Tokyo in One Day: Kyobashi Station & Hatchobori Station — Guide Masa

What Is a Full-Day Private Tour of Tokyo Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Meiji Shrine, Harajuku, Shibuya, Asakusa, and Skytree

The guests were a group visiting Japan from North America. This was their first visit to Japan. They had arrived at Narita Airport three days earlier and were staying in Japan for eight days.

The main purpose of this visit was supported by a support organization, to fulfill the wish of one of the guests to come to Japan and meet character goods.

Their accommodation was in Maihama, and they came to the meeting point by taxi today. I had initially assumed they were staying at the meeting point, but when I checked at the hotel reception, I was told their names were not on the guest list. After contacting them via a messaging app and by phone, we were finally able to meet at the entrance on the first floor of the hotel.

Over the previous two days, they had visited several character goods stores in Tokyo. Tomorrow they plan a day trip to Mount Fuji and Hakone, after which they will enjoy the theme parks before returning home.

It was a tour under cloudy but hot and humid weather.

Following their wishes, we moved to Harajuku. First, we visited Meiji Shrine. I explained about Shinto, about torii gates, about Emperor Meiji, why sake barrels are displayed there, and why wine barrels are also displayed. There were questions such as "What kind of religion is Shinto?", "How is Buddhism different from Shinto?", and "Why did Shinto arise in Japan?"

We took a short break at the café terrace at Meiji Shrine.

After that, we took a leisurely stroll along Takeshita Street.

We then moved to Shibuya. From in front of the Keio Line platform, we looked out over the Scramble Crossing, and then actually crossed it. We also took photos in front of the Hachiko statue.

At the guests' request, we went for lunch. Since they wished to have Western food rather than Japanese food, we went to a Western restaurant inside Mark City.

We then moved to Asakusa. Starting from in front of Kaminarimon Gate, I explained about "Senso-ji 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 and various other spots, and strolled leisurely through the crowded Nakamise shopping street. There were questions such as "What are the main religions in Japan?", "How many Buddhists are there in Japan?", and "Besides Buddhism, what other religions do people believe in?"

Everyone drew omikuji fortunes, and some of the guests drew the "great blessing" and were delighted.

From here, we moved to Tokyo Skytree. I waited at the fifth-floor exit. The comment was, "We couldn't see Mount Fuji, but it was wonderful to see the full view of Tokyo. We could really understand how vast and expansive the city is."

There were comments and questions such as "The city is clean and there is no litter on the ground," "There are no trash cans on the streets. Why is that?", "The trains and subways are well maintained, and the air conditioning works well," and "There is no one speaking loudly."

I saw them off at the Keiyo Line platform at Hatchobori Station, where 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.