Tokyo in One Day: Shibuya & Meiji-jingumae — Guide Masa

Title: What Is a Private One-Day Tokyo Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Asakusa, Skytree, Meiji Shrine, and Shibuya

The guests were a group visiting from North America. It was their first time in Japan. Originally, another member of the party was also supposed to join, but due to a sudden change in work commitments, they were unable to come along. This was their trip to Japan, and they had arrived at Haneda Airport early this morning on a flight, having just reached their hotel.

This time, they were visiting Japan for eight days. After staying in Tokyo, they planned to travel to Osaka, and after their stay there, return home from Kansai Airport. They said, "We've heard all sorts of things about Osaka, so we really want to go."

The tour took place under cloudy skies, in weather that was almost warm.

In line with their wishes, we first went to Asakusa.

Despite it being a weekday, the grounds of Sensoji Temple were extremely crowded with tourists and groups of students on school trips.

I explained "the history of Sensoji Temple and the transition from Edo to Tokyo," "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 along the Nakamise shopping street.

There were questions such as "What are the major religions in Japan?", "How many Christians are there in Japan?", and "Besides Buddhism, what other religions do people believe in?"

We moved on to Tokyo Skytree.

Despite the clear conditions elsewhere, thick clouds hung low, and we were unable to see Mount Fuji.

The guests remarked, "We've learned that Tokyo, like our home area, is a vast city."

The guests did some shopping at a character goods shop, mentioning being a longtime fan of Japanese anime.

After this, the guests said, "We still haven't had a proper breakfast, so we'd like to have lunch somewhere," so we stopped at a ramen restaurant in Gotokuji along the way.

The guests enjoyed "tonkotsu ramen," "gyoza," and "spring rolls."

We then walked to Gotokuji Temple.

We strolled through the grounds of Gotokuji Temple.

They mentioned that they actually prefer dogs to cats.

They purchased a "cat figurine" and a "pendant" as souvenirs.

We moved on to Harajuku, which was fairly crowded with tourists.

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

There were questions such as "What kind of religion is Shinto?" and "How do Buddhism and Shinto differ?"

We came across a wedding procession, and the guests eagerly took photos.

We moved on to Shibuya. They said, "We plan to take our time exploring Shibuya tomorrow."

There were comments and questions such as "The city is so clean, with no litter on the ground," "The public restrooms are clean, and it's rare for them to be free," and "There are no trash cans on the streets. Why is that?"

We parted ways in front of Shibuya Station.

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.