Tokyo in Half a Day: Shibuya Station & Harajuku Station — Guide Masa

What Is a Private Tokyo Day Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Asakusa, the Imperial Palace, Meiji Shrine, and Shibuya

The guests were visitors from North America, traveling in Japan for the first time. They had been encouraged to visit Japan by a family member who had traveled to Japan many times before. They had arrived at Haneda Airport the previous night, and after strolling through Center-Gai, they enjoyed ramen at Ichiran.

The guests were staying in Japan for ten days. After spending time in Tokyo, they planned to travel around Kyoto, Nara, and Osaka before returning to Tokyo and then heading home.

They said they were looking forward to eating Japanese food, though they mentioned they could not eat raw fish or sushi.

The tour took place in hot and humid weather. The guests remarked, "Where we are from, the temperatures can be even higher than in Tokyo, but the climate is dry with no humidity. This humidity is really getting to us."

At Asakusa, they asked questions such as, "When was this temple built?" "Why are there so many people here?" and "Do all Japanese people believe in Buddhism?" They also asked, "What kind of teaching is Buddhism?" One of the guests drew an omikuji fortune and was delighted to draw "daikichi" (great blessing).

The East Gardens of the Imperial Palace were also very crowded despite the heat. They asked questions such as, "When was this built as a castle?" and "Why did Edo Castle become the Imperial Palace?" I explained the nature and history of the Japanese Imperial Family. They asked, "Does the Emperor live inside here?" "What is the relationship between the Emperor and the Prime Minister?" and "Who will become the next Emperor?"

At Meiji Shrine, they asked, "What are the torii gates for?" "How are Buddhism and Shinto different?" and "Which do Japanese people believe in, Buddhism or Shinto?" They also asked, "Why did the Meiji Restoration happen?"

We strolled through Takeshita Street, then moved on to Shibuya. At the scramble crossing, they commented, "Why are there so many people here?" We took photos in front of the Hachiko statue.

They made comments such as, "The city is so clean and quiet everywhere," "No one talks loudly on the trains," and "There are so many subway trains." They said they wanted to eat curry rice somewhere, so I introduced a restaurant in Center-Gai, and we parted ways at Shibuya Station.

Click here for more details: Tokyo Customized Half-Day Tour with Licensed Local 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.