Tokyo in Half a Day: Otemachi Station & Asakusa Station — Guide Masa

Can You Do a Private Sightseeing Day Tour of Tokyo Covering Tsukiji, Ueno, Kappabashi, and Asakusa? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests were visitors from North America. One of them had visited Japan several times before, while it was the first visit to Japan for the other. This trip to Japan came as part of a group tour of Asia. They had previously made visits to other destinations in Asia before arriving in Japan. The official schedule had ended, and starting the next day they planned to enjoy a private trip in Japan over several days, traveling around Kanazawa, Kyoto, and Osaka before returning to Tokyo and then heading home.

Although the temperature was low, the tour took place under clear skies.

First, we went to Tsukiji. I explained "the history of Tokyo's fish market since the Edo period" and "the difference between Toyosu Market and the Tsukiji Outer Market." Many shops had not yet opened, and there were only a few tourists around. There were questions and comments such as "Do all Tokyo residents come here to buy fish?" and "It's crowded, but it still seems like there are a lot of tourists."

Since the guests said they wanted to try sushi, they purchased and sampled standing-style "tuna sushi." Both mentioned that they love sushi but do not care for shellfish, sea urchin, or squid.

We moved to the Ameyoko shopping street in Ueno. Most shops open at 10:00, so the majority were still closed. There were comments such as "The prices seem very cheap" and "There are a lot of izakaya here."

We moved on to Kappabashi Kitchenware Street. The guests expressed a strong wish to buy kitchen knives to take home. We strolled slowly along the street. They purchased a large number of items such as "vegetable knives," "meat-cutting knives," "chopsticks," and "bowls" as souvenirs for their family.

Then we went to Asakusa. We started from the front of the Kaminarimon Gate. I explained "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 various spots, including in front of the Kaminarimon and the five-story pagoda, and strolled along the Nakamise shopping street. There were also questions such as "What are the main religions in Japan?", "How many Buddhists are there in Japan?", "Besides Buddhism, what other religions do people follow?", and "How many Christians are there?"

There were also comments and questions such as "The city is so clean, with no litter on the streets," and "Why aren't there trash cans around the city?"

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

Click here for more details: Tsukiji Local Food & Culture Half-Day Tour, 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.