Tokyo in One Day: Hamamatsucho Station & Shibuya Station — Guide Masa

What's a Full-Day Private Tour of Tokyo Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Asakusa, Yanaka, Meiji Shrine, and Shibuya

The guests were visitors from Oceania, both visiting Japan for the first time.

They had arrived at Narita Airport the previous day on a direct flight, then transferred via the Narita Express and other trains to Hamamatsucho Station and their hotel.

This time they planned to stay in Japan for an extended period. After staying in Tokyo, they would take the Shinkansen to Hakodate, then drive a rental car around Hokkaido, before returning to Tokyo and heading home.

They said, "We want to enjoy Japan's nature," and, "We hope to see cherry blossoms in Hokkaido."

It was cloudy in the morning, but partway through it cleared up to become almost hot. The tour took place in pleasant weather.

First, we went to Asakusa.

As always, it was very crowded. I explained about "Sensoji 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 "About what percentage of people are Christian?"

One of the guests drew an omikuji fortune and got a "bad luck" result, which was disappointing.

We strolled slowly along the Nakamise shopping street, jostled by the crowds.

Then we went to Ueno Park.

The cherry blossoms had almost all fallen, which was disappointing. They said, "We're looking forward to seeing them in Hokkaido."

We moved on to the Yanaka-Nezu-Sendagi area.

I explained about "the history of Yanaka Ginza."

They said, "I really understood the original landscape of Tokyo," and, "It gives me a nostalgic feeling."

At Nezu Shrine, they were delighted by the azaleas that were just beginning to bloom and took many photos. I gave an overview of "Shinto."

They said they wanted a light lunch, so we went to a sushi restaurant in Shibuya.

They commented, "It's fresh and delicious," "The price is reasonable," and, "Back home there are only conveyor-belt sushi restaurants," among other things.

After this, we moved to Harajuku, starting with Meiji Shrine.

I explained about "torii gates," "Shinto," "Emperor Meiji," "the history of Edo and Tokyo," "the Meiji Restoration," and "why wine barrels are displayed there."

There was also a question: "When did Shinto originate?"

We took a short break at the cafe in Meiji Shrine.

We moved to Shibuya. Despite it being daytime, there were huge crowds. I explained about "the history of Shibuya."

We walked across "Shibuya Scramble Square" and took commemorative photos 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?"

After this, they said they wanted to see a Japanese supermarket, so we went to the Tokyu Food Show. They said, "Last night we had dinner at a convenience store, but this is far more extensive than a convenience store."

They commented, "The whole city is very quiet, and everything seems to run in an orderly way," "There's no litter in the streets," and, "There are no homeless people to be seen."

They also commented, "The trains and subways are clean and quiet. They run functionally and it feels pleasant," and, "The public restrooms are clean too."

After this, I saw them off at Hamamatsucho Station and 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.