Tokyo in Half a Day: Shibuya & Meiji-jingumae — Guide Masa

Can You Do a Private One-Day Tour of Tokyo? A Licensed Guide's Report on Asakusa, Tsukiji, and Harajuku

The guests were visiting Japan for the first time from Oceania. They had arrived at Haneda Airport the previous day and taken a taxi to their hotel. The evening before, they had strolled around the Shibuya area. This was a short trip to Japan, and starting tomorrow they planned to travel around Kyoto, Osaka, and Hiroshima before returning to Tokyo and then heading home. Their wish was simply to see the main highlights of Tokyo first. It was a sunny but hot and humid day for the tour.

First, they wanted to activate their JR Pass, make Shinkansen reservations, and purchase a Suica card. They had been told by a travel agency that the guide would take care of everything. We first went to the travel concierge counter at Shibuya Station. Their itinerary had not been firmly established, so with some assistance we managed to complete the reservations.

We then went to Asakusa, which was very crowded as usual. Starting from in front of Kaminarimon Gate, I explained about Senso-ji Temple and the history from Edo to Tokyo, the purpose of the five-story pagoda, what Buddhism is, and the differences between Buddhism and Shinto. We took commemorative photos at Kaminarimon, in front of the five-story pagoda, and at various other 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?"

Next we went to Tsukiji, which was packed with tourists. We walked slowly through the crowds. I explained the history of Tokyo's fish market since the Edo period and the difference between Toyosu Market and the Tsukiji Outer Market. There was a question: "Do all Tokyo residents come here to buy fish?" They bought and tried some matcha ice cream.

We then moved to Harajuku. I explained about Shinto, torii gates, Emperor Meiji, why sake barrels are displayed, and why wine barrels are displayed as well. There were questions such as "What kind of religion is Shinto?", "This is completely different from Senso-ji," and "How do Buddhism and Shinto differ?" After taking a break at the café terrace at Meiji Shrine, we also strolled along Takeshita Street. There were comments and questions such as "The streets are so clean and there is no litter," and "Why are there no trash cans on the streets?"

We parted ways at Shibuya Station.

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.