Shinjuku Chopstick Making and Food Walking Tour: Make your own chopsticks

Carve your own chopsticks, then eat your way through old Tokyo.

Make your own pair of traditional Japanese chopsticks in Shinjuku, then walk the neighborhood with a local English-speaking guide, tasting food at an izakaya and exploring Omoide Yokocho's nostalgic alley. The tour combines hands-on craftsmanship with a food walk, stopping at the Godzilla Head, the 3D Cat billboard, and street food stalls before finishing with a sweet red bean dessert. Four hours total. Children welcome from age 3.

Step-by-step itinerary

Chopstick making and Shinjuku food tour

• Make your own traditional chopsticks
• See Shinjuku’s Godzilla Head
• Explore nostalgic Omoide Yokocho alley
• Try Japanese street food in Kabukicho
• Visit the famous 3D Cat billboard
• Enjoy seafood dinner at local izakaya
• Experience lively izakaya with local dishes
• Finish with traditional Japanese dessert

The experience

You start by making chopsticks yourself: learning the traditional Japanese technique, carving your own pair by hand, and taking them home as a souvenir. That's the anchor of the morning. Then a local guide leads you through Shinjuku's streets to see the Godzilla Head, one of Tokyo's most photographed landmarks, and the famous 3D Cat billboard that stops people mid-stride. The walking part is real: you're moving through the neighborhood, not sitting in a classroom, so a moderate fitness level matters.

The food comes next. You'll eat at a traditional izakaya: a casual, lively spot where you try fresh seafood dishes and local specialties alongside other diners, not at a tourist table. Then you walk through Omoide Yokocho, the narrow alley of small yakitori and izakaya restaurants that feels like stepping into old Tokyo. The guide explains what you're seeing as you move through. You'll grab Japanese street food as you explore Kabukicho, and the tour ends with a dessert: a traditional sweet filled with red bean paste.

The guide speaks English and stays with you the whole time. Public transportation is nearby if you need it, and the tour runs four hours. Gratuities are separate.

What’s included

• Chopstick-making experience and materials.
• professional English-speaking guide for the full four hours.
• seafood dinner at a traditional izakaya.
• Japanese street food and dessert while exploring Kabukicho.
• entry and walking access to Omoide Yokocho and Shinjuku's landmarks.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 16:50

Book up to1h before

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (3 to 11 years) · Under 3: can't be booked

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Moderate physical effortPublic transport nearbyNot recommended with heart problems

Operated by Japan Panoramic Tours

Is this one for you?The tour starts in Shinjuku with no car needed, and public transportation is nearby, so it works whether you're staying in the neighborhood or coming from elsewhere in Tokyo. The combination of making something with your hands and eating at actual local spots, not tourist restaurants, gives you a different angle on the city than a standard walking tour.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 11 years). Children under 3 can't be included in the booking.

What exactly do I make during the chopstick-making part?

You carve and shape your own pair of traditional Japanese chopsticks by hand, learning the craftsmanship as you work. You take the finished pair home with you.

Is the food included, or do I pay separately at the restaurants?

The seafood dinner at the izakaya and the street food and dessert are included in the tour price. Drinks at the izakaya are separate.

How much walking is involved?

You walk through Shinjuku and Omoide Yokocho to reach the different stops and explore the neighborhood. The tour is four hours total, so it's a moderate amount of movement. The guide chooses a pace that works for the group.

What is Omoide Yokocho like?

Omoide Yokocho is a narrow alley filled with small izakaya and yakitori restaurants, with a nostalgic atmosphere that feels like old Tokyo. It's still a working neighborhood where locals eat, not a museum.