Tucked into Ikebukuro’s fringe, Ha Ha is a five-table pasta joint where crab cream pasta makes you go “ah-ha!” One man runs the whole show—cooking, serving, and keeping the jazz flowing while you toast your own bread. Cracked crab, rich cream, and no pressure to leave. The kind of place that doesn’t try to impress—because it doesn’t need to.
2 min read
Guide / TOKYO
Bar Centifolia
A renowned Azabu-Juban cocktail bar where award-winning mixology meets theatrical performance in an intimate, wood‑and‑marble setting.
When night falls on Kyoto’s Fushimi Inari Shrine, the crowds vanish and mystery takes hold. Walk through 10,000 vermilion torii gates into a sacred mountain where fox spirits guard ancient paths and prayer hides in the wind. From flickering lanterns to forgotten shrines, this spiritual journey blends folklore, faith, and the unseen. Let MK guide you into the quiet power of Japan’s most haunting and iconic pilgrimage.
4 min read
Guide / KYOTO
BEE’S KNEES
A dimly lit, single-room speakeasy hidden behind a yellow door, delivering 1920s-style cocktails elevated with Kyoto ingredients.
Explore Osaka’s contrasts on MK Taxi’s Famous Spots Course—from the haunted legacy of Osaka Castle to the retro energy of Shinsekai and Tsutenkaku. Travel in comfort with MK’s private charter service, guided by expert drivers who turn every ride into a personalized experience. This is more than sightseeing—it’s a curated journey through the soul of the city, where past and present collide with every stop.
3 min read
Guide / OSAKA
Kitashinchi Kushikatsu Bon
A Michelin-featured kushiage counter in Kitashinchi, where luxury ingredients are fried to golden precision at a copper-skinned countertop.
A lively and approachable tempura-and-sushi counter & private-room izakaya in Dojima—known for rice-oil-fried tempura and fresh seafood in a hidden corner of Umeda.
Experience Kobe’s elegance with MK Taxi’s Stylish Kobe Course. From Kitano’s Western-style mansions and the ancient Ikuta Shrine to the harbor serenity of Meriken Park, this curated private ride unveils the city’s quiet brilliance. Let MK guide you through preserved beauty, sacred roots, and seaside calm—without the rush. Travel in comfort, reflect in stillness, and uncover Kobe’s story at your own rhythm.
5 min read
Guide / KOBE
átoa
Part aquarium, part art installation—átoa turns marine life into a sensory experience where water, light, and emotion flow together.
A stylish oyster bar overlooking Kobe Harbor, offering a creative lineup of raw, grilled, and fried oysters paired with wines and casual Italian cuisine.
A lively German-style beer hall perched over Kobe Harbor, known for fresh local beer, crunchy Tamba chicken karaage, and sweeping ocean-to-nightcity views.
Explore Japan’s spiritual past on MK’s Shiga Ōtsu Temple Tour. Visit Ishiyama-dera, where The Tale of Genji was born, and Enryakuji, the mountain fortress of Tendai Buddhism. Travel in silence, comfort, and reverence—gliding between temple groves and sacred halls without the burden of transit stress. From the shores of Lake Biwa to the heights of Mount Hiei, MK’s private charter carries you deeper into stillness, story, and soul.
4 min read
Guide / SHIGA
R Cafe at Marina
A resort-style café perched above Lake Biwa, serving Hawaiian-inspired plates, local fish and Omi beef, plus bright desserts—all in a glass-walled, marina-side setting.
A riverside brewpub set in a restored 100‑year‑old rice warehouse, pouring award‑winning malt beers and whisky, paired with Omi beef and local pub fare.
A luxury resort hotel nestled in Itoshima's Futamigaura area, offering spacious ocean-view suites, personalized amenities, and a seamless blend of self-hospitality and luxury.
Tucked within Kaya Daimon Park in Itoshima, Totoro Forest is an unofficial Ghibli homage that stirs childhood memory and spiritual wonder. A camellia-lined tunnel evokes the magic of My Neighbor Totoro, where sunlight filters like grace through the canopy. With the Genkai Sea beyond and the scent of nostalgia in the air, this quiet forest path invites you to wander, reflect, and remember the beauty of what once was—or what we wish had been.
3 min read
Guide / FUKUOKA
GOLDEN CRAB Louisiana Seafood
A lively Yakuin hands‑on seafood boil where crab, lobster, shrimp, and corn arrive in spicy Cajun bags—no plates or forks required.
A spacious indoor Tonkotsu ramen shop, carrying on Nakasu’s yatai legacy with creamy pork broth, ultra-thin noodles, and a relaxed, modern counter service.
MK Deep Dive uncovers Makomanai Takino Cemetery—an otherworldly mix of Moai statues, a Stonehenge replica, and Tadao Ando’s lavender-wrapped Head Buddha. Just outside Sapporo, this bizarre, beautiful site blends spiritual provocation with architectural vision. Descend into concrete prayer halls, wander among floral fields, and stumble upon hidden shrines in a cemetery that asks more questions than it answers.
2 min read
Guide / SAPPORO
Hayashi Shoten
A “little journey” through global flavors: a cozy dining bar from the travel‑obsessed Hayashi brothers near Sapporo Station.
A creative ramen destination in Shiroishi, acclaimed for its miso and tsukemen topped with creamy white-liver paste and tempura burdock—selected among Tabelog’s Ramen Hokkaido “Top 100” in 2024.
A budget-friendly Tokachi-style pork rice bowl spot near Kita-Jūsan-jō Higashi Station, famed for charcoal-grilled lusciously sauced pork over Hokkaido rice.
Experience Japan’s timeless beauty with MK’s Takayama–Shirakawa-go Course. Travel from Nagoya or Chubu Airport to Shirakawa-go’s snow-covered heritage and Takayama’s preserved Edo streets—all from the comfort of a private charter. With MK’s seamless luxury and regional insight, this is a curated journey through Japan’s mountain soul—where silence, tradition, and wonder unfold at your pace.
3 min read
Guide / NAGOYA
Unatou Nakagawa
A 55-year-old Nagoya eel specialist blending crispy-skinned, tender unagi with a century-old secret sauce in a warm, adaptable dining setting.
A long-established sushi house and seafood-bowl specialist, hidden near Taiko-dori Station, offering counter sushi, private tatami rooms, and generous kaisendon that attract families and travelers alike.
A prestigious unagi haven just below Nagoya Station—where rare blue eel is charcoal-grilled at over 1,000 °C, delivering crisp skin, melt-in-mouth flesh, and private rooms for full indulgence.
