Tokyo in One Day: Remm Plus Ginza — Guide Danda

What Is a Private Yamanote Line Loop Tour of Tokyo Like? A Licensed Guide's Report

[Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.)](https://www.j-g-a.org/) guide led a private tour circling almost the entire Yamanote Line in Tokyo for guests visiting from Europe. This was a two-day advance assignment with the meeting point undecided, so I am very grateful to [Japan Guide Agency](https://www.j-g-a.org/) for their support on this occasion. By email the guests requested, "We are not interested in shrines and temples; we would like to be shown around the city streets," which is why the destinations above were chosen (I later learned at our meeting that this was because they had already been to Kyoto). Still, this was my first tour that so completely excluded shrines and temples. The guests spoke quietly to each other in a reserved tone, there were few moments of laughter, and there were not many questions, so to be honest it was a challenging tour to guide.

Since the guests walk quickly, we were able to visit many places, but at times one of them would say things like "Let's come back here again," "Let's try making a reservation even if it's a long shot," or "I'll recommend this to friends," so today it might be more accurate to say I gave directions rather than guided. They recorded each place we visited on Google and checked the names of the shops, so I think it also served as advance research for coming back on their own from tomorrow onward. In Akihabara, for a friend who collects Pokémon cards, they took a photo of a card worth two million yen and sent it right away. They did not show much interest in maid cafés, but they seemed to like the figure and anime goods shops and the shops in Yanaka overall, and said they would like to come back.

Because they keep a Ragdoll at home, they love cats. Both of them waited until 3:00 p.m. to film the 3D cat, and then at the pet shop they walked straight past the dogs and stared intently at the cats (it is rare to meet people with so little interest in dogs). On Takeshita Street they went up to the cat café on the third floor and watched from outside. When we stopped by the rooftop garden of Harakado in Harajuku, they were also filming videos the whole time. Interestingly, they had not taken any photos of themselves until then, but seemingly having taken a liking to the place, they tried taking a commemorative photo for the first time.

At our final stop in Shibuya, while I was explaining the way back to the Hotel, I filmed the Shibuya crossing from the second floor of Mark City, and when I explained the Ichiran ramen we passed on the way to the Pokémon Center, they decided to have dinner there, and we parted ways at Parco. At the farewell, one of the guests smiled for the first time and said "thank you," which left a strong impression on me. Everywhere was extremely crowded today and I was quite tired, but the guests were in great spirits throughout the day.

Click here for more details: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide

Tour Report by Danda

Nice to meet you. I am delighted to introduce myself. My nickname is Danda. I live in Saitama prefecture next to Tokyo, but I was brought up in Kanazawa, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Japan. My favorite things are bonsai and hiking. Also, I have been a big fun of history and sumo since my childhood. As for the guide, I have enjoyed making communication with foreign visitors since 2019. I have taken more than 30 private groups to not only major scenic spots but also their favorite places such as tea ceremony, maid cafe, sumo tournament, bonsai village, fire ritual and so on. I can arrange the original tour based on your requests and curiosity. It will be only for you. I look forward to meeting you soon. Thank you.