Tokyo: Takanawa/Hotel & Shiodome — Guide Masa

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

The guests were a group visiting from North America, all on their second trip to Japan. They had arrived at Haneda Airport the previous day and taken a taxi to their Hotel. Their first visit to Japan had been a ski trip to Hokkaido three years earlier. They would stay in Tokyo until the following day, then travel through Kyoto, Nara, and Osaka before departing from Kansai International Airport. Today, their request was simply to "take a quick look at the famous sights of Tokyo." For the next day, they had planned a "Tsukiji Market tour" in the morning and "shopping in Ginza" in the afternoon. The guests preferred to go at their own pace, so it was a tour that required considerable attentiveness on my part. It was a tour under clear skies.

First, we headed to Asakusa. Although it was the first day of the Sanja Matsuri festival, we were able to approach by car and it was not too crowded. In the car, I explained about "the history and significance of Tokyo."

We started from the front of Kaminarimon Gate. I explained about "Sensoji 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 Kaminarimon, in front of the five-story pagoda, and at various other spots. We strolled slowly along the Nakamise shopping street, which was extremely crowded (full of overseas tourists). There were questions such as "What are the main religions in Japan?", "How many Buddhists are there in Japan?", and "How about Christians?" There was also a question: "We see many people wearing kimono within the temple grounds. Why is that? Are they all Japanese?"

In front of Nitenmon Gate, we boarded the minivan and moved to Tawaramachi.

We strolled slowly along Kappabashi Kitchen Town. I explained about "the history of the street." One guest's target was "kitchen knives," while another was interested in a full set of "tea ceremony utensils." After browsing several shops, they ended up purchasing large quantities of items such as "kitchen knives," "high-quality chopsticks," "toothpicks," "chopstick rests," "tea whisks," "matcha," and "matcha bowls."

We moved to Tokyo Tower. I explained about "the history of Tokyo Tower" and "the difference from the Skytree." We were able to catch a faint view of Mount Fuji. The guests remarked, "Now we really understand that Tokyo is a city spread out over a wide area."

We moved to Hamarikyu Gardens. I explained about "the history of Hamarikyu" and "duck hunting." We strolled slowly through the gardens. There were comments such as "We love Japanese gardens" and "We are fond of the pine trees."

There were comments and questions such as "Tokyo is clean, with no litter on the streets," "Many people dress neatly," "There are no trash cans on the streets. Why is that?", and "There are vending machines everywhere." Also, "Japanese convenience stores are convenient and well-stocked," and "We are fond of the egg sandwiches."

Finally, I saw them off at the entrance of their Hotel and we parted ways.

Click here for more details: Tokyo Customized Private Tour 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.