Hello and how do you do?
My name is Nobuo Kokure, and please call me Nobby for short, if you want.
Let me introduce myself. I was born in Hayama, a beach resort area, Kanagawa prefecture, south of Tokyo. And I’m now living in Saginuma, Kawasaki city.
When I was a university student, I had the opportunities of doing a home stay with a family In U.S.A., Australia, and England, as a youth exchange student.
After graduation from the university, I started working at American Life Insurance Company, Japan (Alico, Japan), which is a group member company of AIG, now MetLife Insurance Company. I could have a chance to visit the head office and the field offices of U.S.A., Wilmington in Delaware, New York, Boston, Chicago, Fort Lauderdale in Florida, Los Angeles, while I was working for Alico, Japan (Now, MetLife Insurance company).
I had been working for MetLife Insurance Company for about 38 years, in total.
After retiring from the life insurance company, I started working as a tour guide, because I wanted to become a tour guide to introduce culture, history, and manners and customs of Japan in English. It’s so different between my previous job and the guide business, but I like guide business a lot.
I can meet so many people from all over the world and the guide business has been thriving after the pandemic.
I have implemented the tour over 240 times, introduced Japan to more than 4300 tourists from 53 countries.

Not only Tokyo, but I have experienced touring around Nikko, Kamakura, Mt. Fuji & Hakone area, Takayama, Kanazawa, Nagoya, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, and Hiroshima, etc. which are all very famous as a tourist spot in Japan.
If you go on a tour in Tokyo, you must see and visit Asakusa Sensoji Temple which is the oldest Buddhist Temple in Tokyo with histories and Nakamise Shopping Street where you can buy the souvenirs and try to taste Japanese sweets, such as doll cake which is the sponge cake in various shapes filled with red bean paste and Japanese powdered tea ice cream. Another my recommendation in Tokyo to visit is Meiji Shrine, Harajuku, and Shibuya. Meiji Shrine is one of the biggest shrines in Japan with quiet and peaceful atmosphere and magnificent site.
Harajuku and Shibuya are both fun to visit for shopping and experience the Shibuya Crossing.
I usually propose my tentative itinerary and ask if my plan is all right with the customer or not. My hobby is traveling around Japan and foreign countries and going to the gym for exercise.
I would like to work as a guide as long as possible if I’m in good health and my legs are strong, because I love this job.
I put my importance on the mind of OMOTENASHI which means sincere hospitality, though safety during the tour takes precedence, number one priority, before anything else.

I’m very looking forward to seeing you and touring with you in Japan soon.
Thank you!

Best regards,

Nobuo Kokure (Nobby)

This is a private guided tour report by Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.), a network of 1,000+ government-licensed, English-speaking local guides across all 47 prefectures of Japan. Not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association.

Tour Itinerary

  • 10:30 Guide (Kogure) arrives at Hotel Gracery Shinjuku
  • 10:55 Meet the guests in the hotel lobby
  • 11:00 Depart Hotel Gracery Shinjuku, walk toward Shinjuku Station
  • 11:10 Arrive at Shinjuku Station East Exit, guests purchase PASMO cards
  • 11:20 Depart Shinjuku Station, head to Kanda Station via JR Chuo Line Rapid
  • 11:31 Arrive at Kanda Station, transfer to the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line
  • 11:39 Depart Kanda Station, head to Asakusa Station via the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line
  • 11:50 Arrive at Asakusa Station, walk toward the Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center
  • 11:55–12:05 Guide the observation deck on the 8F of the Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center
  • 12:05–12:45 Guide Senso-ji Kaminarimon, Nakamise-dori, Hozomon, the five-story pagoda, the giant straw sandal, omikuji, the incense burner, the purification fountain, the main hall, and Asakusa Shrine
  • 13:00–13:50 Lunch at Matsunami Steakhouse in Asakusa (steakhouse reserved in advance at the guests' request)
  • 14:08 Depart Asakusa Station, head to Shibuya Station via the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line
  • 14:42 Arrive at Shibuya Station
  • 14:45–15:05 Guide Shibuya Crossing and Hachiko
  • 15:09 Depart Shibuya Station, head to Harajuku Station via the JR Yamanote Line
  • 15:11 Arrive at Harajuku Station, walk toward Meiji Jingu
  • 15:15–16:30 Guide Meiji Jingu (the first torii, sake barrels, the second torii, waka poetry, the purification fountain, the main hall, the married couple trees, ema, restroom break, etc.)
  • 16:35 Depart Meiji Jingu, walk toward Takeshita-dori
  • 16:40 Arrive at the entrance of Harajuku Takeshita-dori (photo)
  • 16:45 Depart Harajuku Station, head to Shinjuku Station via the JR Yamanote Line
  • 16:51 Arrive at Shinjuku Station, after guests recharge their PASMO, walk toward the hotel
  • 17:00 Arrive at the Hotel Gracery Shinjuku lobby, greet the guests and end the tour

Title: What's a Private One-Day Tokyo Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Asakusa, Shibuya, and Meiji Shrine

The guests, who arrived in Japan yesterday from Oceania, thoroughly enjoyed today's tour. I had exchanged emails with the guests in advance, and since they wanted to eat steak in Tokyo, after guiding them through Senso-ji Temple today, I took them to a steak house, and they were very pleased. They said Japanese beef was tender and delicious. They took many photos at each place we visited today. At Senso-ji Temple, they enjoyed drawing omikuji fortunes, and at Meiji Shrine they purchased many omamori charms as souvenirs for family and friends. They also learned about the differences between temples and shrines, as well as the proper way to worship at each. On the other hand, one of the guests loves beer, so I gave them a brochure for a beer garden venue that we could not visit today (I had scouted it in advance) and explained how to get there.

After the tour ended, I asked the guests which of the places we visited today — Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa, Nakamise Street, Shibuya, Meiji Shrine, and the entrance of Takeshita Street — they liked best. One of the guests said everything was wonderful, while another remarked that the view of the Shibuya Scramble Crossing seen from the second floor of Shibuya Station was especially impressive because of the crowds of people.

Transportation cost per person

No.TransportationRouteFare
Section 1TrainShinjuku~Kanda (Tokyo)210JPY
Section 2SubwayKanda (Tokyo)~Asakusa180JPY
Section 3SubwayAsakusa~Shibuya260JPY
Section 4TrainShibuya~Harajuku160JPY
Section 5TrainHarajuku~Shinjuku160JPY
Total970JPY

Hello and how do you do?
My name is Nobuo Kokure, and please call me Nobby for short, if you want.
Let me introduce myself. I was born in Hayama, a beach resort area, Kanagawa prefecture, south of Tokyo. And I’m now living in Saginuma, Kawasaki city.
When I was a university student, I had the opportunities of doing a home stay with a family In U.S.A., Australia, and England, as a youth exchange student.
After graduation from the university, I started working at American Life Insurance Company, Japan (Alico, Japan), which is a group member company of AIG, now MetLife Insurance Company. I could have a chance to visit the head office and the field offices of U.S.A., Wilmington in Delaware, New York, Boston, Chicago, Fort Lauderdale in Florida, Los Angeles, while I was working for Alico, Japan (Now, MetLife Insurance company).
I had been working for MetLife Insurance Company for about 38 years, in total.
After retiring from the life insurance company, I started working as a tour guide, because I wanted to become a tour guide to introduce culture, history, and manners and customs of Japan in English. It’s so different between my previous job and the guide business, but I like guide business a lot.
I can meet so many people from all over the world and the guide business has been thriving after the pandemic.
I have implemented the tour over 240 times, introduced Japan to more than 4300 tourists from 53 countries.

Not only Tokyo, but I have experienced touring around Nikko, Kamakura, Mt. Fuji & Hakone area, Takayama, Kanazawa, Nagoya, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, and Hiroshima, etc. which are all very famous as a tourist spot in Japan.
If you go on a tour in Tokyo, you must see and visit Asakusa Sensoji Temple which is the oldest Buddhist Temple in Tokyo with histories and Nakamise Shopping Street where you can buy the souvenirs and try to taste Japanese sweets, such as doll cake which is the sponge cake in various shapes filled with red bean paste and Japanese powdered tea ice cream. Another my recommendation in Tokyo to visit is Meiji Shrine, Harajuku, and Shibuya. Meiji Shrine is one of the biggest shrines in Japan with quiet and peaceful atmosphere and magnificent site.
Harajuku and Shibuya are both fun to visit for shopping and experience the Shibuya Crossing.
I usually propose my tentative itinerary and ask if my plan is all right with the customer or not. My hobby is traveling around Japan and foreign countries and going to the gym for exercise.
I would like to work as a guide as long as possible if I’m in good health and my legs are strong, because I love this job.
I put my importance on the mind of OMOTENASHI which means sincere hospitality, though safety during the tour takes precedence, number one priority, before anything else.

I’m very looking forward to seeing you and touring with you in Japan soon.
Thank you!

Best regards,

Nobuo Kokure (Nobby)

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