Tokyo in One Day: Akihabara Station & Tochomae Station — Guide Masa

Title: What's a Private One-Day Christmas Tour of Tokyo Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Asakusa, Harajuku, Shibuya, and Shinjuku

The guests were a group visiting Japan for the first time. They came from Yokosuka to experience Christmas in Tokyo, planning a short stay in the city. Their request was: "We would like to visit the notable sightseeing spots in Tokyo, and also enjoy the Christmas atmosphere." It was a clear day, though somewhat chilly.

First, we moved to Asakusa. We started from the front of Kaminarimon Gate. I explained about "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 in front of Kaminarimon Gate and slowly strolled along the Nakamise shopping street. There were questions such as "What are the main religions in Japan?" and "Besides Buddhism, what other religions do people believe in?"

Next, we moved to Harajuku. At Meiji Shrine, I explained about "Shinto," "the torii gate," "Emperor Meiji," "why sake barrels are displayed," and "why wine barrels are displayed." There were questions such as "What kind of religion is Shinto?" and "How do Buddhism and Shinto differ?" After a break at the cafe terrace near Meiji Shrine, we also strolled along Takeshita Street.

From here, we moved to Shibuya. We actually crossed the scramble intersection near Scramble Square. There were questions such as "Why do so many people gather here?" and "Why did it become famous?" We also took photos in front of the Hachiko statue. The guests said, "We really want to eat yakitori. Recently, sushi restaurants and ramen shops have been increasing in North America, but yakitori restaurants are still few," so we went to a yakitori restaurant in Shibuya.

Finally, we went to the observation deck of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. The guests enjoyed the night view and illuminations of Tokyo, and some of the guests were delighted. There were comments and questions such as "Unlike North America, the city is clean and there is no litter on the ground," "There are no homeless people to be seen," "Is it safe to walk around at night?" and "Why are there no trash cans on the streets?" They also mentioned, "Shinjuku was quite noisy last night."

I saw them off at Akihabara Station, and 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.