Kanagawa in One Day: Asakusa & Yokohama Osanbashi Pier — Guide Masa

Title: What Can You See on a Private One-Day Tokyo Tour During a Cruise Stopover? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests were visitors from North America, and it was their first time in Japan.

They were visiting Tokyo during a long Pacific cruise of about 150 days (visiting places such as Hawaii, Oceania, and countries in Asia), which had departed from North America.

Their cruise ship had arrived early this morning at the Osanbashi Pier in Yokohama Port, and was scheduled to depart again this evening. This Tokyo tour was arranged to fit into that window.

After departure, the ship was scheduled to continue on to Alaska, the west coast of North America, and other destinations, before finally returning to its port of origin in North America.

For this reason, they were not staying at the meeting point, which was a Hotel.

They said, "We'd like to see a bit of Tokyo before we set sail."

They also said, "We've been looking forward to seeing the cherry blossoms," and added, "We'd love to see Mount Fuji if possible."

The tour took place under clear skies.

First, we went to Asakusa.

In the car, I explained "the history and significance of Tokyo" and "the history of Yokohama."

We started from the front of Kaminarimon Gate. I explained "Senso-ji 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 Kaminarimon Gate and the five-story pagoda. The weeping cherry blossoms in the temple grounds had mostly fallen. We took a leisurely stroll along the Nakamise shopping street, which was packed (full of visitors from overseas).

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

There was also a question: "We see many people wearing kimono in the temple grounds — why is that? Are they all Japanese?"

They purchased "omamori" (protective charms) as souvenirs for their grandchildren.

We went to the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace. The cherry blossoms had mostly fallen, but a few weeping cherry trees remained, and they photographed them enthusiastically.

I explained "Japanese history from Edo to Meiji," "about the Meiji Restoration," "why Edo Castle became the Imperial Palace," "the history of the Imperial family," "World War II and the Tokyo air raids," and "how stone walls are built."

There were questions and comments such as "Does the current Emperor of Japan hold political power?", "Who is the next in line?", and "Can a woman become Emperor?"

We moved on to Shinjuku Gyoen.

I explained "the history and current state of Shinjuku Gyoen." The gardens were full of many visitors.

Here too, the cherry blossoms had mostly fallen, but a few trees remained, and they eagerly took commemorative photos in front of the cherry trees.

They also said, "The pine trees in the garden are wonderful," and took photos enthusiastically all around. They added, "The Japanese garden is wonderful too. I have created a Japanese garden in my own garden."

We moved on to Harajuku.

Meiji Shrine was full of visitors.

I explained "about Shinto," "about torii gates," "about 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?"

We moved on to Roppongi.

We strolled through the shopping center within Roppongi Hills, then went up to the observation deck to enjoy the view of Tokyo.

They said, "Now we really understand how vast a city Tokyo is."

There were comments and questions such as "The city is clean and there's no litter on the ground," "The public restrooms are clean," "There are no trash cans on the streets — why is that?", "There are vending machines everywhere," and "What is Yokohama like?"

Finally, I saw them off at Daikoku Pier, where we parted ways.

Click here for more details: Tokyo in 1 Day from Yokohama by Car 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.