2026 Umami Town Street Food Tour

We had such an incredible experience with Culinary Backstreets in Osaka, and a huge part of that was because of our guide, Yuka. From the moment we met her at the meeting point until the very end of the tour, she was absolutely amazing. She was incredibly thoughtful, warm, funny, and genuinely seemed to care about making the experience special for everyone. There were so many little surprises throughout the tour that made it feel much more personal than just going from one food stop to another. What impressed us most was how much we learned. Yuka didn’t just explain what we were eating. She gave us so much context about Osaka, Japanese food culture, local traditions, and the history of Japan itself. Her explanations were thorough without ever feeling heavy, and she was willing to answer literally every question we had. We asked her about food, history, everyday life in Japan, Osaka culture, and probably a dozen random things along the way, and she always took the time to give us a thoughtful answer. She also has such an interesting story herself. We loved hearing about her time working in Florida and her plans to return to work as a hibachi-style chef at Disney’s EPCOT. You can immediately tell how passionate she is about food and hospitality. The food and stops were great, but Yuka is what really made this tour memorable for us. By the end, it felt less like we had spent the day with a tour guide and more like we had been shown around Osaka by an incredibly knowledgeable and kind friend. She is truly a wonderful person and an exceptional guide. If you take the Culinary Backstreets Osaka tour and get Yuka, consider yourself very lucky. We could not recommend her more highly. Thank you, Yuka, for such a memorable day in Osaka. It was genuinely one of the highlights of our trip to Japan.

This is our first Culinary Backstreets tour, and boy was it delicious, inspiring, fun, etc. This tour offered so much more than great food. We learned about Osaka - a town known for comedy, friendly and engaging people, and food that sparkles with the sixth tasting sense umami. Our guide, Aki, took us to so many wonderful places that we would NEVER have found on our own. From gyoza ((dumplings) to savory pancakes, takoyaki (octopus balls) to iced green tea and naturally sweet milk and matcha soft ice cream. We had oysters as big as your hand , fresh tuna that melted in your mouth and a scrumptious peach pastry. Nothing in Paris could have matched that. We ate our hearts out in this almost 6 hour tour, all under the guidance and fantastic direction of our guide, Aki. Advice - COME HUNGRY.

Aki was super friendly, knowledgeable, and patient with us. We felt like we got a very well-rounded food tour with history, sights, and a variety of food flavors. Thank you Aki!

Yuko was amazing! Not only did she provide us great history facts and yummy food stops, she also gave us ice packs and cooling towels to combat the heat! The tour was really good and laid back, we had bonus food items…fresh tofu, soy milk, if there was something interesting Yuko thought we should try….she would arrange it. This tour makes us want to return to Osaka in the future and experience more. Thanks again and hope the Nova Scotia bluefin tuna starts arriving soon!!

I loved that 2 people were sufficient to make the tour happen. It was my friend and me, a private tour. Skipping breakfast I did not leave hungry. Our knowledgeable guide went above and beyond, adding sights to a food and experience tour focused on Osaka specialities from local shops that have a long history in the community. We experienced how locals go about their lively day and their cherished foods. While we both picked "omnivore", it was possible to skip an item you don't care for. Though I recommend to use that wildcard sparingly if at all to get the most out of the experience.