Tokyo in One Day: Tochomae Station & Shinjuku Station — Guide Masa

Title: What Is a Private One-Day Tokyo Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Asakusa, the Imperial Palace, Harajuku, and Shibuya

The guests were a family visiting Japan from North America. It was their first visit to Japan. The day before, they had arrived at Haneda Airport on a direct flight and taken a limousine bus to their hotel. The previous evening, they had strolled around Shinjuku Kabukicho and enjoyed yakiniku. Their stay in Japan was about ten days in total. They would spend four days in Tokyo, then travel to Kyoto and Osaka, before returning to Tokyo and then flying home. They mentioned that the next day they planned to visit Toyosu Market and TeamLab. It was a rainy tour, though the rain was not too heavy. First, we went to Asakusa. Despite the rain, it was very crowded. I explained about "Senso-ji Temple and the history from Edo to Tokyo," "what a five-story pagoda is," "what Buddhism is," and "the difference between Buddhism and Shinto." There were questions such as "Do all Japanese people believe in Buddhism?" and "How many Christians are there in Japan?" They drew an omikuji fortune, got a "good luck" result, and were delighted. We moved to the Imperial Palace. We strolled through the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace. The cherry blossoms had mostly fallen, which was disappointing. I explained about "the history from the Edo period to the Meiji era," "the Meiji Restoration," "why Edo Castle became the Imperial Palace," and "an overview of the current Imperial Family." They said, "The pine trees are beautiful, like bonsai," and "In North America, it's becoming popular to create Japanese gardens in private yards." There were also questions such as "Does the Japanese Emperor hold political power?" After this, we moved to Harajuku. First, we visited Meiji Shrine. I explained about "torii gates," "Emperor Meiji," "the history of Edo and Tokyo," and "the Meiji Restoration," and again explained "the difference between Shinto and Buddhism." There was also a question, "How many Christians are there in Japan?" We took a short break at a cafe in Meiji Shrine. Then, despite the rain, we strolled around the crowded Takeshita Street, Cat Street, and Omotesando. We moved to Shibuya. Despite the rain, there were large crowds. I explained about "the history of Shibuya." We walked across the Scramble Crossing and took a commemorative photo in front of the Hachiko statue. There were questions such as "Why are there so many people at the Scramble Crossing?" and "Are they all locals?" They said, "We'd like to see a Japanese supermarket," so we went to Tokyu Food Show. They were amazed at the huge variety of items. They commented, "The whole city is very quiet, and everything seems to run in an orderly way," "There's no trash on the streets," and "There are no homeless people to be seen." They also commented, "The trains and subways are clean and quiet. No one is chatting. It's completely different from where we come from," and "The public restrooms are well-equipped and clean." Finally, I saw them off at Shinjuku Station, and we parted ways.

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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.