Tokyo in Half a Day: Shimbashi Station & Shibuya Station — Guide Masa

Private Tokyo Day Tour with a Licensed Guide: What Can You See in One Day at the Imperial Palace, Meiji Shrine, and Shibuya?

The guests were visitors from North America, and it was their first time in Japan. They had arrived at Haneda Airport the previous night via a connecting flight and taken a taxi from Haneda to their hotel.

The purpose of this trip to Japan was a cruise around Japan departing from Yokohama Port starting the day after next. After landing in Asia, they planned to return home by air from that region. They were staying in Tokyo for only a short time. The next day, they planned to go and watch a sumo show. They also mentioned that the previous night they had explored the streets of Ginza and Shimbashi.

One of the guests had trouble with a knee, so throughout the itinerary we used elevators and escalators whenever possible. It was a tour conducted in intense, humid heat.

First, we went to the Imperial Palace. I explained about "the history from the Edo period to the Meiji era," "the Meiji Restoration," and "why Edo Castle became the Imperial Palace." There were questions such as "What happened to the shoguns and samurai after the Meiji Restoration?", "Does Japan's current emperor hold political power?", and "Who will be the next emperor?" In the Ninomaru Garden, the guests took photographs enthusiastically here and there.

We moved to Harajuku and went to Meiji Shrine. I explained about "Shinto," "the differences between Shinto and Buddhism," "torii gates," "Emperor Meiji," "why sake barrels are displayed," and "why wine barrels are displayed." There were also questions such as "What kind of teaching is Buddhism?" and "How do Buddhism and Shinto differ?" Because of the extreme heat, we rested for a while at the cafe terrace at Meiji Shrine.

We moved to Shibuya. First, we took photographs looking down at Scramble Square from the entrance to the Keio Inokashira Line platform, and then actually crossed the scramble crossing. There were questions such as "Why do so many people gather here?" and "Why did it become famous?" We also took photographs in front of the Hachiko statue.

The guests commented and asked, "Japanese people are all quiet and polite," "There are no homeless people to be seen," "The streets are clean with no litter," and "Why are there no trash cans on the streets?"

The guests asked to be taken to Shimbashi Station, so I saw them off at Shimbashi Station, and we parted ways.

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