Kanagawa in One Day: Hotel & Resort Yokohama & Shibuya — Guide Masa

Can You Do a Full-Day Private Tour of Tokyo in the Rain? A Licensed Guide's Report on Asakusa, the Imperial Palace, Meiji Shrine, and Shibuya

The guests were visitors from North America, both visiting Japan for the first time. Some time ago, the guests had relocated to North America from Europe.

They had arrived at Haneda Airport a couple of days earlier and taken a taxi to their Hotel. The previous day, they had strolled around the area near their Hotel.

The purpose of this visit was to join a cruise ship trip around Japan departing from Yokohama Port from the next day, lasting a couple of weeks. They planned to fly home at the end from Seoul, in Asia.

The guests mentioned that they both love gardening.

There was a request that walking be done at a slow pace.

The tour took place in poor weather, with occasional heavy downpours.

We first went to Asakusa. Despite the rain, there were large crowds. In particular, there were many foreign tour groups and school excursion students.

Holding umbrellas, we set off from in front of Kaminarimon Gate. I explained the history of Sensoji Temple and the transition from Edo to Tokyo, the purpose of the five-story pagoda, what Buddhism is, and the difference between Buddhism and Shinto.

We took commemorative photos in front of Kaminarimon Gate and the five-story pagoda. The guests also purchased a "traffic safety" charm.

There were questions such as "What are the main religions in Japan?", "How many Buddhists are there in Japan?", and "Besides Buddhism, what other religions do people believe in?"

There was also a question about how often Japanese people visit temples.

We moved to the Imperial Palace. Here the rain had stopped, and we strolled without umbrellas.

First, we went to the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace. There was a question about the stone walls and how they were built. In the Ninomaru Garden, the guests remarked that they had also created a small "Japanese garden" in their own yard.

I explained the history from the Edo period to the Meiji era, the Meiji Restoration, why Edo Castle became the Imperial Palace, and why the capital moved from Kyoto to Tokyo.

There were questions such as "Does the current Emperor of Japan hold any political authority?"

We moved to Koishikawa Korakuen Garden.

Here again, we strolled in the rain. The garden was not very crowded, with only a few people.

We walked once around the garden. The guests said that the Japanese gardens seen in Japan really are wonderful.

In particular, they said the pine trees were magnificent and that they would love to take one home.

We moved to Harajuku and went to Meiji Shrine. From the parking area, we first went in front of the sake barrels. Here the rain had stopped, and we strolled without umbrellas.

I explained about Shinto, the difference between Shinto and Buddhism, the torii gate, Emperor Meiji, why the sake barrels are displayed, and why the wine barrels are displayed.

There were also questions such as "What kind of teaching is Buddhism?" and "How does Buddhism differ from Shinto?"

We took a short break at the cafe terrace at Meiji Shrine. After that, we also strolled along Takeshita Street.

We moved to Shibuya. First, from the entrance to the Keio Inokashira Line platform, we looked down at Scramble Square and took photos, then actually crossed the intersection.

Since the guests wanted to take a short rest, we stopped for a break at a coffee shop.

We also took photos in front of the Hachiko statue.

There were comments and questions such as "It's surprising that there is no litter on the streets. Doesn't anyone throw trash in the streets?", "Are there no homeless people?", and "Are there no pickpockets or robbers?"

Finally, I saw them off at the entrance of their Hotel, and we parted ways.

Click here for more details: Tokyo in 1 Day from Yokohama by Car 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.