Tokyo in One Day: Shinagawa Station & Otemachi Station — Guide Masa

Title: What's a Private One-Day Walking Tour of Tokyo Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Asakusa, Rikugien, Yanesen and the Imperial Palace

The guests were visitors from North America, visiting Japan for the first time. They had arrived at Haneda Airport the previous evening and taken a taxi to their hotel. This trip to Japan was to celebrate a special milestone.

The guests were on a 14-day visit to Japan. Starting the day after next, they planned to travel to Kanazawa, Kyoto, Osaka, and Nara, and then return to Tokyo before heading home. They love Japanese food, especially sushi, and said they intended to "eat as much sushi as possible" during their stay.

It was a tour under light rain.

First, the guests wanted to buy a "Welcome Suica Card," so we went to the Ekitabi Concierge at Ueno Station. It was extremely crowded with international tourists.

From there, we first headed to Asakusa. Despite the light rain, it was as crowded as ever.

We started from in front of the Kaminarimon Gate. I explained the history of Sensoji Temple and the transition 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 the Kaminarimon Gate, in front of the five-story pagoda, and at various other spots. We strolled slowly through the Nakamise shopping street.

There were also questions such as "What are Japan's major religions?", "How many Buddhists are there in Japan?", "Besides Buddhism, what other religions do people follow?", and "How many Christians are there?"

Next we went to Rikugien Garden.

The guests said they love Japanese gardens, and mentioned that they often go to see the cherry blossoms in Washington, where it is always extremely crowded.

They said the pine trees were especially wonderful, and that the surrounding area felt like a quiet residential neighborhood, which was calming.

We then moved to the Yanaka-Nezu-Sendagi (Yanesen) area.

The guests had requested to see old townscapes of Tokyo.

We strolled slowly through Yanaka Ginza, where they purchased some matcha. They said they loved townscapes like this.

We moved to Nezu Shrine.

Within the grounds, despite the rain, there were many families visiting for the Shichi-Go-San celebration.

I explained about Shinto, about torii gates, and about the history of Edo and Tokyo. As we passed through the torii gates, I also explained about Inari shrines.

There were questions such as "What kind of religion is Shinto?" and "Why did Shinto arise?"

At this point the guests said they were getting hungry and wanted a light lunch. We headed to Hibiya Chanter and ordered soba.

We moved to the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace.

I explained the history of Japan from Edo to Meiji, the Meiji Restoration, why Edo Castle became the Imperial Palace, and the history of the imperial family.

There were questions and comments such as "What happened to the shoguns and samurai after the Meiji Restoration?", "Does the current Emperor of Japan hold political power?", "Who were the emperors of different eras?", and "Can a woman become emperor?"

There were also comments and questions such as "The streets are so clean, with no litter." "We don't see any homeless people." "Are there no pickpockets on the trains?" and "Is it safe to walk around late at night? Our family member lives in a major North American city and has been robbed and had things snatched several times, so even during the day one cannot feel at ease."

I saw the guests off at Shinagawa Station, ending the tour.

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.