I had a wonderful lunch with Yoshihiko. We had lunch near a nice office park and beautiful park in Roppongi. Yoshihiko is a very friendly guy who was more than happy to share his knowledge and experiences working in the finance and startup worlds in Tokyo. I learned a lot and hope to meet him again!

This was the highlight of my trip. Yukihisa and Hiroshi are two awesome people. They took me to a matchbox bar in GoldenGai, and it is an experience I'll never forget. It was just us three and the bar owner, who has owned that bar since the late 1940s! We shared stories and Yukihisa and Hiroshi translated. I will definitely be coming back here again!

I don’t even like tea...but I simply HAD to do a traditional Japanese tea ceremony! I just had to hope that the tea wasn’t too bad... The only thing I knew about the process, I had learned from an episode of America’s Next Top Model, but this was enough to raise my interest. The detail and intricate movements involved are fascinating and Fumi was the perfect teacher to help me understand more about it.

After removing our shoes (don’t wear pink socks with black tights)we began the morning by telling each other about ourselves while drinking salted water, complete with edible cherry blossom (so far so good on the drinks count). Fumi then gestured for us to step onto the raised platform that was the tea room. The green edged tatami matting underfoot was so smooth Fumi practically glided across it with her delicate footsteps. Despite knowing that I probably wouldn’t last long, a wanting to be as authentic as possible and intended to sit in the traditional way with my legs tucked straight underneath. Luckily, for those not used to this way of sitting, a cushion is provided to take the pressure off your legs. This was a welcomed relief!

Fumi began, in her excellent English, by teaching us about the history of ‘The Way of Tea’, as she put it, and explained some of the aspects of the room itself. We then began the process that any guest at a tea ceremony would go through, passing from their everyday world to the world of the tea room. After showing us the steps we were asked if we would like to try it ourselves. However, at no point did Fumi make us feel pressured into doing so. It was always a comfortable and calm environment.

She then showed us how to start the coals burning in order to boil the water in the great kettle. This was done in a sunken hearth near the middle of the room. We were even given the opportunity to pick up the coals ourselves with the long metal chopsticks and arrange them around the already glowing coals.

Fumi informed us that we would be trying two teas (this worried me a little), however that also meant two sweets (this excited me). The sweet is always served before the tea is made so as we waited for the water to boil Fumi presented us with the most unusual plate of food. Not being at all accustomed to Japanese sweets I find it hard to describe it’s texture and flavour, but I recall bean paste being mentioned and the fact that it’s shape represented a butterfly. Although rather chewy, it was quite nice.

When the water had boiled the intricacies of the tea making process began. I watched carefully knowing that I would be given the opportunity to try it myself, but the steps are so numerous! (Fumi gently leads you through it though, complimenting your efforts like any good host.) The colour of the tea was quite alarming. I had expected my ‘green’ tea to look more like someone had put a drop of food colouring in the water with some leaves at the bottom for good measure. I was SO wrong! It was such a deep green you couldn’t see the bottom of the cup and the taste wasn’t to my liking, but as I mentioned above I’m not a fan of tea. My partner in the tea ceremony on the other hand did enjoy the flavour.

Soon we were onto our second sweet. We were presented with a plate of delicate looking jelly like lollies in the shape of butterflies and cherry blossoms and one powered sugar lolly, made to look like a pond, which was similar to those ‘kiss me’ or ‘I love you’ lollies we all ate as children. Again the sweets didn’t disappoint.

After trying the second tea (I personally couldn’t taste any difference) we were able to make a cup for each other. I hope you liked it Kavin!
This was yet another fantastic experience organised by FindJPN which I found to be eye opening, informative and most enjoyable. Thanks you Fumi and the FindJPN team!

The beauty of calligraphy is undeniable. The precise strokes of deep black ink on crisp white paper are so full of emotion. But watching a master of 20 years like Yunagi, with her swift yet accurate hands, as she creates a striking work of art, simply takes your breath away.

She’s also a fabulous teacher, giving just enough hands on guidance as well as time to practise it by yourself, so as to feel as though you are accomplishing something new and creating something beautiful.

Yunagi and her husband were such wonderful, complimentary hosts. Maybe I was rubbish, maybe I was awesome! It didn’t matter. I had so much fun and went away with a feeling of achievement and a desire to learn and practise more of this timeless art form.

Thank you Yunagi and the FindJPN Team!

The Geisha. Can you think of anything more typically Japanese?

When looking through the list of experiences offered by FindJPN I simply couldn't go past the Geisha Experience. Having the chance to wear a GORGEOUS kimono and be made up with the white make-up and headpiece sounded like so much fun.

I wasn't wrong! After meeting my hosts Hiroshi and Rei, we took a short walk to a photo studio which specialised in wedding and family portraits. The first thing I noticed when I entered was the array of kimonos carefully hanging on the racks. I could easily have spent the next few hours carefully looking at each one, admiring the colours and intricate needle work. One in particular caught my eye, a beautiful teal green which I’m sure cost more than my yearly wage! No doubt that would NOT be one of the kimonos I could choose from.

Having recently watched the movie Memoirs of a Geisha in order to get into the ‘Japanese mood’ before my trip, I had some idea of what to expect. The white face, pink near the eyes and red lips are all trademarks of a Geisha.

After removing my shoes at the front entrance and donning a pair of slippers, the custom in Japan, I was taken to a small room to begin my transformation. A lovely elderly woman with little to no English, gestured for me to remove my clothes down to my underwear and replace it with a light weight robe and the special socks that leave the big toe free to wear wooden sandals.

Whilst sitting in front of a mirror I watched her pin my hair back and paint my face with a thick white paint using a soft wide brush. She even went as far as painting the sharp lines on the back of my neck. Although I’m from Australia, my British heritage has left me as white as a ghost already. But this was a whole new level! She then added pink around my eyes, carefully darkened my eyebrows and of course painted part of my lips a vibrant red.

When my face was ready I was asked (with the help of Rei, the translator) to choose my kimono. Here’s where it became difficult! I could easily have chosen anyone of the 15 or so hanging there, but I eventually settled on a red kimono that I felt looked the most traditional. Another lady was then brought in to help dress me. The two ladies worked together so quickly and with such ease I can barely remember the process. But it did involve a number of undergarments before the final kimono was put in place. The wide odi was tied around my waist in such a way as to shorten the kimono to suit my height and make bad posture near impossible!

The final step in turning me into a Geisha for the day was the intricate black wig complete with dangling hair ornaments. This really finished off the look.

I was then ushered into the photo studio where a man was waiting to take my photo. If I’d have had any ideas of how I’d like to pose, it all went out the window. He directed me to the exact position he required using direct body movement and hand gestures for my face. I must say I felt a little bit strange with my head tilted in such a way, but who was I to argue?! If I truly wanted to experience being a Geisha, I guess this was part of it. After posing in a number of ways and with a number of props (fan, umbrella, box, and ball), it was over.

I was soon de-robed and back to my usual clean face. As I was leaving they presented me with a proof sheet of 20 shots and a disk to reproduce my favourites. I found the whole process to be very enjoyable and the people to be very professional.

Thank you FindJPN for organising such a memorable day in Tokyo!

Experiencing the way of tea with Fumi was a great experience that I can recommend to everyone. She told us about the history and the significance of the ceremony in a way that was clear and easy to understand. The pace of the whole event was perfect and never felt rushed. Thank you again Fumi for allowing us to share in this experience.

昨日は暴風警報まで発令され都内の混乱は前日よりからも予想されており、報道などを見ていればお昼までに都内では企業では帰宅指令が出たり電車の運休などが発生予想が出来たにもかかわらず、イベントの中止実施の連絡も事前になく、開催中止もしないとの連絡に開催者の意識を疑いました。

私も仕事柄イベントの開催などを行いますが、正直開催側の安全危機管理の意識の低さは改善すべきでは無いかと思います。
朝の段階での連絡も当然ですし、あの天候での開催は中止をするのが当然ではないでしょうか？
またもし海外の方が参加されるのであれば日本人以上にそういったことを気遣いがないのはいかがなものでしょうか？
通常の店舗ですら営業自粛していました。個人の開催で参加費の負担など赤字が発生するかもしれないとはいえ、イベントの行き帰りで参加者がケガをしたり、帰宅困難になる事などを想定しないのは無責任です。

I really enjoyed this cooking lesson not only because of the beautiful kitchen, pretty table flowers, and useful kitchen tools but also because of the teacher’s warm personality. Her English is fluent and easy to understand.
Her cooking is actually for Vegan.
All organic, no chemicals.
Remarkable thing is that the teacher said that her daughter who is 10 years old hasn’t needed any medicine so far. Her daughter loves her cooking and eats a lot!!

Great experience to have if you like cooking (and above all if you love what food means in terms of culture and social interactions in any country in the world). Akiko is a fantastic host, tremendously knowledgeable about nutrition and exquisite in her manners, behaviour and skills. But that is only half the fun. To have the privilege to meet her at her own house, in the intimacy of her own kitchen, opens up a whole universe of information about the inner workings of Japanese society. I feel that this very evening has taught me more about this fascinating country than the rest of the time spent here so far. Two important notes: she only works with prime, organic, first rate ingredients and I declare myself a big fan of Muku, her cheerful daughter. She is a gift, even if you don't get anything she says.

In the mood to channel your inner Martha Stewart or just interested in a uniquely Tokyo sightseeing experience? Welcome to Kitchen Town! This nook of Tokyo overflows with handmade traditional Japanese pottery, masterfully engraved knives, and even display foods seen at many local restaurants and all for a very reasonable price. Depending on your preference, we can book in advance a session to craft your own display food setting! The key to this two-hour experience is your bilingual guide that can navigate you through each shop and break down the language barrier with storeowners. So come enjoy Kitchen Town and let us help you find that special pottery set for you dining room or design your own display lasagna dish!

Drinking Matcha in Ginza was a true Japanese experience and the tea was delicious! It was definitely better to go with a guide to interpret as well - especially when it came to the round of tea that you have to lick instead of drink! FindJPN highly recommended.

Shopping with Hiroshi was fun. It was great having someone show me where to go and ask the shopkeepers different questions I had. You can find everything you want for the kitchen and more!

We had a great time meeting the Adachis and sharing lunch with them. The food was delicious! Takeshi and Kana were wonderful hosts and they answered many of the questions we had about Japan and had great suggestions of places vist and things to see while there. Highly recommended.

Last sunday we went to the Sumo matches in Tokyo.As a European man I don't know much about this type of culture so I went there with little expectations. The first 4 hours went by pretty fast despite a lot of ceremony's, one evolving the retirement of a Sumo wrestler. There is a lot to see in the amazing stadium the event takes place. Souvenir shops, history information, pictures of matches of the past and you can even take a photograph with a Sumo champion as they walk through the hallways just as any other visitor.
Then the match finally begins for real, and the wrestle matches itself turn out far more interesting then the previous ceremony's. The huge Sumo wrestlers go on stage and give everything for 20 seconds or so to push each other out of the ring. Once you think those guys cannot get any bigger the next fight has even more enormous wrestlers then the previous ones. Very cool to see how they fight each other and keep having respect for one another before, after and during the fight. I'm from a culture that a fight can be much tougher and harder and a opponent is only defeated when his feet won't allow him anymore to get up.. While I must say I still like that form of sports a little more I was suprised how entertained I was here and even more about the respect everyone has for his opponent. Sumo is a must see for everyone who is interested in Japanese culture en traditions.

Arranging the cooking class was very easy to do on their website and we had a confirmation for the services right away. Our hosts also confirmed with us directly about menu choices so we felt very confident going into the evening and it fulfilled our every expectation and more. I think we will try another experience if we can when we return to Tokyo.

Had just finished my very first Shodo and Makiko sensei was very supportive and encouraging during the whole session and was able to write a passable kanji letter. Thank you sensei. It was quite an experience for me at the same time so refreshing peaceful.

I really liked this activity. It is very relaxing and a great way to experience a more traditional aspect of Japanese culture. Yunagi is very sweet and friendly, a great teacher also. She was very good with direction and she even praised my calligraphy.

Kozan is amazing at playing the shamisen. He is a great teacher, very friendly, and very good at giving direction. I had no trouble playing the shamisen, and picked it up quite easily. Also, ask Kozan to demonstrate playing the Koto on your visit... you won’t regret it. If you’re after a traditional Japanese experience, I suggest trying this out as it fun and unique activity... one to boast to your jealous friends about back home!
As an added bonus, he made traditional Japanese tea for me which really hit the spot.

Naoaki and Yohko were great fun. We spent a relaxed day exploring what Tokyo University’s open day had to offer. There was a great variety of food stalls (very cheap, very tasty), performances and displays, and lots of information about Japanese life and culture. I got to play Othello with master students (naturally I lost), create origami figures, and watch the University student double dutch completions. Whenever open day is held, I highly recommend going with Tokyo Experience team.

I highly recommend this. Kota is extremely organised and has a large itinerary that you can structure a tour around. He is highly knowledgeable about Tokyo, it felt like I was exploring the city with a good friend. I recommend visiting the Tokyo Wonder Site if you are into contemporary art.

Today was a very special experience. All of the food was very delicious and the conversation was very good as well.

I learnt so much about Japanese culture! And the family was so nice.

It was absolutely wonderful! My host family was so welcoming and told me so much about Japanese culture. And the food was fantastic.

The chef made it very easy to appreciate the making of sushi and maki and the explanations were simple and instructive.

Nice location, pretty good food, but I was sorely disappointed by how few people spoke English, since this was supposed to be an international party. Some people we talked to didn't even know it was supposed to be an international party.

The lesson was great and in a very friendly atmosphere.
And no need to say the sushis were delicious!

I had a great time learning to make sushi! The atmosphere was relaxed, the ingrediants fresh and tasty and I was surprised that I made sushi that looked like real sushi! I'm glad that I was met outside, I think I would have struggled to find the host site on my own! I would recommend to anyone else curious about how to make sushi, I just need to practice now!

Great experience!! I have been living in Tokyo for 26 years, but I had never seen Geisha play in my life. Geishas show me a delicate movement every second. I had a luxury weekend to touch Japanese traditional arts.

I had a great time. Great food, great kitchen facilities and a great host. The host also spoke very well English, so it was no trouble asking for help if needed. If you want to learn Japanese Cooking, this is a great place to start!

It was fun, and the food was really good!

I decided to get a lesson from a karate master throug FindJPN.

I had no idea what kind of experience I would be getting into before I went, but I found the lesson to be my best experience in tokyo. Junnosuke is an extremely talented martial artist and a very patient teacher.

I was surprised how much could be learned in such a short period of time, and although my flexibility and form leaves much to desire I never felt frustrated or pressured.

The demonstration he gave was also one of the most impressive personal displays of strength and focus I have seen and made me realize how lucky I was to get a personal lesson from someone as experienced as Junnosuke.

I really enjoyed to create small Bonsai. The various tiny trees are prepared and we can pick up which we want. The teacher, Fujita san, was very friendly and helpful. I think the world of Bonsai is quite deep and difficult but his advise were quite clear and easy to understand. I loved the smell of fresh soil, and touching pretty soft moss as well. Hope I can go back again soon!

The food was delicious and the conversation was lovely, too.

I am very pleased to have participated in tonight dinner. It is a rare look inside the life/culture of Japanese family.

It was very nice and well prepared, the food was amazing and there was a lot of choice. Try to offer dishes which are not known outside Japan.

I have been in Japan for 6 months and this has been one of the best experiences! It's not only funny and interesting, but a real approach to the modern Japanese culture. You will hardly find more otaku places than this one. It even includes a Maid café upstairs! this represents Akihabara better than any other thing I have done there.

Let me describe the show itself. The Otage is a performance made by wannabes J-idol girls whjo sing famous song (or even their own ones) on a small stage a bit hidden in Akihabara. The venu consists of 2 stories. The first one has the stage whiule the second one is a maid cafe. The artists are dresses like maids so when they do not perform they are upstairs and you can talk to them. Anyway, as soon as we entered some of the girls talked to us, even in English, gave us posters with the cover of their records and info about them. It was very cool and one of the girls talked to us for a while also. Even when she was singing she said things in English for us. She was really nice, kawaii and moe ;)

Being this incredible itself, the biggest show to me was given by the audience. Some salarymen, students, and people from all ages started coming and warming up. They were really usual clients there and knew many of the girls. Some even had t-shirts with their names! when the songs started then obviously knew the lyrics and danced like their lives was at stake. I thought some arms would fly off their bodies or they would get a heart-attack! It was so funny how energetic they were. I was looking at them more than at the performers!! they are REAL REAL OTAKUS. Try to find this somewhere else!

If you are any interested in Manga, Anime, or want to know what Akihabara represents nowadays further than the old Radio Center and electronics parts selling, this is the best you can do. It was so rewarding and surprisingly good for someone who had been there for half a year already. Ikimashou!!

I enjoyed the calligraphy lesson. The teacher was very friendly and engaging, And I felt that I learned as much about Japanese culture from the way she interacted with me as from the calligraphy lesson itself.

The karate event was very stimulating and fun.The teacher and assistant were professional and friendly.

There was no special lecture, just a really fun, nice tour at the behind the scenes workings of the Tsukiji fish market. The tour guide was very friendly, informative, helpful and understanding in showing us around and making sure we knew the history and interesting details of Tsukiji. This is a must if you are at all interested in sushi or the fish market culture of Japan. The sushi restaurant at the end of the tour is especially great. The sushi chefs are delightful, entertaining and willing to take questions, even obvious ones from clueless Americans. The sushi is the best I have ever had. The walk through the fish market is another highlight. It's a little busy and dangerous, but very interesting to see all the wholesalers in their grubby fishmonger gear chopping fish heads and sawing frozen tuna into slices. Overall, a great experience!

The class was great, I did not even think of doing this before I saw it as an option here and then it turned out great even though I didn't know I would be able to do it. The teacher was excellent and friendly and I loved the whole thing.

Visiting the fish market with the "Tsukiji King" will make your trip to the fish market like no other. He took us up to a roof top nearby the market, giving you a tremendous view of the area while he was introducing us to the fishing business. The best part though was entering a hidden sushi restaurant with no ques at all (the other more touristy sushi bars will take you two hours to get seated). I have never had better sushi. A great experience. Afterwards you will feel like your head has been having a good massage!

If you want a special experience of the huge fish market in Tokyo, this is something for you. At first I thought it would an ordinary tourist trip, but instead we got an inside walktrough of the place. Our guide really knew everything about the place and at the end, he took us to a hidden sushi place, where I tasted the best sushi i have ever had. Without comparison!

Learning to write japanese calligraphy was one of the most rewarding experiences from Japan. The teacher, Yunagi, was wonderful and very patient, and her calm guidance was. If you want to experience Japanese culture at its finest and get away from the bustling streets, this is both relaxing, inspiring and fun!

The karate experience was better than I ever expected. All I had to do was show up ready to learn. The teacher taught us the basics - but moved beyond the basics quickly. By the end of the class, every student broke a board with their fist! Pretty cool! As a bonus, the teacher did a presentation of his own karate skills - very impressive!

I went to a concert in akihabara astounds me. I wouldn't have thought there would concerts in this ward. I saw enthusiastic fans dance feverishly and sing emphatically to the maids in stage. Surreal and foreign, the concert was one of the highlights of the trip.

Even though it turned out that my Kanji skills were mediocre, i had a really pleasant time. Our teacher were really sweet and helpful, and I would recommend it to anybody wanting a relaxing Tokyo-experience.