Tokyo in One Day: Tochomae & Tsukiji Market — Guide Masa

Title: What Is a Private One-Day Tokyo Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Asakusa, Yanaka, and Tsukiji

The guest was a visitor from North America on their first trip to Japan. They arrived at Haneda Airport the previous evening and took a taxi to the hotel. Now traveling solo, the guest has been enjoying overseas trips on their own.

This visit to Japan spanned 18 days. The main highlights were the Nakasendo route ("I'm looking forward to Japan's autumn foliage") and a visit to the Seto Inland Sea and Naoshima ("I'm a fan of Tadao Ando"). They also planned to visit Kyoto and Nara. In addition, they were looking forward to meeting family who lives in Tokyo.

Enjoying fitness training as a hobby, the guest walked at a brisk pace. It was a tour in light rain.

First, we headed to Asakusa. As always, it was very crowded. We started from the front of Kaminarimon Gate. I explained "Senso-ji 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 five-story pagoda, and at various other spots. We took a leisurely stroll through the Nakamise shopping street.

The guest asked questions such as "What are the major religions in Japan?", "How many Buddhists are there in Japan?", and "Besides Buddhism, what other religions do people believe in?" They also mentioned, "My family visits temples when they return to Asia."

Next, we went to Rikugien Garden. The guest said, "I love Japanese gardens" and "I've been to the Japanese garden in North America many times." They said, "The pine trees are especially wonderful" and "The surrounding area feels like a quiet residential neighborhood, which is calming."

We then moved to the Yanaka-Nezu-Sendagi area. The guest had requested, "I'd like to see the old streets of Tokyo." We strolled slowly along the streets, and they purchased a stuffed cat toy, saying, "I love these kinds of streetscapes." We also took a leisurely walk through Yanaka Cemetery.

We moved on to Nezu Shrine. Despite the rain, there were many families in the precincts visiting for the Shichi-Go-San ceremony. With permission, we took photos. I explained "about Shinto," "about torii gates," and "about the history of Edo and Tokyo," and while passing through the torii gates, I also explained "about Inari shrines." The guest asked questions such as "What kind of religion is Shinto?" and "Why did Shinto arise?"

We moved to Ueno and took a leisurely stroll through the park. The guest said, "Tomorrow I plan to take my time exploring the Tokyo National Museum."

After this, we went to the Ameyoko shopping street, following the guest's original wish to "see a Japanese market." There were many foreign tourists and it was extremely crowded. The guest said, "You can buy anything here." They also asked, "What kind of place is an izakaya?"

We then moved on to Tsukiji and toured the Tsukiji Market. The guest said, "This is fascinating. I'll come back again. I really want to buy a kitchen knife to take home."

The guest also made comments and asked questions such as: "The city is so clean and there's no litter on the streets," "I don't see any homeless people," "Aren't there pickpockets on the trains?", "Is it safe to walk around at night?", and "Why aren't there trash cans on the streets?"

We saw the guest off at Tochomae Station and 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.