English

Korean

Japanese

We lived the history on our tour. Chie was very knowledgeable and accommodating.  I needed to get something at the pharmacy Chie helped us find the right item immediately. In addition, my daughter asked for her help with purchasing an item. Chie didn’t hesitate at all. It was perfect. We were definitely happy with our tour and Chie as our guide.

One of the best tour guides you can ever have

We had an awesome time learning how to make ramen, fried rice and gyoza and would highly recommend this activity. Our guide Chie was fabulous very knowledgeable and entertaining with lots of information about Japan’s history and the history of ramen.

Chie did an exceptional job! She was informative, engaging and friendly. We learned so much about the history of Kyoto. All the food we sampled was delicious and the lunch was top notch. But the best part was our incredible guide Chie who made our experience so enjoyable and memorable. We highly recommend this tour to others!

The tour was great. I have learned new skills how to prepare local food and also got to learn more about culture and history. It was highly enjoyable.

Our tour guide was Chie. She was a wonderful guide! Very knowledgeable, friendly, funny, and professional. Every tasting was a great experience. I hope to get more tour guides like Chie.

Chie was exceptional. This was the best tour of our trip. We all loved Chie. She made the tour special because of her personality. Our group really appreciated her. Her pace during the tour was perfect for our group, who are all seniors. She stopped when we wanted to see something along the way. If I could give her 6 Stars, I would definitely do it.

Hi Chie!
I just wanted to say a huge thank you for the wonderful tour today!
Your historical introductions to the sake breweries and Ikuta Shrine were amazing, and your warm hospitality created such a great atmosphere.
I especially loved the stories you shared during our Beef lunch. Hearing about your own life experiences not only helped me understand Japanese culture and faith on a deeper level, but it also gave me some truly inspiring perspectives on life.
Thank you for making this trip so special and unforgettable!

Magic day with Chie and couldn't recommend more highly. There is something very connecting about cycling around an area and Chie's knowledge and personal touches helped to make this one of the highlights of our trip. And Himejo Castle in cherry blossom season is breathtakingly beautiful.

Chie-san was amazing! She gave us a lot of info about the history of sake, and Japan in general and even gave us our names in Kanji, Hiragana and Katakana! She was engaged with us the entire time and we had a blast. 

I wonderful history filled day out on the bike. Himeji is beautiful and the biking is not too strenuous. Our two lovely guides also really livened up the experience. Food was also delicious all round. I definitely recommend.

We had a fantastic day with Chie, she taught us so much about Japanese history while keeping the atmosphere light and fun.The tour was great, you get to cycle around Himeji, explore the gardens and interior of Himeji castle and it also includes lunch, traditional Japanese tea and a sweet treat.She was also very helpful in giving us recommendations for things to see and do in the broader Kansai region.Would definitely recommend!⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This was such a fun and delicious experience! Our wonderful guides and the location were amazing! The food was delicious the gyoza were my favorite!

We had a fantastic time. Chie is an incredibly warm and welcoming person who shared so many stories from her fascinating life. Through her, we experienced Japan in a much deeper and more meaningful way. The food was absolutely delicious. Highly recommended! ❤️👍

This was our favorite experience in Japan! Definitely would recommend trying it out! Chie was a great host! We absolutely loved having her!

Chie is Amazing!!!! Had a wonderful time! Best time! Definitely reccommend for an amazing  cooking class! She told us the History to understand the food and drink we had

Chie was a wonderful tour guide! She was high energy, fun and knowledgeable. She really made sure the tour felt personal and showed us real hospitality. Would definitely take a tour with her again!

Chie is AMAZING. We booked the group class and it ended up just being my husband and I and she was beyond wonderful. Her knowledge and history of Japan was so informative and she explained everything in such a wonderful way. The food and cooking part of the class was so much fun and absolutely delicious. Her passion for history and teaching people about culture was such a special experience and we will definitely book one of her tours when we come to visit again. I can’t recommend her enough!

Amazing experience- the descriptions of the Japanese food, culture and techniques was outstanding!. It was a fun class and the bonus was Chie’s personal and knowledge of Japanese history. I learned so much. Thanks again, much appreciated.

Chie was a fantastic tour guide, I had the pleasure of doing a one on one bike tour guide through Himeji and it was honestly amazing. She was knowledgeable, fun and very friendly! Thank you Chie for making this tour a memorable one!

Chie was a fantastic host!! She has great passion and a lot of knowledge about the city and the history Japan - we enjoyed every minute of our tour. 

CHIE WAS THE ABSOLUTELY BEST TEACHER/HISTORIAN/DANCER/COOK EVER!!LOVED THIS EXPERIENCE. Would do it again! Absolutely 5 stars

We had a great experience, cooking, laughing, eating and learning about Japanese history and culture. Chie was a friendly and knowledgeable guide. Highly recommend this tour if you enjoy cooking and trying local food.

The tour with Chie was amazing! She was extremely knowledgeable and shared some delicious food with us. Would absolutely recommend to anyone considering learning more about Nishiki Markets and Japanese culture in general. Thanks Chie! ☺️

Chie was amazing.  She was so personable and knowledgeable. The tour was a wonderful mix of history,  storytelling and many different experiences.

Had a great experience with Chie.  She was passionate, knowledgeable and fun. Our lunch was good. We had several options to choose from.  Would highly recommend this tour.

Chie  was the absolute best tour guide EVER. Her personality her knowledge and sincerity exceeded every expectation we had. Such an amazing  time.

Chie was an amazing tour guide. She was very knowledgeable and friendly!  She wrote our names in Chinese and explained the meaning.  This was favorite activity in Japan!

Chie was energetic, passionate and knowledgeable. We all had the best time learning history and sampling goods across the busy markets. Such a trip highlight!

We had an amazing experience with Chie.  Not only did we cook delicious dishes, which we will try at home, but Chie provided a great history lesson on Japan and answered all of our questions about this intriguing country.  Shopping with Chie for the ingredients needed for our meal was a great addition to the experience, we learned so much about Japanese products and origins. Thank you for a wonderful evening and experience.

We had a brilliant time! Chie was a wonderful host, so cheerful and friendly and full of interesting information. We really enjoyed tasting sake, preparing and cooking tasty local dishes, and especially eating it all at the end 😄 Very good value especially as we were lucky to have nobody else in the group with us!

It was a great experience of Tokyo & with our tour guide Chie. We visited places in Tokyo we would not have otherwise known about. We were all Australians so it was fun & full of laughter.

Our tour guide, Chie was very helpful and informative, giving tips for next destination. She shared a lot on the history of the area.

Chie was so friendly and informative. A great way to see the area with a knowledgeable guide. Local recommendations and history of the area. We loved this tour!

We had such an amazing experience on our tour! Our tour guide chie was the best, she provided us with so much information about the area and took us to the best spots to get some delicious food.

Such fun with our host Chie - loved being taken around the supermarket and having lots of local food explained and then cooking up a feast with it all! Chie also was great with Japanese history and we really enjoyed learning about her time as a Maiko as well! Top recommendation from all of us (2 adults and 17 and 19 year old).

Chie was knowledgeable and fun - she led us on a cultural and culinary journey through the market and surrounding area. Highly recommend!

Chie was a wonderful, informative and enthusiastic guide. I was fascinated by her extensive knowledge of Kyoto’s History as well as her own interesting personal information. Being a solo traveller, I felt well looked after. Thanks Chie!

Thank you Chie for a lovely cooking class. It was great learning about the different sake and foods along with some very interesting history!

It was amazing. Chiè, our tour guide was quite knowledgeable and made the tour very exciting. I've learnt so much more about Japanese culture on the tour than I ever did.We tried various food types and snacks. All really delicious 😋 Will definitely recommend the tour. Ask for Chiè!!

This would be one of the best day trips for the entirety of my vacation in Japan. First of all, Chie and MagicalTours were kind enough to proceed even though it was only me (ended up as a private tour). Chie was amazing, a go-getter, full of life and loves to share her knowledge of the area and the history of Japan. We vibed well, surprised she's an anime otaku just like me and we talked on countless animes during the trip. On top of the itinerary, she also taught me Japan cultural tidbits, like how to use the gacha gacha machine and how to pray in a shrine. On the food stops, the Kaeseki lunch was beyond delicious. The freshness and flavour was unparalleled, one of the best I've had in Japan. Chie explained the clever design and misdirections done on Himeji Castle to distract invaders - in this case, we were the invaders but good thing she knew her way around. She was also kind enough to take photos, and these were great photos. Thank you Chie and the MagicalTours team, I am very satisfied with the experience.

Chie did a wonderful job! We ate the best food. She taught us so much about Kyoto and was so informative. She did a wonderful job. We were in Kyoto and she made our trip! Wonderful tour

Great tour and explanation of the market and Kyoto. Chie was very friendly and informative!! Would definitely recommend

The food tour with Chie was excellent! She was so knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful. She went above and beyond to assist our group and make sure we had an authentic experience. Would highly recommend Chie for any tour. Tha k you so much fir making my last day here so memorable!

It was a very rainy day, but Chie brought the sunshine with her cheerful spirit! We learned so much about Kyoto and its history, got a lesson on geisha culture, sampled all kinds of foods and drinks at the market, and ended with a delicious meal together. A great first stop on our Kyoto experience!

We had Chie as our guide, and she was great! She was so fun and sweet, and shared really interesting history! Def recommend this tour :)

Our experience was outstanding all thanks to our guide, Chie. She will make all the difference in the tour experience.  We were a family of 5 with 3 college/ teen children. We learned so much about local culture and food. Her positive energy was infectious and kept us alive in 91 degree weather. We made cool stops to try pickled vegetables, candies, sake, plum wine, tofu donuts at the market. We had a nice sit down lunch where she painted each of our names in Chinese characters explaining their meaning. We visited a shrine, cool shops, and the time flew by. I would recommend doing this tour when you first arrive so that you get a good idea of where to go to eat, shop, etc… Chie was also great at taking family photos! Thanks Chie!

Wonderful with Chie in Kyoto. Her energy level and positivity were awesome. We enjoyed every minute of the tour and learned so much! Would definitely recommend a tour with Chie as a guide.

We had an amazing experience with Chie as a guide! She was so sweet and engaging, the tour was fun and informative. Would definitely recommend!

This was such an extraordinary experience! We had such an awsome time an learned so much from Chia! I am so greatful we found this cooking class!

It was more than just a cooking class, it was an authentic encounter with a local who knows all about history. The grocery shopping was great and the guide answered all our questions.The cooking place is spacious and has a great modern asian architecture. My children, my wife and I loved every minute of it. Now now how good sake can taste and which region it comes from depending on the taste!

The cooking class was such a fun experience. Not only did we learn to cook delicious food but our host, Chie, also sprinkled in interesting info on Japanese history. Would definitely recommend!

Chie was fantastic. She tailored the tour well so that me, my wife and two kids all enjoyed the tour. She did a great job explain in the history and showing us delicious foods through the market. She even helped with finding good deals on souvenirs as we waled through eh market. My kids lover her.

I had such a wonderful time on the Nishiki Brunch Market Tour with Chie! From the very beginning, she made the experience feel so personal and special. She took the time to really get to know me, and it felt less like a tour and more like spending time with a new friend.Despite the heat, we braved the market together with great energy and lots of laughs. Chie was an amazing host — thoughtful, attentive, and full of insight about the market and Kyoto's food culture. She also took tons of beautiful pictures throughout the tour and helped me picked out some beautiful kimono like jackets, which I’ll treasure as a lovely keepsake of the day.It felt incredibly private and tailored, and I left feeling full (both in stomach and spirit!). Highly recommend this experience, especially if you’re looking for something intimate and memorable. Thank you, Chie!

Chie was an amazing tour guide for our group of four (two adults, two kids (7, 10)). She tailored the tour well so both kids had fun while my wife and I got to learn. The food we tried was fantastic. Highly recommended.

Our cooking class was a highlight of our trip in Osaka!Chie was fantastic and helped up pick up some great spices from the grocery store to bring home to re-create our dished.

our guide was chie.  she was fantastic.  she took us around the ghion distric of kyoto and we got to experience the different foods and cultures of the nishiki market.  she was also very knowledgeable about the maiko lifestyle; we learned a lot from her.  it was a very personalized, enjoyable family tour.  we would highly recommend chie and this market tour.

Chie was an amazing tour guide- she was kind, friendly and funny and very knowledgeable! We really enjoyed her tour- we learned a lot about Kyoto, had a lot of tasty food and laughed a lot along the way. We would highly recommend this tour and especially Chie as a guide!

Our tour guide Chie was so personable and informative. She made the tour so much fun! She was able to share some inside information on Kyoto and its history

This was by far the best experience we had in Japan! Chie was an amazing guide which lots of knowledge about Japanese food and history in general! We learned so much and cooked and ate delicious food!!! Chie spoke amazing English and was very friendly and enthusiastic! Would recommend to anyone visiting Osaka!!

We had such an amazing time with Chie. She is wonderfully fantastic - very knowledgeable of the history of Himeji Castle. She was very patient with us. We were a tad slow in cycling and she didnt mind the wait for us to catch up. She explained to us how tea ceremony was observed. We even visited the "men's shrine" up many flight of stairs. She is so fun to be with, lively and responsive. My 23yo son was extremely pleased with how informative Chie is, to the many questions he asked of Japanese history and culture. There was never a dull moment with Chie. We had to part ways sadly, when the tour ended. If we could do a specific request for a guide in the future, we will definitely ask for Chie. Thank you so so so much Chie, for making our biking trip to Himeji Castle so memorable and beautiful.

Chie was so wonderful and nice. She was so knowledgeable and the food was so good! I highly recommend taking this tour if you want a casual fun atmosphere to try local food and get some insider info!

We really enjoyed this class! Chie was awesome! We got a closer look at Japans history while having some laughs cooking! We learned how to make three dishes and they were delicious. Chie was very knowledgeable, fun, and kind she went above and beyond to make sure we had a good time.

A perfect experience in Osaka! The cooking class was very interesting and Chie was a perfect guide! She is very nice, funny and we learn a lot about Japan and its culture. Thank you so much for everything

We had a wonderful time in Himeji with our guide Chie, who taught us a lot about Japanese history and gave us many tips on the best places to go to in Kyoto and around the Kansai region. We really appreciated the day spent with her. In addition, we had a Japanese lunch which was very nice. We really recommend this tour, especially by bike which seems to be a great way to discover Himeji!

Chie was very lovely. She was very informative and knowledgeable. I appreciated her tour. If you are in Nishiki take a tour with Chie

Chie was an excellent guide - she was engaging and funny, and kept us moving along through many sites (and snacks). Thanks to Chie, this tour was one of the highlights for our family.

Chie was super!!More than just a cooking class!!Great tour of the market and history lesson too. Sake tasting!!! Kampai!!!We loved the tour.Highly recommended!!!

Chie is amazing. She is full of life and interesting! She shared a lot of stories about the history and culture in Kyoto and Japan.

We had an amazing time in Osaka with our host  Chie!We started at a local market where we shopped and she had so much information about local Japanese cuisine.  We went to a local studio kitchen and proceeded to drink Sake and make 3 dishes which all turned out delicious 😀The whole time Chie talked with us about things to do around the area and also about Japanese history.We feel like we made a new friend !!Thank you Chie!!!

Outstanding! Chie led a wonderful tour that taught us so much about the culture of Kyoto. We had a great time experiencing the food of Nishiki market, lunch, and walking down the neighborhood. She was very informative and energetic, which led to an all-around amazing experience.  This tour is a must do for travelers to Kyoto.

We visited Osaka in April 2025 and went on this cookery course with Chie as our instructor. She was perfect at showing us round the local market and very informative during the cookery part of the day. Her English was amazing and there were no troubles communicating.All the food was simple to make using lots of ingredients and we have the recipes and memories to take home. She told us exactly what all the ingredients do for the dish and differences between all the sakes we sampled. We thoroughly enjoyed the session and highly recommend Chie and this course.

This was great tour. Chie is very knowledgeable and showed us some great stores including some of her favorites. The food we tired was very tasty and brunch had a good selection of foods to try

Chie is a superstar! Fantastic tour with some great food and drink. We really enjoyed our time on the tour. Going back to buy some hot sauce!

Chie was amazing! So knowledgeable about the history of Kyoto. And super friendly. Highly recommend taking this fun tour!!!

Chie was an amazing host, I learnt so much, history, perfect English, and willing to share food ideas,recipes, condiments and so much about Japanese culture,this was the most amazing day spend cooking, eating and chatting!Lovely energetic outgoing host.Definitely recommend this class 100%

We went with Chie on a food tour and she was very informative about Kyoto’s history and very accommodative to our dietary needs.

Chie did a fantastic job of giving us details while we walked. She is a history teacher, so her knowledge is extensive. She is also so open and lovely, so listening to her and interacting with her is very fun and engaging. This tour was a great combination of food, multiple tastings, and gaining information while walking. I highly recommend this tour with Chie!!

I had an amazing time on my food tour with Chie! She was incredibly knowledgeable, friendly, and made the whole experience feel personal and fun. Every stop had delicious food. Chie also shared a lot of cultural insights that made everything even more meaningful. Highly recommend this tour to anyone who loves food and wants a deeper look into Japanese cuisine.

Great tour! So glad we booked this. Chie was an incredible guide - fun, high energy and easy to talk to. We enjoyed walking through the city, learning about history and heading toward Nishiki Market. It was very crowded (April 2025), but we had a fun time to wander and explore different shops. We ate at a sit-down restaurant for lunch and then continued through the market to try sake, donuts and rice crackers. We ended up staying in this area the rest of the day because there was so much to see. Thank you, Chie!

Chie was the best tour guide we had in Japan ! Very informative about the different foods / drinks and also alot of thr various stages of japanese history. Recommended !

Chie was a fantastic guide. We had a wonderful time. She is so knowledgeable and entertaining. Wonderful experience. Highly recommend.

Informative, insightful and very happy I chose this tour and had Chie as our guide! Gyoza, rice crackers , food I didn’t know I even wanted!

Chie was a wonderful guide, she taught us a lot about the local market and a lot of very interesting history. I would highly recommend!

Chie was phenomenal. The tour was informative and tasty. We learned a lot and she was so friendly and had such good information.

Chie was amazing. She had some much information and was so funny. I loved everywhere we stopped and learning the history of the area. She had great recommendations for places to visit after the tour.

Chei provided a fantastic and informational tour of the Market along with plenty of food. She was able to provide some fantastic knowledge of the history. She also provided some great recommendations for locations and food for the rest of our trip.

We had an amazing time! Mari and Chie were very patient and kind. They took the time to explain every step of the way. This was the perfect experience for our group. I highly recommend!

We are very happy with this small tour experience,the tour leader  name “Chie” she so lovely,very detail and care.She also helpful i every situation,even my mom (70y.o) also very happy with Chie.We are so thank you for give us this kind heart tourleader.Also the bike tour was very interesting with good weather and experience Japanese kaiseki lunch,matcha tea  ceremony was wonderful.Thanks 🥰🥰🥰

We had an amazing time on this food tour! Chie was incredibly kind and informative throughout the entire tour. She made sure we had a great tour, and also made sure to help us with advice and recommendations for the rest of our trip. Plus the food was fantastic! We couldn't be happier with the tour, and we would highly recommend it to anyone!

This is the best way to visit Himeji Castle and see the surrounding gardens and learn the history.Our guide Chie was so knowledgeable and friendly. The lunch is so delicious too!

This bike tour with Chie was the BEST ever!  She was so informative and very easy to communicate with.  It truly was an amazing day!

Fantastic tour, amazing guide and trying different food. It was just perfect. If I had only one day in Kyoto I would choose the tour to take us in the old streets and learn about its culture and people and of course food! The market was fun and our guide Chie was fun, friendly and knowledgeable.

We had an amazing time cooking and learning about Japanese food and culture. Chie was particularly great - such a warm and inviting guide. Can’t wait to come back again!

Excellent class with Chie. She was soooo warm, generous, and fun. I want to be friends & hangout outside of this class. We loved this class

Chie was an amazing tour guide. It was like going on a tour with a close friend. Her expertise in Japanese history added to the already great itinerary for the day exploring Himeji!

We had a great experience with our host Chia. She helped us choose some grocery-souvenirs and then took us to the studio which was a really nice place. The cooking class itself was great, Chia was warm and great to talk to both on a personal level and as a teacher of all things Japanese. We had lots of interesting drink options to choose from during the class too, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. The dishes turned out great and we had a nice meal. Chia herself was definitely the highlight of the whole thing

Chie

Reviews (117)

My Upcoming Tours

Tours I Guide

Osaka Soul Food Cooking Class: Market Tour, 3 Dishes & Recipes

The Osaka Home Feast: Cooking, Culture & Sake Discovery

Himeji Castle Easy Bike Tour: Samurai History, Garden & Matcha

Osaka Michelin Food Tour: Taste Elegant Kaiseki and Iconic Takoyaki

4-Stop Bar Crawl in Tenma: Your Intro to Osaka's Best Bites & Sips

Nishiki Market Brunch Walking Food Tour

Premium Kobe Beef Experience & Sake Tasting Culinary Tour

Kyoto Ramen & Gyoza Cooking Class with Professional Chefs

Download Our Local Guides' Favorite Eats in Japan