About this tour
When Jake from our BugBitten team did this Shonan Tsujido tour, it was a neat blend of art and local eating culture. You start at the Fujisawa Ukiyo-e Museum checking out traditional woodblock prints, then get hands-on making your own (Sundays only). After that, it's an izakaya crawl through Tsujido — hitting a few Japanese pubs for drinks and snacks with locals. The whole thing runs about three and a half hours. The town itself has that relaxed seaside vibe, away from Tokyo's crush, and you'll spot a mix of art lovers and neighbourhood regulars out on the night.
Highlights
- Hands-on woodblock printing — you actually carve and press your own sheet
- Museum collection spans centuries of Edo and Meiji ukiyo-e work
- Izakayas are proper neighbourhood joints, not tourist traps
- Guide navigates you between venues, no fumbling with maps
- Tsujido's quiet charm beats the overcrowded Shonan strip
- Small-group pacing lets you linger at prints or linger over sake
- Learn printing techniques directly before you see them in the shop
What to expect
You'll kick off at the museum, where your guide walks you through the ukiyo-e collection — woodblock prints from actors, landscapes, and everyday scenes that defined Japanese visual culture. The printing workshop (Sunday availability only) is the standout: you get a plate, carving tools, and ink. It's tactile and slower than you'd expect, which is kind of the point. Don't expect to produce a gallery piece, but you'll have a real sense of why these prints took weeks to make properly.
After freshening up, you head into Tsujido proper for the izakaya leg. Your guide knows the spots and the owners, which opens doors — you're not just a table, you're part of their evening. Each izakaya does its own thing: grilled skewers, cold edamame, whatever's cooking that night. The vibe is genuinely local, a bit rowdy, definitely fun. You're paying as you go, so it's flexible — one drink and a snack, or commit to a proper feed.
What travellers say
- Hands-on art experience, not passive museum viewing
- Authentic izakaya spots with real neighbourhood crowd
- Guide acts as cultural and social bridge
- Sunday printing workshop offers skill-building clarity
- Tsujido's quiet charm avoids tourist cliché
- Flexible food costs, you control your budget
- Sunday-only printing limits tour availability
- Separate meal budget adds to total cost
- Not suitable for mobility, pregnancy, or cardiac concerns
Themes summarised by our team from public information about this tour. Verify specifics on the operator's page before booking.
Good to know
This tour genuinely teaches you something. The printing workshop isn't a rushed demo; you're doing the work. Tsujido itself is charming — it's got that lived-in Shonan feel without the beach-holiday crowds. Izakayas are affordable, and eating and drinking alongside salarymen and students is the real Japan. The guide is your social key to those spaces.
Sunday-only printing limits flexibility. Food and drinks aren't included, so budget separately — izakayas range from cheap to moderate, but a full night adds up. The walking between venues isn't strenuous, but it's not a sit-down tour. Tour isn't suitable if you have spinal issues, are pregnant, or have cardiovascular concerns. Early evening can feel rushed if you linger at the museum; if pacing feels tight, say so to your guide upfront. Bring cash — smaller izakayas don't always take cards.
Tour sold and operated by Viator via Viator. Descriptions on this page are original BugBitten summaries written by our team — not copied from the operator. Prices and availability are confirmed at checkout.