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

Title: What Can You Buy on a Private Tokyo Shopping Tour? A Licensed Guide's Report on Asakusa, Akihabara, Harajuku, and Shibuya

The guest was a visitor from the Middle East, on their second trip to Japan. The main purpose of this trip was to attend a work-related conference, with only a four-day stay in Tokyo. The main goal of this tour was primarily to buy souvenirs for family members. The guest planned to stay one more day in Tokyo and return home from Narita Airport the day after. It was a sunny but rather chilly day for the tour.

First, we went to Asakusa. We passed through the Nakamise shopping street from Kaminarimon Gate to the main hall. It was extremely crowded. First, the guest exchanged money into Japanese yen at the currency exchange inside the Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center. After that, while walking along the Nakamise shopping street, the guest bought a wallet, T-shirts, and other items.

I explained about "Sensoji 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?", "What kind of teaching is Buddhism?", and "How many Muslims are there in Japan?"

We then moved to the Akihabara electronics district. For the family, the guest bought a "PS5" (remarking, "I was able to buy it for about half the price it costs in the Middle East.") and a "camera."

We moved to Harajuku and strolled along Takeshita Street. Here too, the guest bought magnets, socks, and other items. There was a question: "Why are there so many people here?"

After this, we moved to Shibuya, experienced the scramble crossing, and took photos. We also took commemorative photos in front of the Hachiko statue. Here too there was a question: "Why are there so many people? Are they mostly Japanese, or mostly travelers?"

We moved to the Pokemon Center and the Nintendo Store, where the guest bought a large amount of Pokemon goods (these too, the guest said, were "far cheaper than buying them in the Middle East"). After this, the guest bought cosmetics, matcha, sencha, and other items for the family.

There were also comments such as "Japanese people are all so polite," "Why are there no trash cans?", "The subway is very well made, but it is hard to understand until you get used to it," "The public toilets are clean and pleasant," and "There are still many shops that only accept cash. In the Middle East, everything can now be handled with a credit card."

The guest mentioned, "I will attend a dinner gathering in Ginza from 08:00 pm," so I saw them off at Ginza Station, where 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.