Tokyo in One Day: Asakusa Station & Shiodome Station — Guide Masa

What Is a Full-Day Private Walking Tour of Tokyo Like? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests were a group visiting Japan for the first time from Europe. They arrived at Haneda Airport the previous evening and took a taxi to their Hotel.

They planned to stay in Japan and, after spending time in Tokyo, to travel to Nagano (Yudanaka Onsen), Hida-Takayama, Kanazawa, Kyoto, Osaka, and Hiroshima before returning to Tokyo and heading home.

They said, "We really want to see the 'Snow Monkeys' at Yudanaka Onsen," and, "We both love mountain walking and plan to go trekking in Nagano." They also mentioned, "It's a shame that we won't have a chance to see Mount Fuji along the way."

The tour took place under clear skies, though strong winds made it somewhat chilly.

First, we headed to Asakusa.

From Kaminarimon, we walked through the Nakamise shopping street to the main hall. As it was in the middle of a holiday weekend, they were surprised by the huge crowds.

I explained "Senso-ji Temple and the history from Edo to Tokyo," "what a five-story pagoda is," and "the difference between Buddhism and Shinto." There were questions such as "Do all Japanese people believe in Buddhism?" and "What kind of teaching is Buddhism?"

Via Ueno, we went to the "Yanesen" area.

At Yanaka Ginza, they said, "We love this kind of calm scenery," and, "The guidebook said it's famous for cats, but where are the cats?"

At Nezu Shrine, they were also moved by the old Japanese houses nearby and took many photos.

We moved on to the Imperial Palace.

I explained "the Edo period and the Meiji Restoration," "why the capital changed from Kyoto to Tokyo," "why Edo Castle became the Imperial Palace," and "the current challenges facing the Imperial Family." There were questions such as "Does the Emperor really live inside here?", "Does the Emperor have political power?", and "Is the Imperial Family respected by the people?"

They said they wanted to have lunch somewhere, so we went to Hibiya Midtown. Everywhere was full, but we finally found a place with open seats and quickly had lunch.

We moved to Harajuku. At Meiji Shrine, I again explained "the Meiji Restoration," "Emperor Meiji," and "why the wine barrels are displayed there."

They said, "It's wonderful that there's such a green place in the middle of the city. It feels great." They also commented, "All Japanese people are polite," "Why is there no litter on the streets?", "Why are there no trash cans?", and "The public restrooms are clean and pleasant."

I saw them off at Shiodome Station, where the tour ended.

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.