Tokyo in One Day: Tsukiji Station & Ginza Station — Guide Masa

Can You Do a Private One-Day Tour of Tokyo Covering Asakusa, the Imperial Palace, and Shibuya? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests were visitors from North America, both visiting Japan for the first time. One of the guests had roots tracing back to Japan, with earlier generations of the family having first migrated abroad and later settled in North America, though the original hometown in Japan was not known.

They had arrived at Haneda Airport on a direct flight the previous day and taken a taxi to their accommodation. The night before, they had strolled around the area near their accommodation.

This was part of a longer trip to Japan, with only part of it spent in Tokyo. They planned to continue on to Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, and Hiroshima before returning to Tokyo and then heading home.

The guests were quite knowledgeable about Japanese history and geography and had a good grasp of the key points.

They also mentioned, "The Tsukiji Outer Market is very close to our accommodation, so we plan to go there on our own tomorrow."

The tour took place under cloudy skies with occasional sunshine, in cold weather. They remarked, "Compared to home, it's really cold and quite challenging."

First, we headed to Asakusa.

Starting in front of Kaminarimon Gate, I explained about Sensoji Temple and the history from the Edo period to modern Tokyo, the purpose of the five-story pagoda, what Buddhism is, and the difference between Buddhism and Shinto.

We took commemorative photos in front of Kaminarimon Gate, the five-story pagoda, and other spots, and slowly strolled along the Nakamise shopping street.

The guests asked, "What are the main religions in Japan?" "How many Buddhists are there in Japan?" "Besides Buddhism, what other religions do people follow?" and commented that their family occasionally visits temples back home as well.

We then moved to the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace.

I explained about Japanese history from the Edo period to the Meiji era, 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 any political power?" "Who will be the next Emperor?" "Can a woman become Emperor?" and "How many members are there in the Imperial family in total?"

Next, we moved to Harajuku.

At Meiji Shrine, I explained about Shinto, torii gates, Emperor Meiji, why sake barrels are displayed, and why wine barrels are also displayed.

There were questions such as, "What kind of religion is Shinto?" and "How is Buddhism different from Shinto?"

After a break at the cafe terrace by Meiji Shrine, we also strolled along Takeshita Street.

They remarked, "A pet cafe would be delightful for our family. We'll bring them next time."

From here, we moved 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 said they wanted ramen for lunch, we went to a casual ramen restaurant.

They commented, "There are plenty of ramen shops back home, but they're all expensive and the taste isn't great."

We then moved to Ginza, where I gave a quick tour of the area around 4-chome, and we parted ways in front of the station.

There were comments and questions such as, "The streets are so clean and there's no litter," "There are no homeless people around," "Is it safe to walk around even late at night?" and "Why aren't there any trash cans on the streets?"

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.