Is byFood Legit? How It Works & What We Do

If you’ve found your way here, you may have asked yourself the question, “Is byFood legit?” Don’t worry, we get it. Your first time booking through a new platform can be scary, and there are all kinds of dodgy services out there that are more likely to focus on money than mochi. 

Thankfully, we are legit, but we don’t mind spending some time putting your mind at ease. 

So, before you book that unforgettable Japan food tour, reserve that Michelin-starred restaurant or pick up a few skills in a Japanese cooking class, we’ll tell you a bit more about what we do here at byFood.

ByFood is a part of Tablecross Inc., a CSV (Creating Shared Value) company that aims to solve the UN’s “No Hunger” SDG while sharing Japanese food culture with the world.

Put simply, byFood is a one-stop platform for foodie travelers. Our platform allows people from around the world to find and book restaurants, food tours and cooking classes across Japan. 

You don’t need to know Japanese to discover Japan’s hidden gems or local experiences, and almost all of our food tour and cooking class hosts can speak English — there’s not a single barrier between you and making memories on your Japan trip.

We’re also bridging the gap between Japan and the rest of the world with entertaining and informative blogs and YouTube videos, showing you traditional Japanese foods, the latest trends and the must-visit spots.

Learn more about us on our About Us page.

ByFood originally began in January 2018 as “Tokyo by Food,” launched by Serkan Toso as a booking platform for helping travelers find and book food experiences in Tokyo without any need for Japanese.

Toso also integrated a donation system into his business model, meaning that each booking would provide 10 school lunches to children in Cambodia. Only three months later, in April 2018, Tokyo by Food was chosen as one of the world’s top social initiatives by One Young World.

At the same time, Kaoru Joho, CEO of Tablecross Inc., was developing a restaurant reservation app that also donated school lunches to children in developing countries. Shaped by early experiences witnessing poverty while traveling in Indonesia, Joho was an early proponent of the CSV (Creating Shared Value) company model in Japan.

By chance, Toso and Joho became aware of each other, realized their shared goal, and decided they’d be even more effective if the two businesses were to merge.

Welcome to the stage: byFood.

ByFood works by gathering some of the best cultural experiences, cooking classes and restaurants in Japan in one place for travelers to discover and book with ease.

Once you’ve found your desired food experience or restaurant, you simply choose your ideal date, time and number of guests. If selecting an experience or restaurant with options, such as a restaurant with different menus available, you’ll also want to select this.

Then, hit the “Book now” or “Reserve now” button. For experiences or restaurants with “Instant Confirmation,” your booking will be automatically confirmed, and you’ll get an email with confirmation and all the details you need to know. Otherwise, your booking will be sent to the host or restaurant for confirmation of availability.

Once confirmed, you’re all set and ready to get excited! 

You’ll get another email closer to the date of your experience or meal as a reminder.

Of course, as we’ve already told you, there’s one important thing that comes with every booking and purchase made: 10 meals per each person booked, sent directly to children in developing countries. That’s our Food for Happiness promise.

As of August 2024, the equivalent of 695,517 school meals have been donated.

We don’t stop there, either, with additional support being put towards building schools and housing in developing countries. Everyone should have a reason to smile.

Learn more about Food for Happiness.

To give you an idea of our partners, here’s a list of some of the people who have put their trust in us:

1. Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF)

2. Asahi

3. Mitsubishi

4. Bank of Yokohama

5. The Ritz-Carlton

6. Prince Hotels & Resorts

7. Cabinet Office

Check out one of a series of videos featuring experiences showcasing lesser-known Japan, produced with MAFF.

We’ve also been featured in:

1. Forbes

2. The Japan Times

3. Nikkei Asia

4. TimeOut Tokyo

And been honored to win a number of awards:

1. 2022 UNWTO Gastronomy Tourism Startup Competition Winner

2. 2022 World Luxury Travel Awards Best Online Travel Agency in Japan

3. Cool Japan Matching Award 2022

4. Cool Japan Video Award

5. Japan Tourism Awards 2023

If you know, love and trust Shizuka Anderson, you can trust us! Shizuka is the face of byFood on YouTube and we’ve been working with her since 2019.

Here’s our first video with Shizuka, visiting three historic wagashi sweet shops in Asakusa.

And here’s our latest video at the time of writing, walking through Takayama — known as “Little Kyoto” — with a few foodie stops along the way.

Warning: Don't watch while hungry!

Now that you know we’re 100% legit as a company and Japan travel platform, aren’t you feeling inspired to make a few more memories with us while you’re in Japan?

Start browsing our food experiences — including street food tours, cooking classes and so much more — and our diverse selection of restaurants, taking you on a journey from Michelin-starred restaurants to cozy ramen shops, yakiniku grills and omakase sushi.

Whatever you can think of, we have an expert host, chef or restaurant waiting for you.