7 Most Authentic Japanese Experiences for Tourists

After spending 50 days in Japan, here were some of our favorite authentic Japanese experiences!

Tokyo Restaurants

Shibuya
- 恵比寿土鍋炊ごはんなかよし渋谷２丁目店 – It’s hard to find a local spot in Shibuya with the amount of tourists, but when you find a restaurant with only Japanese language on Google maps, you’re on the right track. This restaurant wasn’t on our radar, we simply found it walking around and said to ourselves, “this place looks good,” and gave it a shot. It was authentically Japanese and with only 24 Google reviews, we loved how this place was relatively undiscovered by tourists. We enjoyed the mackerel dish.
Koto City
- Cafe Tanton – Family atmosphere. Super fresh food. Felt right at home. This restaurant is located in a less busy part of Tokyo, and has more low key neighborhood vibes to it.

Kyosaimi Nomura – This obonzai restaurant was one of our most unique Japanese meals experiences. Obonzai is a traditional, Kyoto-style home cooking characterized by small, seasonal, and nutritious side dishes, emphasizing sustainability by using locally sourced ingredients and minimizing waste. After experiencing one of these meals, I began to understand what may make the Japanese one of the healthier countries. With a wide variety of side dishes, this style of eating provides balance and nutrition. We loved it here.
Tanyoshi – This is a 3rd generation restaurant run by a mother and son. We had the best time here. The mother and son were incredibly attentive, sincere, and we felt right at home. They pour their heart and soul into this small restaurant, and we were incredibly thankful to have this experience in Kyoto.

Tanyoshi – 3rd generation family restaurant in Kyoto

Shirakawa-go Ryokan
- Shiroyamakan – This ryokan was a very special experience. This 4th generation family does a superb job running this place. Everyone was so kind, thoughtful, and respectful. Along with the other guests, the owners of this 140-year old ryokan provided a van tour of Shirakawa-go. The town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with amazing traditional Gassho thatched roof houses. The ryokan itself is old, but extremely well kept and managed. Among the many different accommodations they provide include access to two different saunas, as well as breakfast and dinner. For dinner, we tried bear (which neither of us have ever had), wasps, sashimi, and tempura. Absolutely fantastic. Their drinks were top of the line as well, and we highly recommend the sunshine Japanese whiskey. My wife enjoyed a gin based highball, and we had some incredible hot warm sake. While this ryokan was a bit more expensive than most of our accommodations on this trip, it was worth every penny!

What is an onsen? An onsen is a Japanese natural hot spring that is known for its geothermal, mineral-rich, and therapeutic waters. These are deeply rooted in Japanese culture for relaxation. They often feature indoor (uchiyu) or outdoor (rotenburo) baths, usually separated by gender, where users bathe completely naked after showering.
Onsen towns
- Kusatsu
  - Yubatake – This is main hot spring field for the city of Kusatsu located in the center of town. The sheer volume of hot spring water from the mountains is incredible. There is a sulphuric smell that may surprise you if you’ve never experienced sulphur before, but once you’re acclimated to the smell, it’s not bad. You absolutely need to visit this area at night, as they illuminate the hot spring field and it is really spectacular to see.
  - Onsen Netsunoyu – inside this building you can get tickets for a Yumomi performance. This is really neat, and gives visitors an appreciation for how the citizens of the town have cultivated these springs so they are safe to bath in.