Tokyo: the b Ginza & Meiji Shrine — Guide Takako

What Is an 8-Hour Private Tokyo Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Ueno, Asakusa, and Meiji Shrine

I guided the guests from Europe on a private tour. They were quiet and reserved, and mentioned that their flight had been delayed the previous day, arriving late at night and leaving them tired. Despite the very heavy and uncomfortable humidity, they completed the full 8-hour tour as scheduled without any complaints. As one of the guests had recently graduated from university and was going to become a designer of stage costumes, they looked very intently at the kimono and other items at the Tokyo National Museum. I handled the JR ticketing at the Asakusa exit of Ueno Station. For lunch, they wanted to try something new in Asakusa, so we went to a monjayaki restaurant, where we shared two okonomiyaki among three of us, which filled them up. They seemed to enjoy it reasonably well. At Sensoji Temple, both of them drew "dai-kichi" (great blessing) fortunes, and when I told them this was quite rare, they were delighted. Since they said they liked Kitty, we stopped by a Sanrio character goods shop. I had hoped that visiting Meiji Shrine in the evening would offer some relief from the heat, but the humidity was severe and it was quite difficult. As one of the guests was going to get a driver's license, they purchased a traffic safety charm. When we tried to activate the Hakone Free Pass at the Odakyu boarding area at the south exit of Shinjuku Station, we found that the location was actually in the basement of the west exit, and moreover it had already closed at 4 o'clock. When I went to check the location, I could not find it right away, so I asked a man wearing a helmet who was directing people, and managed to reach it. After that, the guests said they wanted to go to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building observation deck, so I guided them to the entrance of the underground passage, and the tour ended there. They lived near a city in Europe, and the accent of one of the guests was strong, making it difficult to catch some words. When I could not understand "aipou" and asked again, it turned out to be "April." Even so, both of them were modest and dependable, and I was able to proceed smoothly.

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Tour Report by Takako

Hello!! I’m Takako. Thank you for seeing my page. I’ve been showing guests around Tokyo, Yokohama and Kamakura for over six years. There are various things from historic sites, shrines and temples to cultural spots, good restaurants and anime shops in Japan.
I love watching sumo wrestling, Japanese traditional sport.
My favorite place is Tsukiji food market. It’s really exciting and you can enjoy a variety of delicious foods.
I also like visiting Japanese gardens such as Hama-rikyu Gardens and Rikugien Gardens.
Please let me know what interests you.
I would be happy to make a suitable tour for you and help you stay in Japan comfortably.
Looking forward to meeting you!!