This is a private guided tour report by Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.), a network of 1,000+ government-licensed, English-speaking local guides across all 47 prefectures of Japan. Not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association.

Tour Itinerary

  • The meeting place for the day was changed from the Hotel to in front of the Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center in front of Kaminarimon in Asakusa.
  • 9:30 Guide (Kogure) arrives in front of the Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center
  • 10:00 Meet the guests in front of the Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center
  • 10:00–10:10 Guided tour of the observation deck on the 8th floor of the Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center
  • 10:10–11:15 Guided tour of Kaminarimon, Nakamise-dori, Hozomon, the Five-Story Pagoda, the giant straw sandals, omikuji, incense burner, purification fountain,
  • the main hall, Asakusa Shrine, and Sawawa (matcha ice cream)
  • 11:20 Depart Asakusa Station, head to Shibuya Station via the Ginza subway line
  • 11:55 Arrive at Shibuya Station
  • 11:55–12:25 Guided tour of Shibuya Crossing, Hachiko, and Shibuya Miyashita Park
  • 12:30–13:20 Lunch at Shibuya Hikarie (Rikyu)
  • 13:32 Depart Shibuya Station, head to Harajuku Station via the JR Yamanote line
  • 13:34 Arrive at Harajuku Station, walk to Meiji Shrine
  • 13:40–14:15 Guided tour of Meiji Shrine (sake barrels, the second torii gate, waka poems, purification fountain, main hall, etc.)
  • 14:15 Depart Meiji Shrine, walk to Harajuku Takeshita Street
  • 14:20–14:40 Guided tour of Harajuku Takeshita Street, guests shopping
  • 14:40–14:55 Guided tour of Omotesando
  • 14:58 Depart Meiji-jingumae Station, head to Nijubashimae Station via the Chiyoda subway line
  • 15:11 Arrive at Nijubashimae Station, walk to the Imperial Palace Outer Garden
  • 15:15–15:35 Guided tour of the Imperial Palace Nijubashi
  • 15:49 Depart Hibiya Station, head to Shibuya Station via the Hibiya subway line, transferring at Omotesando Station
  • 16:10 Arrive at Shibuya Station. The guests said they were going to Tower Records Shibuya, so guided them to near Shibuya Hachiko and said goodbye. Work completed.

Title: What's a Private One-Day Tokyo Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Asakusa, Meiji Shrine, and Harajuku

The guests, visiting Japan for the first time from North America, greatly enjoyed today's tour. At the guests' request, we changed today's meeting point from the Hotel to Asakusa to save time, and perhaps because we had exchanged several detailed emails beforehand, the guests were delighted when we met in front of the Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center. At Sensoji Temple, the guests drew omikuji fortunes and were pleased to both receive good fortunes. They also enjoyed a delicious matcha ice cream within the temple grounds.

At Sensoji Temple and Meiji Shrine, the guests learned the differences between temples and shrines, the respective ways of worship, and how to pass through a torii gate. They liked the vast grounds and tranquil quietness of Meiji Shrine, as well as the expansive black pines of the Imperial Palace Outer Garden.

On Takeshita Street in Harajuku, the guests shopped for items such as T-shirts and hats. They took photos at various spots.

The guests were accustomed to walking and had no trouble at all getting around using public transportation, so I was actually able to guide them to several places within the allotted time.

Transportation cost per person

No.TransportationRouteFare
Section 1SubwayAsakusa~Shibuya260JPY
Section 2TrainShibuya~Harajuku160JPY
Section 3SubwayMeiji-jingumae~Nijubashimae210JPY
Section 4SubwayHibiya~Shibuya180JPY
Total810JPY

Hello and how do you do?
My name is Nobuo Kokure, and please call me Nobby for short, if you want.
Let me introduce myself. I was born in Hayama, a beach resort area, Kanagawa prefecture, south of Tokyo. And I’m now living in Saginuma, Kawasaki city.
When I was a university student, I had the opportunities of doing a home stay with a family In U.S.A., Australia, and England, as a youth exchange student.
After graduation from the university, I started working at American Life Insurance Company, Japan (Alico, Japan), which is a group member company of AIG, now MetLife Insurance Company. I could have a chance to visit the head office and the field offices of U.S.A., Wilmington in Delaware, New York, Boston, Chicago, Fort Lauderdale in Florida, Los Angeles, while I was working for Alico, Japan (Now, MetLife Insurance company).
I had been working for MetLife Insurance Company for about 38 years, in total.
After retiring from the life insurance company, I started working as a tour guide, because I wanted to become a tour guide to introduce culture, history, and manners and customs of Japan in English. It’s so different between my previous job and the guide business, but I like guide business a lot.
I can meet so many people from all over the world and the guide business has been thriving after the pandemic.
I have implemented the tour over 240 times, introduced Japan to more than 4300 tourists from 53 countries.

Not only Tokyo, but I have experienced touring around Nikko, Kamakura, Mt. Fuji & Hakone area, Takayama, Kanazawa, Nagoya, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, and Hiroshima, etc. which are all very famous as a tourist spot in Japan.
If you go on a tour in Tokyo, you must see and visit Asakusa Sensoji Temple which is the oldest Buddhist Temple in Tokyo with histories and Nakamise Shopping Street where you can buy the souvenirs and try to taste Japanese sweets, such as doll cake which is the sponge cake in various shapes filled with red bean paste and Japanese powdered tea ice cream. Another my recommendation in Tokyo to visit is Meiji Shrine, Harajuku, and Shibuya. Meiji Shrine is one of the biggest shrines in Japan with quiet and peaceful atmosphere and magnificent site.
Harajuku and Shibuya are both fun to visit for shopping and experience the Shibuya Crossing.
I usually propose my tentative itinerary and ask if my plan is all right with the customer or not. My hobby is traveling around Japan and foreign countries and going to the gym for exercise.
I would like to work as a guide as long as possible if I’m in good health and my legs are strong, because I love this job.
I put my importance on the mind of OMOTENASHI which means sincere hospitality, though safety during the tour takes precedence, number one priority, before anything else.

I’m very looking forward to seeing you and touring with you in Japan soon.
Thank you!

Best regards,

Nobuo Kokure (Nobby)

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