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

  • 8:30 Guide arrives at hotel lobby
  • 9:00 Meet customer at hotel lobby
  • 9:20 After meeting with customer, depart hotel and head to Tochomae Station on foot
  • 9:35 Depart Tochomae Station, take the subway Oedo Line via Daimon Station, then the subway Asakusa Line to Asakusa Station
  • 10:16 Arrive at Asakusa Station, head to Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center on foot
  • 10:20〜10:30 Guide through the 8F observation deck of Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center
  • 10:30〜11:40 Guide through Sensoji Temple and Nakamise Shopping Street
  • ※Guide through Kaminarimon Gate, Nakamise Shopping Street, Hozomon Gate, Five-Story Pagoda, Giant Straw Sandal, Omikuji (fortune slips), Incense Burner, Temizuya (purification fountain), Main Hall, Asakusa Shrine,
  • and a matcha ice cream shop
  • 11:44 Depart Asakusa Station, take the subway Ginza Line to Shibuya Station
  • 12:18 Arrive at Shibuya Station
  • 12:20 〜12:45 Guide through Shibuya Scramble Crossing and Hachiko
  • 12:50〜13:50 Lunch at Shibuya Hikarie
  • 14:04 Depart Shibuya Station, take the JR Yamanote Line to Harajuku Station
  • 14:06 Arrive at Harajuku Station, head to Meiji Jingu Shrine on foot
  • 14:10〜14:35 Guide through Meiji Jingu Shrine's First Torii, Sake Barrels, and Second Torii
  • 14:35 Depart Meiji Jingu Shrine
  • 14:40 Guide through the Omotesando entrance and the Harajuku Takeshita Street entrance
  • 14:46 Depart Harajuku Station, take the JR Yamanote Line via Yoyogi Station, then the subway Oedo Line to Tochomae Station
  • 15:01 Arrive at Tochomae Station, head to the hotel on foot
  • 15:05 Arrive at hotel lobby, greet customer and finish work

Title: What Is a Private One-Day Tokyo Tour of Asakusa, Shibuya, and Harajuku Like? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests, who had arrived in Japan from North America the day before, thoroughly enjoyed today's tour. It rained from the morning, but at the Nakamise shopping street near Senso-ji Temple the guests purchased T-shirts as souvenirs, and they took many photos at various spots in Senso-ji, Shibuya, and Harajuku.

We visited Senso-ji Temple, Asakusa Shrine, and Meiji Shrine, and the guests learned about the differences between temples and shrines, the proper way to worship at each, and how to pass through a torii gate. Since the guests and I were around the same stage of life, we were able to talk about a wide range of topics during the tour — not only the climate, food, and family, but also economics, social security, health insurance, life insurance, and hobbies — and I enjoyed it very much myself.

A notable stop on the tour was Meiji Shrine. Meiji Shrine is one of Tokyo's most important Shinto shrines, dedicated to the spirits of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken. Set within a vast forest of around 100,000 trees donated from across Japan, the shrine offers a peaceful retreat in the heart of the city. Visitors often pass beneath its large wooden torii gates and may witness traditional ceremonies, making it a meaningful place to experience Japanese spiritual culture.

Transportation cost per person

No.TransportationRouteFare
Section 1SubwayTochomae~Asakusa280JPY
Section 2SubwayAsakusa~Shibuya260JPY
Section 3TrainShibuya~Harajuku160JPY
Section 4TrainHarajuku~Tochomae340JPY
Total1,040JPY

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)

Sep 29, 2026
jeffbM3390PI
Nuobo was awesome as our Tokyo tour guide.
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skipcooney
Customized private tour of Tokyo
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Sep 22, 2026
duncans746
Great guide!
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Sep 13, 2026
Culture25230012656
Very knowledgeable
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