Experience Izakaya like a Local

Tomo was an amazing host for us. He took us to some really nice hidden gems; Izakaya’s where only locals drank. Very friendly and knowledgeable. Language wasn’t an issue and the amount of food/drinks we had was more than plenty. Definitely recommend!

We had an excellent time on this experience! We've been in Japan for several months but hadn't tried an izakaya yet since we're not very confident in speaking Japanese and only know very little, this was the perfect way to get that first experience with someone who can translate/explain the menu to us in English. The sake museum was cute, not much on the history of sake, more of a small tasting and an opportunity to get a souvenir (which was included in the tour price). We were able to take pictures in Japanese outfits, but it wasn't a big production with changing or anything, they just went over our street clothes. From there we went to the first izakaya, where we had a couple of small plates (mackerel with ginger, spicy beef stew, and ham katsu) and a round of drinks. Finally we went to the second izakaya, which was absolutely the highlight of the night. It was all you can drink (would recommend everyone in your group be over 20), and we had plenty of great beer and lemon sours! For food it was almost like tapas, we ordered multiple small plates and all shared, some staples like spicy fried chicken and gyoza with fried bean sprouts on top, but also some local delicacies like Tachi and a vinegared seaweed, which we wouldn't have been brave enough to try on our own without our guide's encouragement. I absolutely recommend this experience, by the end of the night you feel like you've made a new local friend who has taught you about Hokkaido food and culture. He even runs a Ski school if you're looking for more to do in the area! Communication about meeting time and location was clear and prompt and everything was on time and went smoothly.