I don't do standard itineraries. I do experiences people talk about for years.
Hi, I'm Sho. I've lived in Tokyo long enough to know where the best seats are — and who to call to get them.
I started as a private guide because I kept watching people visit Japan and miss the actual Japan. Not through any fault of their own — the internet sends everyone to the same dozen places. I wanted to fix that.
Over the years, word spread. What started as showing friends around turned into coordinating full Japan experiences for some of the world's most discerning travelers — people who'd been everywhere and still left saying Japan with me was different.
Over the years, I've had the privilege of coordinating private Japan experiences for:
Artists & Musicians
Megan Thee Stallion, Tate McRae, Feid, Tainy, Yandel, Alanis Morissette, Joyce Santana, Foreign Teck, Phoebe Bridgers
Athletes & Sports
Taylor Fritz, Juju Smith-Schuster, Justin Hollins, Jed York (Owner of SF 49ers)
Industry & Creative
THE•TEAM（ex Wasserman Agency), Lex Borrero (Neon 16 / 0260 Coffee Co.), 100 Thieves, Paul Marciano (Guess), Victoria Villarroel, Doni Nahmias (Nahmias), Lauren Fitzmaurice, Carter Gregory, Meredith Duxbury, Molly Burke, Michael Rubin (Fanatics), Fontaine Cards
Every one of them came wanting Japan done properly. That's still all I know how to do.
Why I do this
Japan changed how I see the world. The attention to craft, the respect for ritual, the way beauty shows up in completely unexpected places — a bowl of ramen, a perfectly swept temple courtyard, the silence in a forest at dawn. I built Sho Yu Around because I wanted more people to find that version of Japan. The one that takes a little longer to reach, that you can't really Google, that stays with you long after you've left. Whether you're buying a $10 guide or spending a week with me in person — that's the Japan I'm trying to share.
Ready to see Japan differently?
Browse the guides for an instant download, or get in touch to talk about a private experience.