Tokyo: Yoyogi Station to Meiji Shrine — Guide Tomoya

September, 2026

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.

Tour Itinerary

  • 09:00　Pickup at the hotel
  • 10:00　From Yoyogi Station to Meiji Shrine.
  • 11:30　After the visit to Meiji Shrine, head to Harajuku Takeshita Street.
  • 12:10　Move from Harajuku to Shibuya. Head to Cosmo Planetarium.
  • 13:00　View the planetarium.
  • 13:40　After viewing the planetarium, lunch at Sushizanmai.
  • 15:00　Head to Nintendo Tokyo. Shopping.
  • 16:00　Eat ice cream at the ice cream shop on B2F of 109 and head back.
  • 17:00　Tour ends with a send-off at the hotel.

Title: What's a Private Family-Friendly Tokyo Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Meiji Shrine, Takeshita Street, and Nintendo Tokyo

The guests were a group visiting Japan for the first time from Oceania. Everyone was calm, friendly, and full of humor, and it turned out to be a fun tour filled with laughter from start to finish. Based on our correspondence beforehand, I chose spots matching interests such as Super Mario, space, and animals, and since many of the locations were indoors, we were fortunately only slightly affected by the rain.

At Meiji Shrine, a Shinto-style wedding ceremony happened to be taking place, which the guests watched with great interest, and they also enjoyed drawing omikuji fortunes. On Takeshita Street, some of the group purchased dolls and squishies. At the Cosmo Planetarium, they were moved by the production of the Japanese planetarium and the whole group enjoyed it together.

After a satisfying meal at a sushi restaurant, we headed to the highlight of the day, Nintendo Tokyo. The group carefully searched for goods related to their favorite character, Princess Peach, and were very pleased to successfully purchase souvenirs. Finally, everyone enjoyed ice cream together before heading back, and I saw them off to the Hotel and took my leave.

Click here for more details: Tokyo Customized Full-Day Private Tour with Licensed Guide

Transportation cost per person

No.TransportationRouteFare
Section 1TrainKinshicho～Yoyogi260JPY
Section 2TrainHarajuku～Shibuya160JPY
Section 3TrainShibuya～Kinshicho260JPY
Total680JPY

Tour Report by Tomoya

Hello, and welcome to Japan.
My name is Tomoya Kimura, and I will be your licensed guide for this tour.
It is a great pleasure to meet you.

I obtained my National Government Licensed Guide Interpreter qualification in February 2025.
I am actively participating in professional training programs and have recently started my guiding work.

Before becoming a guide, I worked for 13 years at a major Japanese trading company, specializing in international sales.
I also lived and worked overseas for a total of five years in Germany and Thailand.
Through that experience, I learned how to work closely with people from different cultural backgrounds, to understand their perspectives, and to build trust through clear and respectful communication.
I believe these skills are equally important when guiding guests from abroad.

I am also a passionate traveler myself and have visited around 40 countries so far.
My particular interests are Shintoism, Japan’s hot spring culture, and regional food traditions.
During our time together, I hope not only to show you places, but also to share the stories behind them like why hot springs are so important to Japanese people, and how local food cultures have developed over time.

I always try to adapt my guiding style to each guest’s interests and pace, so that you can feel comfortable, relaxed, and truly enjoy your time in Japan.
I hope this journey will leave you with lasting memories and a deeper connection to the places we visit.

Thank you very much, and I look forward to spending a wonderful time with you.

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Apr 18, 2026
N9452DMrebeccaa
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
A beautiful day in Tokyo
Tomo was wonderful and a great guide!

Mar 30, 2026
MarieC
Viator review: Tsukiji Food and Toyosu Market with Government-Licensed Guide
Tomoya was a fantastic…
Tomoya was a fantastic guide. Very knowledgeable…