Tokyo in One Day: Hibiya Station & Shibuya Station — Guide Masa

Title: What's a Private One-Day Tokyo Tour Like? Tsukiji, Shinjuku, and Shibuya with a Licensed Guide

The guests were a group visiting Japan for the first time from North America. This was their first visit to Japan, part of a celebratory trip lasting eight days, with only three days spent in Tokyo. After Tokyo, they planned to visit Kyoto, Nara, and Osaka, then return to Tokyo before heading home.

They had arrived at Haneda Airport a couple of days earlier. The previous day, they visited Asakusa and the Imperial Palace, and strolled around Ginza in the evening.

Today, their request was: "We'd like to visit different spots in Tokyo from yesterday, while also learning how to use the subway." It was a cloudy day, with occasional light rain during the tour.

First, we headed to Tsukiji. ("We haven't had breakfast, so we'd like to eat something at Tsukiji.") Despite it being a market holiday, the area was crowded with tourists. I explained "the history of Tokyo's fish markets since the Edo period" and "the difference between Toyosu Market and the Tsukiji Outer Market." There were questions and comments such as "Do all Tokyo residents come here to buy fish?" and "It's crowded, but it seems there are a lot of tourists." The guests purchased and sampled "grilled Kobe beef skewers," "tuna sushi," and "melon."

Since they wanted to see a Japanese garden, we walked to Hamarikyu Gardens. I explained "the history of the garden," "the history of Edo to Tokyo," and "the Meiji Restoration." There were comments and questions such as "Japanese gardens really are wonderful, especially the pine trees," and "We have maple trees planted in our garden at home. Can we not see autumn maple leaves yet?"

We walked back to Tsukiji Station and headed to Shinjuku. I explained "the origins of Shinjuku," "the difference between the east and west sides," and "the history of Kabukicho." We strolled through "Omoide Yokocho," "Kabukicho," and "Shinjuku Golden Gai" in turn. The guests seemed to like the "cat billboard" and took photos enthusiastically. There was a comment: "This place (Kabukicho) has a different atmosphere from the others. There's some litter scattered around." Almost all the shops in Shinjuku Golden Gai were closed, but several groups of tourists were walking around. We also looked at the underground food floor inside Isetan.

We moved on to Shibuya. We actually crossed the Scramble Crossing. There were questions such as "Why do so many people gather here?" and "Why did it become so famous?" We also took photos in front of the Hachiko statue.

Since they wanted to have sushi, we went to a sushi restaurant. They remarked, "There are many sushi restaurants in North America too, but the ones where you can eat with peace of mind are very expensive."

There were also comments and questions such as "There are hardly any homeless people on the streets. Why is that?" "The streets are clean and there's no litter." and "Why are there no trash bins on the streets?" There was also a question: "The public restrooms are clean and wonderful, but there are no hand dryers. Why is that?"

I saw them off at Hibiya Station, where we parted ways.

Click here for more details: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day 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.