Visiting Tokyo or Kyoto? Set aside a free day to explore these cities through a scholarly, on-foot perspective.
Context Travel, a U.S.-based walking tour company active in 21 cities worldwide, has expanded its Asia offerings with new programs in Tokyo and Kyoto.
Context partners with local historians and specialists to create English-language walking itineraries that introduce visitors to Japanese history, culture, art and design. Each program in Tokyo and Kyoto features English-speaking scholar-guides—art historians, writers, architects, gastronomes and other professionals—who lead small-group seminars and hands-on experiences.
In Kyoto, highlights include an introduction to Japanese garden and landscape design with a visit to the Golden Pavilion, a tour focused on Shinto and Buddhist traditions through the Gion neighborhood, and a woodblock-printing workshop led by a master craftsman.
Tokyo’s offerings include a walk through Akihabara that explores anime, manga and contemporary pop culture; a tour of Japanese aesthetics in the Omotesando and Harajuku districts; a guided visit to the Tokyo National Museum; and a three-hour “Welcome to Tokyo” program in which local experts meet travelers at their hotel to help with orientation and practical logistics in the sprawling metropolis.
Private walks, suitable for families or groups of five or more, start at JPY 32,560 (approximately $350). Shared group walks begin at JPY 7,040 (about $75) per person.