Tokyo in Half a Day: Departure: Otemachi & Shimbashi — Guide Masa

Title: What Can You See in a Private One-Day Tour of Tokyo? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests were a group visiting Japan from North America, and it was their first visit to Japan. They had arrived at Haneda Airport the previous evening and taken a taxi to their hotel, and enjoyed Japanese food in Ginza that evening. The main purpose of this trip was participation in the Tokyo Marathon, and they remarked how lucky they felt to have been selected as a participant. They planned to stay in Japan for a total of ten days, staying in Tokyo for the first couple of days before moving on to Kyoto, then touring Kyoto, Osaka, and Nara before returning to Tokyo and heading home. They mentioned wanting to visit Asakusa, Tsukiji, the Imperial Palace, and the Tokyo Station Ramen Street the following day.

The tour took place under clear, almost warm skies. The guests wished to cover as many places as possible, even if only briefly at each.

First we headed to Shinjuku. At the Shinjuku East Exit, I explained the route to the Tokyo Marathon starting point and to the Metropolitan Government Building. We passed through "Omoide Yokocho" on the way to Kabukicho. I gave an overview of the history and current state of Shinjuku. One comment was that it resembled Times Square in New York, and there were questions such as "How is public safety here? Is it safe to walk alone?"

We then moved to Harajuku and visited Meiji Shrine. I explained topics such as "What is Shinto," "the difference between Buddhism and Shinto," and "the history of Edo and the Meiji Restoration." One remark was how wonderful it was to have such a green park in the city center.

We then moved to Takeshita Street and Cat Street. The guests eagerly photographed the "dog cafe" and "pig cafe," saying they would love to bring family members who are fond of animals next time. On Cat Street, there was interest in secondhand clothing, with plans to return the following day.

After this, we moved to Shibuya, where the guests experienced the Scramble Crossing and took photos. We also took commemorative photos in front of the Hachiko statue. Wishing to reserve the Shinkansen tickets to Kyoto, they purchased them at the ticket office at Shibuya Station. Here too there were questions such as "Why are there so many people? Are most of them Japanese, or are they travelers?"

There were also comments such as "Japanese people are all so polite," "The streets are clean and there is no litter scattered around," "Why are there no trash bins?" "The public restrooms are clean and pleasant," and "There don't seem to be any homeless people." There was also a question about how much rent for an apartment in the city would cost.

We then moved to Shimbashi. As the guests were heading to Tokyo Big Sight to register for the Tokyo Marathon, I saw them off at the Yurikamome ticket gate, where we parted ways.

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.