Tokyo in One Day: Ginza on the subway Ginza Line — 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

  • 8:30 Guide (Kogure) arrives at Hotel Grandbach Tokyo Ginza
  • 9:05 Meet the customer in the hotel lobby
  • 9:20 After a briefing in the lobby, depart from Hotel Grandbach Tokyo Ginza
  • 9:36 Depart Ginza on the subway Ginza Line
  • 9:55 Arrive at Asakusa Station, walk toward the Kaminarimon Gate of Senso-ji Temple
  • 10:00-11:20 After guiding the observation deck on the 8F of the Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center, explain and guide about the Kaminarimon Gate, Nakamise Street, Hozomon Gate, Five-story Pagoda, the giant straw sandals, incense burner, chozuya (water pavilion), main hall, and Asakusa Shrine
  • 11:25 Depart Asakusa Station on the subway Ginza Line, head to Shibuya
  • 11:58 Arrive at Shibuya Station
  • 12:00-12:15 Walk and guide Shibuya Hachiko and the Scramble Crossing
  • 12:20-13:00 Lunch at Sushisei on Shibuya Dogenzaka
  • 13:10 Depart Shibuya Station, head to Harajuku Station on the JR Yamanote Line
  • 13:12 Arrive at Harajuku Station, walk toward Meiji Jingu Shrine
  • 13:15-13:50 Explain and guide about the First Torii, sake barrels, wine barrels, Second Torii, the waka poems composed by Emperor Meiji and the Empress Dowager, and about Meiji Jingu Shrine
  • 13:55-14:15 Guide Harajuku Takeshita Street
  • 14:15-14:25 Head to Harajuku Station via Omotesando
  • 14:25 Depart Harajuku Station, head to Yoyogi Station on the JR Yamanote Line
  • 14:27 Get off at Yoyogi Station and transfer to the Toei Oedo Line
  • 14:30 Arrive at Tochomae Station
  • 14:35-15:15 Guide the observation deck of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building North Tower
  • 15:20 After a briefing with the customer, part with the customer at the observation deck of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building North Tower. End of work.
  • *The customer said they will explore Shinjuku on their own and then return to Hotel Grandbach Tokyo Ginza from Shinjuku Station on the subway Marunouchi Line. Instructed them on the return route.

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

The guests were visitors from North America who had traveled through Asia before arriving in Japan. They flew into Kansai Airport, sightsaw in Kyoto, took the Shinkansen to Odawara, visited Hakone, and then came to Tokyo. Today it was a cold rain from the morning, but while holding umbrellas, the guests thoroughly enjoyed the day's tour. They took many photos at Senso-ji Temple, Meiji Shrine, and Shibuya. I explained the differences between temples and shrines, the proper way to worship at each, and how to pass through a torii gate, and they seemed to have grasped it well. Since they said they liked sushi, I made a reservation for them at a sushi restaurant on Dogenzaka in Shibuya, and they were delighted, saying it was a very delicious sushi restaurant. Due to the unfortunate rain, from the observation deck of the north tower of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building we could only faintly see the skyscrapers of Shinjuku and the ground below, but within the limited time we were able to visit Asakusa, Shibuya, Harajuku, and Shinjuku, and they were pleased to have gained a certain understanding of Japanese culture and customs.

Click here for more details: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide

Transportation cost per person

No.TransportationRouteFare
Section 1SubwayGinza – Asakusa – Shibuya～Shibuya – Harajuku – Yoyogi – Tochomae950JPY
Total950JPY

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)

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