Tokyo in One Day: Tochomae Station & Shibuya Station — Guide Masa

Title: What Can You See on a Private One-Day Walking Tour of Tokyo? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guest was a visitor from Oceania, visiting Japan for the first time. They had arrived a couple of days earlier. The day before, they had strolled around the Shinjuku area, and in the evening enjoyed dinner at a restaurant on the top floor of their hotel while taking in the night view of Tokyo.

The main purpose of this trip to Japan was a 12-day cruise around Japan, starting the following day.

Today, since one member of the group had sprained an ankle the previous night and stayed at the hotel, the tour proceeded with the other guest only.

Although advanced in years, the guest walked around energetically throughout the day.

There was a request to "visit as many places as possible, skipping lunch," along with a mention of a strong interest in architecture.

It was a clear, sunny day for the tour.

In the Akihabara electronics district, since a family member of the guest was a fan of Japanese anime, we walked around while taking photos of figures.

There was a question about maid cafés: "What kind of place is this?"

At the Imperial Palace, after walking a full loop of the East Gardens, we went to the Nijubashi Bridge.

There were questions such as "Why did a castle site become the Imperial Palace?" and "What was the Edo period like?"

There were also questions like "Does the Emperor really live inside here?" and "Does the Emperor hold political influence?"

There was also a question: "Why did Tokyo become the capital of Japan?"

We observed the Marunouchi South Exit of Tokyo Station and the interior of the Tokyo Station Hotel. There was a question, "Is this an Art Deco style building?"

We strolled from Omotesando Station along Harajuku-dori. The guest commented, "There are many interesting buildings here. Very intriguing."

At Meiji Shrine, there were questions such as "What is the purpose of the torii gate?" and "What kind of religion is Shinto? How is Buddhism different from Shinto?"

Within the shrine grounds we came across a wedding procession and took photos.

We moved to Shibuya. At the scramble crossing, there were comments such as "Why are there so many people here?" and "It seems there are many travelers?"

We took a commemorative photo in front of the Hachiko statue.

We strolled around the East Exit of Shinjuku. The guest commented, "This doesn't look like a Japanese town."

There were comments such as "The city is so clean. There's no litter on the ground," "There are no trash bins on the streets," "On the subway, everyone lines up quietly and politely at the doors," and "The public restrooms are clean and pleasant."

Being quite tall, the guest also mentioned, "While traveling on the subway, I need to watch out for ceiling heights in some places."

I saw the guest off at Tochomae Station, where we parted ways.

Click here for more details: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide

Tour Report by Masa

Guiding career:
Guide work started in July 2022. A guide focused on FIT compliance.
FY2022 results: 17 cases, FY2023 results: 97
Destinations: Various places in Tokyo, Hakone, Kamakura and Nikko
As a recent group travel record, in October 2023, we have a track record of guiding a group of 33 people from Singapore to Narita Airport transfer plus sightseeing in Tokyo.
Self-introduction:
In the past, I was stationed in Canada, the United States, and Mexico as an expatriate of a Japanese bank for over 11 years.
Since I have been mainly involved in the financing business in the United States for a long time, I think I am able to provide interpretation and translation services related to business and finance.
I am a certified CPA in the United States.
In addition, for three years from April 2016, I will be engaged in Japanese-English translation work (part-time), and I can also handle translation work.
Although I don’t have a qualification in Spanish, but I think I can handle day to day conversation in Spanish without any problems.
My hobby is trekking and from time to time, take a walk around mountains near Tokyo like Mt. Takao, Tanzawa, etc. I think it is possible to provide tourist information here as well.
Since April 2015, I have been working as a Tokyo Metropolitan Tourism Volunteer and Tokyo Metropolitan Disaster Prevention Volunteer.
One more, I have a separate house near Asuka Village, Nara prefecture, and I stay there for a total of about 30 days every year and have been enjoying sightseeing personally in the vicinity. Therefore, I think in the Kansai region, especially in Nara, Asuka, Yoshino, Koyasan, Kumano Kodo, etc., where I think I will be able to tour guide with confidence.