Tokyo in Half a Day: Tsukiji Hongwanji Temple — Guide Toru
September, 2025
This is a private guided tour report by Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.), a network of 1,000+ government-licensed, English-speaking local guides across all 47 prefectures of Japan. Not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association.
Tour Itinerary
- 07:30 Meet at the hotel in Higashi-Shinjuku
- 08:30 Enjoy various foods at the Tsukiji Outer Market
- 11:00 Visit Tsukiji Hongwanji Temple
- 11:30 At the souvenir floor in the basement of the Kabukiza Theatre, explain how to get to Asakusa on the tour, then finish
What Is a Private Tokyo Food Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report
1. The day of the tour and the guests' reactions The guests had a clear goal for the tour: "to eat as many delicious Japanese foods as possible," so I guided them to every restaurant they wanted to try as well as the ones I recommended, and they were very satisfied. What they especially enjoyed included four kinds of tuna sashimi (lean, medium fatty, fatty, and cheek meat) at Kurogin, a tasting comparison of four kinds of sea urchin along with strawberry daifuku at Soratsuki, fish paste products at Hamato, and king crab and snow crab BBQ at Koragumi. They ate a great deal of other food as well, and they happily posed for photos with satisfied smiles.
2. Other impressions, notes, and requests The guests came from Asia and spoke English with the distinctive intonation of Southeast Asia. Having myself spent time in the region for several years, I found this familiar English pleasant to hear and enjoyed our conversations very much. We named it the "Go Makan!" ("Let's go eat" in Malay) tour, and it was a lot of fun.
There was one sad moment. While we were waiting in a long line for gyudon at Kitsuneya, the customer in front of us (probably an office worker from nearby) seemed to have come to buy takeout for breakfast and did not seem happy about the number of tourists. As they left with their takeout, they said in Japanese to us behind them, "You're in the way, move." Since the guests do not understand Japanese, this remark seemed to be directed at me as the guide. I felt once again the gap between longtime local users frustrated by overtourism and those of us welcoming many visitors, and I want to be mindful in how I handle such situations. Although some harsh words were said, nothing more came of it, and I was relieved that the guests, who do not understand Japanese, were not hurt. All of the guests come to Japan because they love it so much, so I felt anew that bridging this gap is a challenge for inbound tourism going forward.
Click here for more details: Tsukiji Local Food & Culture Half-Day Tour, Licensed Guide
Transportation cost per person
| No. | Transportation | Route | Fare |
| Section 1 | Train | Higashi-Shinjuku～Tsukiji Market | 280JPY |
| Section 2 | Bus | Tsukiji 6-chome / Toei Bus～Higashi-Ginza Station / Chuo City, Tokyo | 210JPY |
| Total | 490JPY | ||
Hello, I am Toru, a certified National Guide. I have been guiding since 2017, primarily in the Tokyo area, which includes Hakone, Kamakura, and Yokohama. To make your stay in Japan unforgettable, I always discuss a tour plan with my guests via email before their arrival. Please share your preferences, including the places you’d like to visit and the experiences you’d like to try during your stay in Tokyo. If this is your first visit to Japan, I’m excited to help make your time in Tokyo even more enjoyable by suggesting sample itineraries and offering travel tips.
For more information about me, please visit my profile site.
https://japan-cultural-traditional-experience.com/hello-welcome-to-japan/
For your reference, please feel free to visit my blog, which features popular sightseeing spots and interesting experiences.
https://japan-cultural-traditional-experience.com/
I look forward to meeting you soon!
July 2, 2026
David S
Tripadvisor : Toyosu Market Morning Tuna Auction and Tsukiji Food Tour with Licensed Guide
Incredible experience at the Markets!
Toru…
July 2, 2026
David S
Tripadvisor : Toyosu Market Morning Tuna Auction and Tsukiji Food Tour with Licensed Guide
Incredible experience at the Markets!
Toru was an AMAZING host and tour guide. He went above and beyond with communication prior, during, and after to make sure my Son and I had an incredible experience. He was unbelievably knowledgeable and catered the tour to what we wanted as well. The sushi breakfast was unreal! Learning all about both Toyosu and Tsukiji markets was an experience we will never forget. 10 out of 10 for sure!!
Jun 6, 2026
meltemg957
Unique experience with a highly knowledgeable guide
Tripadvisor review: Toyosu Market Morning Tuna Auction and Tsukiji Food Tour with Licensed Guide…
Jun 6, 2026
meltemg957
Unique experience with a highly knowledgeable guide
Tripadvisor review: Toyosu Market Morning Tuna Auction and Tsukiji Food Tour with Licensed Guide
This was our first time visiting a fish market, and from the time we booked the experience, Toru-san has been amazing. He helped us get to Toyosu market, where the tuna auction takes place, at the right time to get the best views and explained everything about how the auction works and made sure we didn’t miss anything. (You will need a knowledgeable tour guide because everything happens so fast and you might miss it!) We learned so much during such a short time about how the delicious tuna you eat at a sushi restaurant ends up in front of you. After the auction Toru-san took us to Okame, a great sushi restaurant, where we got to experience delicious sushi breakfast. Our next stop was Tsukiji market, and again we got to try all sorts of food and learn more about the market and got to meet some of the vendors. Everyone was so welcoming and friendly. If you are interested in cooking, Japanese cuisine, or know someone home, this tour will give you the opportunity to do some shopping for unique souvenirs.
We had to get to Toyosu market before 5 am, and while you might think it’s too early, but why not do something fun and delicious with your jetlag? It was so worth it and I’m glad we chose to spend our first morning in Tokyo with Toru-san. The other advantage of being so early was that the market was not as crowded and we got to enjoy our time without having to wait in line.
Thank you, Toru-san!
Jun 4, 2026
bluejerky1
Turo was knowledgeable and the tour was fun and fun and informative. Highly recommend.
Tripadvisor review: Toyosu Market Morning Tuna Auction…
Jun 4, 2026
bluejerky1
Turo was knowledgeable and the tour was fun and fun and informative. Highly recommend.
Tripadvisor review: Toyosu Market Morning Tuna Auction and Tsukiji Food Tour with Licensed Guide
The tour was great. We got to learn a lot about sushi and really enjoyed our time in the
market as well.
May 29, 2026
Eva P
Fabulous experience with Toru!
Tripadvisor review: Toyosu Market Morning Tuna Auction and Tsukiji Food Tour with Licensed Guide
Toru was…
May 29, 2026
Eva P
Fabulous experience with Toru!
Tripadvisor review: Toyosu Market Morning Tuna Auction and Tsukiji Food Tour with Licensed Guide
Toru was a fantastic guide and made our experience one to remember. He picked us up
from the hotel and clearly knew how to be there early to get a good view. He also took us to
a delicious sushi place thereafter which the whole family enjoyed.