Tokyo in Half a Day: Higashi-Shinjuku & Tsukiji — Guide Masa

Can You Do a Family-Friendly Private Tour of Tokyo Covering Asakusa, Akihabara, and Tsukiji? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests were a family visiting Japan from North America. It was their first visit to Japan.

They had arrived at Haneda Airport a couple of days earlier and taken a taxi to their accommodation. The previous evening, they had used a taxi to explore Shibuya and Harajuku.

This time, they were staying for only about six days, and had decided to focus entirely on the Tokyo area. They planned to visit Kamakura the next day. Their wish was, "First, we would like to get used to Tokyo's transportation."

It was a clear but hot and humid day for the tour.

We started with Asakusa, which was extremely crowded as usual. Setting off from in front of Kaminarimon Gate, I explained about Sensoji Temple and the history from Edo to Tokyo, what the five-story pagoda is for, what Buddhism is, and the difference between Buddhism and Shinto. We took commemorative photos at Kaminarimon, in front of the pagoda, and at various spots, and strolled slowly along the Nakamise shopping street.

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 follow?" One of the guests also mentioned visiting temples when returning to Asia.

At the guests' request, we went to Akihabara. I explained about the origins and history of Akihabara. We strolled slowly while observing the anime shops. There was a question about maid cafes: "What kind of place is it? What is its purpose?" The guests each purchased anime figures.

Next we went to Tsukiji. Even though it was a closed day, it was extremely crowded with tourists, and we strolled slowly through the crowds. I explained about the history of Tokyo's fish markets since the Edo period, and the difference between Toyosu Market and the Tsukiji Outer Market. There was a question, "Does everyone in Tokyo come here to buy fish?" The guests each purchased items such as octopus crackers, pork buns, and matcha ice cream.

There were also comments and questions such as, "Japanese people are all quiet and polite," "The whole city is clean with no litter," and "Why are there no trash cans on the streets?"

Since they said they were not yet used to the transportation, I saw them off at Higashi-Shinjuku 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.