Things to do in Tōfuku-ji Temple

Yutaka was a fantastic tour guide, we had a memorable day visiting the temples & we learned lots along the way. He was full on interesting information and local knowledge. The temples were stunning and not too busy with other tourists. Lovely guided meditation session with a monk & a delicious vegan lunch to finish off the tour perfectly. We highly recommend this to anyone looking for an authentic experience.

It is incredible. Not only do they explain what sumo is, but they make you feel and experience it. The staff is very attentive and fluent in multiple languages, and the wrestlers are very nice and fun. I had a great time and had the opportunity to observe and try to move a professional sumo wrestler.

Our guide, Sarah organized this tour extremely well. Her instructions were clear and she guided us to each attraction seamlessly. We had an amazing time both at Ine Bay and Amanohashidate. This tour is a must if you're in Japan!

I received my reminder and instructions the day before the tour and you are requested to join the WhatsApp group for the tour. We meet outside the Nippombashi Station Exit 2. A lot of other tour groups as gather there to London buses so make sure you arrive early enough and keep your eyes peeled for whatever marker they are wearing/carrying. For our tour we had two tour guides, Nox and Rex. They were engaging and shared stories of Japan’s history of Osaka, Amanohashidate, Ine fishing village, and Miyama. This was definitely the highlight of our trip! One tip I would like to share is, make sure you eat breakfast beforehand and also bring a few snacks in case you end up not having time to eat lunch while exploring. Plan to eat in Amanohashidate, because that’s the only place where you’ll have extended time. We opted to have our tour guides purchase tickets for the Ine sightseeing boat tour as well as the chairlift in Amanohashidate. Get the milk and milk pudding in Miyama!

Our guide Ms Shion was amazing! She is very enthusiastic and engaging. The walk covers quite a lot at a good pace but we didn’t spot any maikos or geishas which was my main objective. I wonder if the route could be reversed so there’s a higher chance of spotting the talented artistes at the the Queen of Geisha district?

The experience was fun for the whole family. It wasn't too difficult to shave the wood, even for my 8 yr old. We chose Sugi, Walnut, Sakura, and Purple Heart. Victor K. was very helpful, professional, and patient. He provided clear instructions and helpful hints to make the beautiful chopsticks. You can tell he truly enjoys the craft of making chopsticks. The personalized engraving was a fun extra we all loved.

One of the BEST experiences of our Japan trip! From arrival, everyone was kind, patient and welcoming. We were three generations: my mom, me and my 4-year-old daughter, and they found matching kimonos for ALL of us! My mom and I are plus-size, and we had beautiful options without needing the ¥5,000 celebratory upgrade. They even had my daughter’s size and gave her a sweet little add-on. We also booked the 60-minute photography session directly through the kimono shop, and DO IT! 📸 Our photographer was amazing. He posed and directed us, chose beautiful locations, and captured individual, mother-daughter and three-generation photos. It was HOT, we needed restroom breaks, and we had a 4-year-old, but he was incredibly patient and never made us feel rushed. Just LOOK at these photos! We left with more than vacation pictures; we have family keepsakes we’ll treasure forever. 👘💕

A lovely and authentic experience. We learned the proper way to prepare matcha and gained a better understanding of the meaning and traditions behind the tea ceremony. Wearing the traditional Japanese kimono made the experience even more special and memorable. Highly recommended!

Ash and Wil guided us perfectly through this knife-making workshop. They demonstrated great knowledge of the technique and were attentive at every step to ensure our knives turned out perfectly. It was a wonderful activity and a lasting memory; now, every day when we cook, Japan will be in our thoughts.