Tokyo in Half a Day: Mitsukoshimae & Shibuya — Guide Masa

What Can You See on a Private Last-Day Tokyo Tour of Tsukiji, the Imperial Palace, and Shibuya? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests were visitors from North America who had come to Japan many times before. On this trip they arrived at Haneda and traveled through Nagano, Kanazawa, Kyoto, Osaka, and Nara before reaching Tokyo. Some of the guests were fans of Kanazawa, describing it as "a calm, quiet, and beautiful city." Today was the final day of their stay in Japan, with a departure from Narita Airport back home that evening.

For today, the request was: "We would especially like to visit Tsukiji Market and other places we have never been to before." The forecast called for rain, but it hardly rained at all, though the tour took place in hot and humid weather. Their wish was: "Besides the Tsukiji Outer Market, we'd like to wander around freely as time allows."

The guests were first surprised by the crowds at the Tsukiji Outer Market. They said, "We visited markets in Kanazawa and Kyoto too, but there weren't crowds like this." They also commented, "It's interesting to see what people in Tokyo eat."

After this, we went to the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace. They said, "This is my second time here, but the contrast between the scenery within the gardens and the backdrop of the Marunouchi and Otemachi high-rises is fascinating." There were questions such as "When was it built as a castle?" and "Can we not go inside the Imperial Palace itself?" They also asked, "Does the Emperor live inside here?", "Does the Emperor have political influence?", and "Was the Imperial Palace also affected by the war?" In addition, they asked, "Why do you think the Second World War began?" and "Why do you think the United States and Japan went to war?"

Afterward, they said, "We'd like to see the Scramble Crossing" and "We'd like to eat sushi before returning home," so we moved to Shibuya. At the Scramble Crossing, they commented, "Why are there so many people here?"

We had lunch at a sushi restaurant in Shibuya. They commented, "The sushi here in Japan is fresher and more delicious than in New York, and the prices are far more reasonable." They also made comments such as: "Even though Tokyo is a city with a large population, it's orderly and clean." "There's no litter on the ground." "The trains are quiet. No one talks loudly. It's completely different from the subway back home." "Tokyo invests more in the subway and other infrastructure and maintains it well. Back home, the subway keeps raising fares but doesn't spend money on maintenance."

I saw them off at Mitsukoshimae Station, where we parted ways.

Click here for more details: Tsukiji Local Food & Culture Half-Day Tour, 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.