Tokyo in Half a Day: Gotokuji Temple & Shinjuku — Guide Danda

What's a Private One-Day Tour of Tokyo Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Gotokuji, Meiji Shrine, and Shinjuku

The guests were visiting from North America. Since we had not been able to discuss the itinerary in advance, we decided on Gotokuji, Meiji Shrine, and Shinjuku when we met. They did not seem particularly interested in temples or shrines, but they appeared to enjoy the quiet and solemn atmosphere. At Gotokuji, they searched hard for the cat carved on the three-story pagoda, though they were not especially taken with the many beckoning cat figurines. However, they were drawn to the shape of the pine trees within the temple grounds, so I brought up the topic of bonsai, and it turned out they had once owned a single potted bonsai, which made for a lively conversation. They also enjoyed seeing the surrounding residential area lined with ordinary houses. At the next stop, Meiji Shrine, I had a hard time with questions about the sake barrels, such as "Which do you recommend, and which is sweet?" The guests liked sweet Japanese sake, so at our final stop, the Isetan department store in Shinjuku, they purchased sweet sake and plum wine. In the end, they enjoyed Shinjuku the most today. It seemed they preferred modern places where they could shop rather than traditional Japanese sites. I thought that if they had told me so from the start, I could have rearranged the course, but surprisingly, visiting shrines and temples turned out to be worthwhile in its own way (even though their reactions were subdued). They carefully filmed videos of the 3D cat and the Godzilla performance, and in Kabukicho we walked the usual course and enjoyed shopping. This time, when the topic of hostess clubs and host clubs came up, the two of them reacted with a "not interested, only you" kind of feeling, laughing and hugging each other, which was heartwarming. Finally, they asked me to walk them back to their accommodation, so we left Shibuya Station and, at a pedestrian bridge near the accommodation, they shook hands with me and said, "Thank you, we had a great time," and we parted ways. (It had been a while since I visited the west exit of Shibuya Station, and it had changed again due to construction, which is always a challenge.) It was a hot day, but I was fortunate to be able to guide effectively by making good use of the shade, so it was not too exhausting.

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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.