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

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

The guests were a group visiting Japan for the first time from Oceania. This was also their first trip to the Asia region. They had arrived at Narita Airport the previous night via a connecting flight and taken the Narita Express to Shinjuku. They planned to stay in Japan for a couple of weeks, spending several days in Tokyo before continuing to Kyoto, Nara, and Osaka, and departing from Kansai Airport. They requested visits to Akihabara and Takeshita Street. The weather was quite hot, so the tour included several breaks.

First, since they wanted to buy SUICA cards (their arrival the previous night had been delayed and they had not been able to purchase them at the airport), we went to the travel concierge counter at the east exit of Shinjuku Station.

We started at Asakusa. I explained "Sensoji Temple and the history of Tokyo from the Edo period" and "the difference between Buddhism and Shinto." There were questions such as "What kind of religion and teachings are in Buddhism?" and "Do all Japanese people believe in Buddhism?"

We then moved to Akihabara. We walked around the electronics district, and they purchased character goods and also bought and tasted a candied strawberry from a street stall.

Next we went to the Imperial Palace. I explained "the history of the move from Edo to Tokyo," "the Meiji Restoration," and "the current Imperial family." There were also questions such as "Does the Emperor really live inside here?" and "Who was the Emperor at that time?"

As the guests seemed a little tired, we rested for a while at a rest area.

From there, we moved to Harajuku. At Meiji Shrine, I explained "about the torii gate" and "the history and philosophy of Shinto." We took a break at Forest Terrace Meiji Jingu. They said, "It's wonderful that there is such a green place in the center of the city."

After that, we moved to Shibuya, crossed the Scramble Crossing, and took commemorative photos in front of the Hachiko statue. There was a question: "Why do so many people gather here?" There were also comments such as "The city is so clean. There is no litter on the ground," "The public restrooms are clean and pleasant," and "The subway is quiet and clean."

Since they were not sure how to get back to the hotel, I saw them off at Kyobashi 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.