa in particular, a native English-speaking staff member gave detailed explanations, and the guest looked at a variety of products. Among them, the guest was satisfied with the high-quality items and purchased four. I also learned alongside the guest that there are many different types of kitchen knives, making it a very rewarding tour.
Click here for more details: Kappabashi Knife & Kitchen Town Tour with Licensed Guide
Transportation cost per person
| No. | Transportation | Route | Fare |
| Section 1 | Subway | Otemachi～Mitsukoshimae | 178JPY |
| Section 2 | Subway | Mitsukoshimae～Ginza | 178JPY |
| Section 3 | Subway | Ginza～Tawaramachi | 209JPY |
| Total | 565JPY | ||
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does this Tokyo tour start and finish?
The guide met the guests at Hotel – Imperial Palace East Gardens – Otemachi at 10:00, and the tour finished at on Kappabashi Street at 13:45.
How long does the tour last?
About 3 hours and 45 minutes in total, from 10:00 to 13:45.
Which places does this itinerary cover?
This tour visited Nihonbashi – Coredo Muromachi Knife shop Kiya, Mitsukoshimae – Ginza – Knife Kikuto and Ginza – Tawaramachi – Kappabashi – Knife Kamaasa.
How much did transport cost on this tour?
Public transport came to 565JPY per person across 3 sections. Transport fares are paid by the guests and are not included in the guiding fee.
Is the guide licensed, and what language is the tour in?
Kyoko is a government-licensed national guide-interpreter of Japan and guided this tour in English. Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.) works with more than 1,000 licensed guides across all 47 prefectures. Not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association.
Can the itinerary be changed for my own trip?
Yes. This report describes one private tour as it actually ran. Every Tokyo itinerary is built around the guests, so the places, the pace and the starting point can all be changed before the tour.
Hello! I am Kyoko who has been working as a guide since 2017. I was born in Kyoto. So, my name comes from Kyoto which is Japan’s beautiful ancient capital . And “ko” literally means child in Japanese. Thus, my name Kyoko means Kyoto’s child, Kyoko. But some guests call me Kyoto. It’s okay, not a big problem.
But to say the truth, I feel like this, ” Am I like an ancient person? No way~!!…” I am mainly guiding in and around Tokyo. Tokyo has two faces of well-advanced and old-fashioned. So, you can enjoy both high-tech technology and historical culture plus delicious food and drinks,too. You will surely be inspired in this city with me. Anyway, looking forward to meeting you in the near future. Thank you in advance!
Sep 9, 2025
salanicolas
Superb Tokyo guide
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Kyoko was great! Super knowledgeable, a lot of fun,…
Sep 9, 2025
salanicolas
Superb Tokyo guide
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Kyoko was great! Super knowledgeable, a lot of fun, and very friendly. She was a great guide
to Tokyo and Japanese culture
Jun 19, 2025
josephk547
A definite must-do when visiting Tokyo!
Tripadvisor review: Nikko Full-Day Private Walking Tour with Government-Licensed Guide (Tokyo DEP.)
Absolutely amazing tour…
Jun 19, 2025
josephk547
A definite must-do when visiting Tokyo!
Tripadvisor review: Nikko Full-Day Private Walking Tour with Government-Licensed Guide (Tokyo DEP.)
Absolutely amazing tour in Nikko. We wanted to see something other than the city, someplace rich with history. Nikko did not disappoint. The architecture was breathtaking. Kyoko, our tour guide, was very knowledgeable regarding the shrine and the entire historical site. What a great experience! I highly recommend the Nikko tour along with our guide, Kyoko.
May 24, 2025
sandrashachar
Terrific Tokyo Tour!
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
We had a fantastic tour of the Asakusa Shrine,…
May 24, 2025
sandrashachar
Terrific Tokyo Tour!
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
We had a fantastic tour of the Asakusa Shrine, Imperial Palace and Nezu neighborhood in
Tokyo with our guide Kyoko! She was very personable and knowledgeable and tailored the
tour to our interests. We highly recommend any tour with her!
May 22, 2025
andywP8147WV
Private Guided Tour in Tokyo
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Our wonderful guide Kyoko prepared an excellent…
May 22, 2025
andywP8147WV
Private Guided Tour in Tokyo
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Our wonderful guide Kyoko prepared an excellent tour for my family and me.
I had given Kyoko some rough ideas of the sorts of things that we might like to see but left her to use he expertise to show us what she thought was best.
We certainly were not disappointed. We loved everything on our itinerary. Kyoko had a lot of interesting knowledge to share and her English was perfect.
Kyoko was also very caring towards my parents, who have some mobility issues.
At the end of the tour Kyoko made sure that we got to the correct underground platform.
I would highly recommend