Tokyo in Half a Day: Hotel Niwa — Guide Nobby

March, 2025

This is a private guided tour report by Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.), a network of 1,000+ government-licensed, English-speaking local guides across all 47 prefectures of Japan. Not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association.

Tour Itinerary

  • 9:30 Guide (Kogure) arrives at Hotel Niwa Tokyo
  • 9:50 Meet the guests in the Hotel Niwa lobby, after briefing the guests return to their room once to get Japanese yen
  • 10:10 Hotel Niwa
  • 10:35 Depart JR Suidobashi Station, head to Asakusa Station via Ochanomizu Station and Kanda Station on the Ginza subway line
  • 10:54 Arrive at Asakusa Station, walk toward Kaminarimon
  • 11:00 – 12:10 Explain and guide through the observation deck on the 8th floor of the Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center, Kaminarimon, Nakamise Shopping Street, Hozomon, the giant straw sandal, the five-story pagoda, the incense burner, the purification fountain, the main hall, Asakusa Shrine, etc.
  • 12:15 – 12:55 Lunch at Asakusa Towada (tempura udon, tendon)
  • 13:05 Depart Asakusa Station, head to Shibuya on the Ginza subway line
  • 13:38 Arrive at Shibuya Station (explain Hachiko and the scramble crossing)
  • 13:51 Depart Shibuya Station, head to Harajuku Station on the JR Yamanote line
  • 13:53 Arrive at Harajuku Station, walk toward Meiji Shrine
  • 13:55 – 14:30 After explaining Harajuku Takeshita Street and Omotesando, explain about Meiji Shrine including the first torii gate, the second torii gate, the sake barrels, the wine barrels, etc.
  • 14:35 Depart Harajuku Station, guide and escort to Yoyogi Station on the JR Yamanote line
  • *The guests head from Yoyogi Station to Suidobashi Station where the hotel is located on the JR Sobu line
  • 14:37 Part with the guests at platform 4 of the Sobu line at Yoyogi Station and finish work

What Is a First-Day Private Tokyo Tour Like for First-Time Visitors to Japan? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests arrived from Europe and are traveling around Japan for about five weeks, visiting Tokyo, Nagoya, Matsumoto, Takayama, Kanazawa, Kyoto, Nara, Hakone, and the 5th Station of Mount Fuji, partly by rental car. This was their first visit to Japan. Since today was their very first tour in Japan, I helped them purchase a two-day subway pass at the hotel, and then explained how to use JR and subway lines and how to buy tickets. Despite their long journey, they were in good spirits and enjoyed the tour. They seemed interested in temples, shrines, and Japanese customs, culture, and traditions, so at Senso-ji Temple and Meiji Shrine I explained the difference between temples and shrines, the proper way to worship at each, and how to pass through a shrine gate, all of which they learned well. They took many photos at Senso-ji Temple and Meiji Shrine. They also greatly enjoyed the tempura udon and tendon we had for lunch, finishing every bite. In addition, I explained the sightseeing spots in Tokyo worth visiting during their stay from tomorrow, including the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace, Shinjuku Gyoen (they mentioned an interest in gardens), Shinjuku Godzilla Road, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building observation deck, and Ueno Park (they had already purchased tickets for the Tokyo National Museum in Ueno), along with directions on how to get there. On this first day in Japan, the guests seemed to feel they had made a wonderful start and thoroughly enjoyed the tour.

Click here for more details: Tokyo Customized Half-Day Tour with Licensed Local Guide

Transportation cost per person

No.TransportationRouteFare
Section 1TrainSuidobashi – Kanda – Asakusa～Asakusa – Shibuya – Harajuku740JPY
Total740JPY

Tour Report by Nobby

Hello and how do you do?
My name is Nobuo Kokure, and please call me Nobby for short, if you want.
Let me introduce myself. I was born in Hayama, a beach resort area, Kanagawa prefecture, south of Tokyo. And I’m now living in Saginuma, Kawasaki city.
When I was a university student, I had the opportunities of doing a home stay with a family In U.S.A., Australia, and England, as a youth exchange student.
After graduation from the university, I started working at American Life Insurance Company, Japan (Alico, Japan), which is a group member company of AIG, now MetLife Insurance Company. I could have a chance to visit the head office and the field offices of U.S.A., Wilmington in Delaware, New York, Boston, Chicago, Fort Lauderdale in Florida, Los Angeles, while I was working for Alico, Japan (Now, MetLife Insurance company).
I had been working for MetLife Insurance Company for about 38 years, in total.
After retiring from the life insurance company, I started working as a tour guide, because I wanted to become a tour guide to introduce culture, history, and manners and customs of Japan in English. It’s so different between my previous job and the guide business, but I like guide business a lot.
I can meet so many people from all over the world and the guide business has been thriving after the pandemic.
I have implemented the tour over 240 times, introduced Japan to more than 4300 tourists from 53 countries.

Not only Tokyo, but I have experienced touring around Nikko, Kamakura, Mt. Fuji & Hakone area, Takayama, Kanazawa, Nagoya, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, and Hiroshima, etc. which are all very famous as a tourist spot in Japan.
If you go on a tour in Tokyo, you must see and visit Asakusa Sensoji Temple which is the oldest Buddhist Temple in Tokyo with histories and Nakamise Shopping Street where you can buy the souvenirs and try to taste Japanese sweets, such as doll cake which is the sponge cake in various shapes filled with red bean paste and Japanese powdered tea ice cream. Another my recommendation in Tokyo to visit is Meiji Shrine, Harajuku, and Shibuya. Meiji Shrine is one of the biggest shrines in Japan with quiet and peaceful atmosphere and magnificent site.
Harajuku and Shibuya are both fun to visit for shopping and experience the Shibuya Crossing.
I usually propose my tentative itinerary and ask if my plan is all right with the customer or not. My hobby is traveling around Japan and foreign countries and going to the gym for exercise.
I would like to work as a guide as long as possible if I’m in good health and my legs are strong, because I love this job.
I put my importance on the mind of OMOTENASHI which means sincere hospitality, though safety during the tour takes precedence, number one priority, before anything else.

I’m very looking forward to seeing you and touring with you in Japan soon.
Thank you!

Best regards,

Nobuo Kokure (Nobby)

Request Booking

Jul 20, 2026
JEFF_D
Viator review: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Tokyo In A Day Tour with Nobuo
The excursion…

Apr 18, 2026
Traveler10250323486
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
We had a great day with a Japanese guide who seemed like…

Sep 23, 2025
johnsL7185LE
Brilliant family day trip with Nobuo
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Nobuo Kokure is a wonderful guide.…

Aug 4, 2025
leslie_w
Nobby was an awesome tour…
Viator review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Nobby was an awesome tour guide. Very…