Tokyo in One Day: Tokyo Station & Shibuya Station — Guide Masa

Title: What Is a Private Tokyo Sightseeing Tour Like at a Gentle Pace? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests were a group visiting Japan for the first time from North America. Both were staying in senior care residences back home. The previous evening they had arrived at Haneda Airport by flight and taken a taxi to their hotel.

One of the guests had discomfort in the right leg and was scheduled to undergo surgery after returning home. For this reason, the tour proceeded at a slow pace, prioritizing the use of elevators.

The main purpose of this visit was a 12-day cruise around Japan starting the following day. After the cruise made its final stop in Tokyo, the guests planned to enjoy three more days of sightseeing in Tokyo before flying home. They expressed a wish to see cherry blossoms if possible.

The tour took place under cloudy skies with strong winds.

The guests very much wanted to buy a Suica card, so we first went to the travel concierge at Tokyo Station. After obtaining it, we headed to Hamarikyu Gardens. I explained the history of the gardens and the history of Edo and Tokyo. The guests commented, "Japanese gardens are wonderful," and mentioned that there is a Japanese garden back home where a gardener comes from Japan once a year to maintain it.

We then moved to Tokyo Tower. Being mindful of the guests, we walked slowly from the station to Tokyo Tower. Unfortunately, the air was hazy, so the surrounding views were not very clear, and we were unable to see Mount Fuji. The guests remarked, "I now understand that Tokyo is a city that spreads out widely."

From here, at the guests' request, we visited the Nezu Museum, as one of the guests had worked at museums for a long time. The comments were, "The exhibitions are very thoughtfully arranged and wonderful," and "I was deeply moved by the Japanese garden and the tea house."

We took a short break at a nearby coffee shop.

We then moved to Shibuya and actually crossed the Scramble Crossing. There were questions such as "About how many people cross here?" and "Why did it become so famous?" We also took photographs in front of the Hachiko statue.

There were various comments and questions, such as "The streets are clean and there is no litter," "The public restrooms are clean," "There are no trash bins on the streets. Why is that?" "Everyone is quiet on the trains," and "There are vending machines everywhere."

I saw the guests off at their hotel, and the tour concluded.

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.