Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day — Guide Shinji
January, 2026
This is a private guided tour report by Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.), a network of 1,000+ government-licensed, English-speaking local guides across all 47 prefectures of Japan. Not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association.
Tour Itinerary
- 11:00 Meet at Via Inn Nihonbashi Ningyocho 11:20 Akihabara 12:30 Marunouchi Maruzen 13:30 Imperial Palace General Visit 15:30 Gotokuji 16:30 Meal 17:20 Disband at Shibuya
What Can You See on a Private Tour of Tokyo? Akihabara, the Imperial Palace, Gotokuji, and Shibuya — A Licensed Guide's Report
The guests were a group visiting from Europe. One of the guests had begun studying Japanese at university a few months earlier and could speak simple Japanese. The other was studying at university. Both moved around energetically and briskly, which made guiding them easy. One of the guests was a big fan of anime and manga and was delighted in Akihabara, taking many photos and shopping. Suddenly one of the guests wanted to buy a Japanese-language book by Haruki Murakami, so I changed the itinerary on the spot and we went to a large bookstore in Marunouchi. In addition to the target book, they bought several comic books. At the Imperial Palace, a public appearance ceremony happened to be taking place, and at the guests' request we joined it, which became a valuable experience. We then moved to Gotokuji Temple. They were able to buy the beckoning cat figurine they had been looking for and were very satisfied. We were only able to have lunch after 16:00 (until then the guests insisted they were not hungry). We arrived at Shibuya, which they had been looking forward to, after 17:00. I gave them a brief tour and we parted ways around 17:20.
Click here for more details: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Transportation cost per person
| No. | Transportation | Route | Fare |
| Section 1 | Train | Ningyocho～Akihabara | 180JPY |
| Section 2 | Train | Akihabara～Tokyo | 150JPY |
| Section 3 | Train | Nijubashimae～Gotokuji | 380JPY |
| Section 4 | Train | Gotokuji～Shibuya | 260JPY |
| Total | 970JPY | ||
Before I started the guiding job in 2022, I had worked for private companies and been engaged in overseas business, which led me to be stationed in various English-speaking countries. Taking advantage of such experiences and also wishing to reciprocate the kindness extended to me during my career, I have decided to help visitors to Japan enjoy their stay and obtained a national guide license.
I am very honored and pleased to assist guests from overseas and enjoy seeing them having a great time visiting interesting spots in Japan and learning about the country. I look forward to serving more new guests and seeing them smile at the end of my private tours.
Jun 8, 2025
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Great tour, Shinji was great, they…
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Great tour, Shinji was great, they are flexible throughout the day. The transportation was
nice and clean and more than enough room for our family of 7.
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Our tour guide was knowledgeable and friendly! What a memorable day. This tour was the
perfect way to get oriented to the city.
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Tripadvisor review: Hakone 6 hour Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
For those not wanting to read my entire post, let me say if you are going to Hakone, consider hiring Shinji. He is marvelous!
We went to Hakone, a notable spa town and a popular tourist destination due to its many hot springs being within view of nearby Mount Fuji, the most visited mountain in Japan. With our guide Shinji we visited the Hakone open air Museum, Hakone Shrine, Lake Ashi, Hakone, Japan, and took the Lake Ashi Cruise. Shinji’s knowledge about the sites, trains, cable cars, cruise, history, culture and languages (Japanese and English) made for a most efficient and memorable experience. Lastly, Shinji was very patient, as our getting to Hakone took more time than we expected, and adaptable, as we made the necessary adjustments to visit every relevant site we had hoped for. Great trip with a great guide!