‘Fixer’ is a broad term, and Vice’s Hank Sheinkopf summed it up best: “A fixer is someone who can do something other people can't and in a time frame that very few others can accomplish without leaving much of a trail." Though the title is often associated with illegal activities, fixers typically operate in perfectly above-board ways.

Fixers work in politics as lobbyists and PR managers, but they are especially useful for journalists reporting from abroad, acting as tour guides, field assistants, negotiators, and even bodyguards. One such fixer is Shinji Nohara, the ‘Tokyo Fixer’ who owes his big reputation to the late chef Anthony Bourdain.

Bourdain made his TV debut with "A Cook’s Tour" (2000-2003), with the first episode taking place in Tokyo. Bourdain asked Nohara for recommendations on where to eat, and once people saw the show, they began asking Nohara if he could give them tours around Tokyo just like he did for Bourdain, making him the "Tokyo Fixer."

Today, Nohara is in high demand, and he has a few rules his guests must follow. He keeps Tokyo’s culinary secrets as secrets, meaning you can't directly name restaurants he shows you; Nohara is the one who decides what food you order; and finally, you are required to foot the bill for his meal and drop him a generous tip while you're at it.