Tokyo: Tsukiji & Sensoji Temple — Guide Atsushi

Title: What's a Private Knife-Shopping Tour in Tokyo Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Tsukiji and Kappabashi

The guest was a visitor from North America who had arrived in Japan a few days earlier. During the first couple of days, the guest had already visited Tokyo Disneyland and a Harry Potter studio. On the day of the tour, part of the group went shopping separately, while one of the guests joined the tour to purchase kitchen knives. The guest had a strong interest in craft-made products such as traditional Japanese knives.

On the day, we visited six knife shops. In Tsukiji, we first looked at a wide variety of knives, listened to explanations from the staff, and narrowed down what the guest wanted to buy. In Kappabashi, we visited shops known as long-established stores. Unfortunately, due to insufficient research on my part, one of the shops turned out not to be a long-established store but rather a relatively recently founded dealer, and they were not very knowledgeable about the techniques, traditions, or culture. On the other hand, other shops with more than 100 years of history gave detailed and courteous explanations. At one of these shops, the guest was even allowed to try cutting, which I believe was a great experience. In the end, the guest purchased a knife at the shop that offered the most thorough explanation and the greatest depth of knowledge.

One thing I regretted was that the guest had not brought their passport. Normally, a refund of about 7% of the purchase amount is available after deducting a handling fee from the 10% consumption tax, but because the passport was not on hand, the purchase had to be made with consumption tax included. The guest did not seem dissatisfied at all, but as a guide I reflected that I should have confirmed the passport situation at the hotel meeting. Aside from the knife shopping, the guest was very impressed by Tsukiji Hongan-ji and Senso-ji, and listened with great interest to explanations about Buddhism in particular.

Click here for more details: Kappabashi Knife & Kitchen Town Tour with Licensed Guide

Tour Report by Atsushi

Hi everyone! I’m Atsushi.
Born in the historic fishing port of Shiogama in Miyagi Prefecture and raised in Tokyo and Kanagawa, I’ve spent my life immersed in Japanese culture.
During my six years in the countryside as a university student, I fell in love with hiking and visiting temples.
After graduating with a master’s degree in agricultural science, I spent 40 years in R&D at a food manufacturing company before transitioning from part-time guiding to becoming a full-time professional tour guide at the end of 2025.
My true passion lies in Japan’s rich culinary and sake traditions.
I specialize in FIT tours around Tokyo and Hakone, and I even lead sumo culture tours!
I’m dedicated to making your journey truly unforgettable, and I look forward to helping you get the absolute most out of your stay in Japan.
I can’t wait to meet you!