Tokyo in One Day: Higashi-ginza Station & Shibuya Station — Guide Masa

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

The guests were visitors from North America, both visiting Japan for the first time. The main purpose of their overseas trip had been to attend a friend's wedding in Asia and take a vacation there. On the way home, they stopped in Japan and were staying only three days in Tokyo before returning to their home region.

They had arrived at Narita the previous night and taken the Narita Express to their hotel. Although Typhoon No. 10 was affecting the region, their flight had arrived at the airport on time as scheduled.

The tour took place during the approach of the typhoon, but we were not caught in much rain. That said, we took frequent breaks throughout the day. The guests remarked that, unlike Seattle, Tokyo felt very humid and muggy.

We first went to Asakusa. I explained an outline of Japanese history, Senso-ji Temple and the history from Edo to Tokyo, and the differences between Buddhism and Shinto. There were questions such as "What kind of religion and teachings does Buddhism have?", "Do all Japanese people believe in Buddhism?", and "Are there people who believe in religions other than Buddhism?"

We then moved to the Imperial Palace. I explained the history of the shift from Edo to Tokyo, the Meiji Restoration, and the current Imperial family. There were questions such as "When was it built as a castle?" and "Why did Edo Castle become the Imperial Palace?" There were also questions such as "Does the Emperor really live inside here?"

After this, we moved to Shinjuku. Since the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building observation deck was temporarily closed in the morning, we strolled through Omoide Yokocho and Kabukicho.

From here, we moved to Harajuku. At Meiji Shrine, I explained about the torii gate and the history and philosophy of Shinto. We took a break and had a light lunch at Forest Terrace Meiji Jingu. The guests said, "It's wonderful that there is such a green space in the middle of the city."

We strolled along Takeshita Street.

After that, we moved to Shibuya, crossed the Scramble Crossing, and took commemorative photos in front of the Hachiko statue (the guests love dogs). There was a question: "Why do so many people gather here?"

The guests also commented, "The whole city is clean. There is no litter on the ground," "The public restrooms are clean and pleasant," and "The subway is quiet and clean, but it's hard for beginners to understand."

Since the guests were unsure how to get back to their hotel, I saw them off at Ginza Station and 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.