Experience a nostalgic and peaceful side of Tokyo in this 3 hour walking tour in Shinagawa. Convenient for Haneda Airport layovers.
Be transported back to the Edo period (1603-1868) in this three hour guided tour around Shinagawa's old town. This tour is good for people travelling to/from Haneda Airport, or people interested in seeing a historical and peaceful part of Tokyo.
Kita-Shinagawa used to be a thriving post-town, or checkpoint station on the Old Tokaido Road, an ancient road that connected Tokyo with Kyoto. Weary travellers would stop there for rest, replenishment and entertainment. Although most of Shinagawa is now an extremely modern business district, this old town area maintains its historic charm and you can see many original buildings and stores with a history dating back hundreds of years. The area is also full of shrines, each with its own story to tell. If you want to explore a historical part of Tokyo without being bothered by other tourists, this tour is ideal, as this area is not at all touristic.① Meet at Kita-Shinagawa Station (9:30)(13:30)
② Shinagawa Ura Funadamari (9:40-9:55)(13:40-13:55)
Back in the Edo times, the shore near Shinagawa was used for fishing, and a small but prosperous fishing village sprang up. Although the area is no longer used for commercial fishing, there are still many nostalgic traces left to be seen. The juxtaposition between the skyscrapers in the background and the old houseboats docked in the water offers a perfect glimpse into Tokyo’s motto “where old meets new”. These days, the harbour houses "yakatabune", or recreation boats used for eating/drinking, along with the last remaining fishing boats.
Only known to the locals are some hidden areas of houses undestroyed by the local development. The guide will show you into little alleyways lined with green hedges and great old homes where you can imagine what life used to be like in the fishing village.③ Head down Kyu-Tokaido Road (9:55-10:55)(13:55-14:55)
The Kyu-Tokaido Road was the first stop for travellers moving from Tokyo to Kyoto. It was a lively place full of inns and bustling with shops to service all their needs. It was one of the few areas to survive the fires and air raids that ravaged other parts of Tokyo in the past. These days many of these shops still remain – venture down the street and discover a green tea shop with over 100 years history, or a quaint old rice cracker shop. Back in the 1800s, travellers from Kyoto would reach this final stop along the road dirty, weary and in need of sprucing up. Back in the Edo times the quality of ones shoes was very important, so there were 10 shoe shops dotted along this road back in the day. These days the need for handmade traditional footwear has diminished, and now 'Maruya', a family owned sandal shop dating back 200 years, is the last one remaining. If you wish to buy a pair of geta or zori sandals, they offer an immense selection of patterns and will tailor the straps to fit your feet.
There are so many gems to be found on this road, and your guide will explain them all. Along the way you’ll also visit:Hōzen-ji Temple and hidden alleyways
Branching off the main Tokaido Road are many smaller streets and alleyways with local temples hidden away and quaint old houses covered in greenery. You can even see a water well in the middle of a residential lane, which was used in the past to bring water to the local houses. Most other such pumps have been destroyed long ago.
Shinagawa-shuku Koryukan (community lounge)
There is a free rest area on the first floor selling lots of old style candy from the Showa era, while the second floor features an exhibition that introduces the history and culture of the area.④ Shotokuji Temple (10:55-11:00)(14:55-15:00)
After exploring the Kyu-Tokaido Road, stroll down Shinbaba Street and take a look at the Shotokuji Temple. It’s especially pretty in Autumn as it’s surrounded by maple trees. This temple has quite an usual fence, made of an old brick wall taken from a nearby factory.⑤ Ebara Shrine (11:00-11:10)(15:00-15:10)
Established in 709, Ebara Shrine is worshipped as the place of the dragon god where people come to pray for rain. Located next to the Meguro River, it’s said that in 1062 they took water from the nearby river to offer to the god, praying for victory in a battle with Northern Japan. It’s home to a yearly festival held in the rainy season (June) where Mikoshi (floats) are carried through the water. The carvings on this shrine are very intricate and unique and worth a look for those interested in art. The best time to see Ebara is in spring when it’s surrounded by cherry blossoms blooming along the river.⑥ Chabako Tea Shop (11:15-11:40)(15:15-15:40) *Only available on Wednesday/Friday/Saturday/Sunday. On Monday/Tuesday/Thursday, we will instead go to a small nearby coffee shop called "Beans Station Home Roasting Coffee Shop and Cafe"
Stop for some refreshment in this old private house which has been turned into a small tea cafe. They offer homemade roasted teas, as well as green tea and many traditional seasonal Japanese daifuku sweets. *If you don’t want to stop here, the guide can take you somewhere else instead.⑦ Shinagawa Shrine (11:50-12:25)(15:50-16:25)
Shinagawa Shrine was founded in 1187 as a guardian of the nearby post-town. It is home to a “fujizuka”, or a mini-Fuji, built for worshippers who didn’t have the strength or money to climb the actual Mt. Fuji. It is actually the largest fujizuka in Japan, standing at 15m high. It’s made from rocks taken from the base of Mt. Fuji. This shrine also has many separate buildings, lots of red torii gates and a fountain called Hitotsubu-manbai-no-izumi where it is said that if you wash your coins in it, your fortunes will increase.
⑧ Finish at Shimbamba Station (12:25-12:30)(16:25-16:30)
The guide will escort you back to the station, one stop from Shinagawa Station (a major transport hub from where you can easily get to anywhere you need).
・See several Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines hidden around the Old Town
・Enjoy the contrast between old and new at the Shinagawa seaside where houseboats still dock
・Look around shops dating back hundreds of years and hear their history
・Walk around nostalgic old lanes containing water wells and ivy covered houses
・Climb the "mini Mt. Fuji" at Shinagawa Shrine
・Try some tea and Japanese sweets in an old home-turned-cafe.
・ If you book this tour before or after Haneda Airport, the guide can help you store your luggage in station lockers, please contact us in advance
・ If you wish to change the tour time, please contact us.
・During the peak travel seasons of March, April, October, and Year-end and New Year holidays (from December 30 to January 3), please be aware that there will be an additional charge of 2,000 yen per person for the tour.
Price | ¥10,000 per adult (13+) ¥10,000 for 2 adults or more |
---|---|
Duration | 3 hours |
Hours of availability | Morning tour: 9:30am-12:30pm |
Inclusions | ・English guide |
Exclusions | ・ Food |
Participants | 1〜6 people |
Keikyu Line-Kita-Shinagawa Station-Ticket Gate
Lena(UK)★★★★★
Amazing tour of Shinagawa with the loveliest guide imaginable
This was one of the loveliest tours I've ever been on. I got to spend the afternoon with Masayo san, who was incredibly welcoming and friendly from the start, as well as fluent in Japanese and English, which was super helpful. Every step along the way around Shinagawa was super interesting, I could barely catch up with taking notes and photos. I really felt transported back into the Edo period and with all the additional information provided by my friendly guide, I got such a great impression of how life 300 years in this area must have been like. I learned about Japanese traditions, religions, language, food and more. Masayo san had an answer for every question I had :-)
I really loved the tour and I would 100% recommend!
Arigatou gozaimasu!
Daniel(USA)★★★★★
A perfect afternoon in a non-touristy part of Tokyo!
Masayo-san was a wonderful guide, filled with both historical and modern perspectives. She was obviously very well-prepared, knew the area well, and answered all our questions very thoughtfully. A highlight was the traditional tea service in a small shop on a small street in Shinagawa. Recommended for everyone.
Mark (USA)★★★★★
Great history, great discussion, great walk
Yoshimi is a great tour guide who fully explains the historical context of the Shinigawa area. The walking is enjoyable and I particularly enjoyed the short climb up the mini Mount Fuji (you have to be there to experience it). A truly delightful experience - highly recommended!
Amanda Sheen(Australia)★★★★★
An afternoon with Masayo in Shinagawa
Masayo was so knowledgeable about Japanese history and the history of the Shinagawa area. She took us to lots of ‘out of the way’ places that we might have walked past if we had been walking on our own and shared her knowledge of these places.
The visit to the tea house was great, not to mention well-deserved after all the walking, and the visit to the rice cracker shop was very special.
Thank you Masayo for a great afternoon & tour on our first day in Japan.
Mandy, Luke and Talitha
Stephen Oberhardt(Australia)★★★★★
Insiders guide to Tokyo
We arrived in Tokyo and found this small group tour an excellent way to orientate ourselves in the big city. Our guide Yoshimi was great and took us along interesting backstreets to find places we would not have found ourselves- little shops and shrines. Overall a fantastic start to discovering Tokyo.
Leslie Hurst(UK)★★★★★
Putting fun into the business district
Hitomi is a wonderful guide and the tour is very informative. Apart from the historical nuggets and seeing the origins of the business district it was great just to spend time with her and learn about life in modern day Japan. She has a charming manner and made it great fun. Highly recommend.
Richard Oden(USA)★★★★★
Great experience!
We had a lot of fun with Eriko as we explored Shinagawa together and learned about the juxtaposition of new and old. We feel as though we made a new friend in Japan and hope to see her again one day!
Brooke Nunn(Australia)★★★★★
Perfect for a half day city tour!
Great tour route and amazing tour guide!
We all enjoyed very much exploring Shinagawa-shuku area and we would love to join another tour again in future.
Naho Iwasaki(Japan)★★★★★
Good experience
The tour was amazing. Our tour guide, Eriko-san was very nice. I was happy to know some Japanese history from Shinagawa! You should join this tour!
Donna Chapman(Australia)★★★★★
What a great way to be introduced to Japanese culture and history!
We only had one full day in Tokyo. We found this walking tour and we are so pleased we decided to go on it.Our guide, Fumiko, was an absolute delight! Spoke good English and most informative.
This is an ideal way to be introduced to Tokyo. It's a quiet area easy to get to by subway. Quaint houses and shops selling all kinds of goods mainly to the locals. Visited several of these shops, sipping local tea and finishing off in a quaint tea house with local delicacies. We visited many shrines all within easy walking distance of each other. Peaceful and clean, most people riding bicycles.
Elizabeth Warner(USA)★★★★★
Follow the Tokaido
We really enjoyed this tour. We saw an area that was off the beaten path now, around the Tokaido, yet very important in the history of Tokyo.It was wonderful to see several small shrines and temples that were not at all crowded, and to learn how they fit into modern Japanese life. Also enjoyed seeing the small independent businesses that still exist, such as the kimono store and the tea cafe. Our guide, Hitomi, was friendly , knowledgeable, and fun. She gave us a nice perspective of how the city and people have evolved over time.
Edward Feher(USA)★★★★★
Great Local Guide and Introduction to Tokyo Area
Great low-key tour with a knowledgeable guide (Machiko).
This felt off the beaten path and away from other tourists. We learned much about the local history and used our imaginations to envision the past. Easy walking tour, perfect for first day in Tokyo!
Jenean Monasch(USA)★★★★★
Walking tour of Kita Shinagawa
It was a wet, rainy day in Tokyo but we enjoyed our walking tour anyway. We saw several shrines & temples. All along the way our excellent guide Eriko explained the history and culture of the area of kita shinagawa. We stopped in a kimono shop, a boat tour business on the river, and a local shop that sold all kinds of Japanese crackers (arare). Despite the awful weather we had a great adventure. Highly recommend this tour as something different than the typical tourist tour.
Victoria BRIDGE(USA)★★★★★
Personal tour full of shrines, off the beaten-path
Mutsuko was a wonderful guide. I somehow had the luck to end up with her solo and we had a lovely morning strolling the Shinagawa area which is full of temples and shrines, as well as some beautiful old architectural store fronts. She pointed out stores that had been run by generations of the same families. You really don’t get this in downtown Tokyo!
Towards the end of our trip, she took me to a tea shop and treated me to a delicious Japanese dessert (I got shaved ice with sweet red beans and syrup and freshly made mochi) and iced tea.
Mutsuko shared a lot of information so I came away with a much better understanding Japanese history. She has also done her homework, visiting locations and stores in advance so they weren’t surprised by us - a 5 generation boat restaurant owner let us onto his boat to look inside at the set-up for example. All these things added up to make the tour feel more personal and with a chance to meet locals than a larger tour (I know I was by myself but I understand this tour has a cap of 6, so even with 6 it would feel special).
Thank you Mutsuko!
Yen Chung(USA)★★★★★
Authentic old japan tour
Mutsuko was amazing and friendly. The tour covered the history of Japan and the importance of Shinagawa. If you are a history buff, you will love this tour. Five stars.
Dana Hanford(USA)★★★★★
Excellent local tour
Excellent experience in a local area with a very knowledgeable local guide. We had access to beautiful artisan shops and temples. Our guide provided helpful historical perspectives and wonderful details about the culture and daily life. This lovely tour was the highlight of our brief stay in Tokyo.
Larry Wall(USA)★★★★★
Lovely relaxed walk, great guide
A great option for those who have seen most of the usual touist sites and want to visit historic shops and shrines that are still a vital part of real life in Tokyo. The guide is knowledgable and pleasant and takes a lot of pictures for you. Even though it was an easy pace we saw a lot of different things. It was pretty rainy part of the time but we had fun anyway. Be warned that the meeting place is on the train line and not the metro system. We had a bit of trouble figuring out how to ge there.
Deborah Moore(USA)★★★★★
Excellent tour of Old Town Tokyo: Shinagawa-Juku
The tour of Old Town Tokyo: Shinagawa-Juku Walking Tour was a highlight of our time in Tokyo. Our tour guide, Mutsuko was excellent and provided an interesting overview of history, culture, shrines and local businesses. We especially enjoyed visiting a tea shop where we sampled tea and Japanese sweets. The owner was delightful! We highly recommend this tour with Mutsuko!