Tokyo in One Day: Asakusa Station & Shimbashi Station — Guide Masa

Title: What Can You See on a Private One-Day Tour of Tokyo? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests were visitors from North America, both visiting Japan for the first time. They had arrived this morning on a cruise ship and planned a full day of sightseeing in Tokyo. The cruise ship would later travel south along the Japanese archipelago to the Republic of Korea, after which the guests planned to fly home from Seoul. Tomorrow they planned to enjoy a tea ceremony experience and visit a capybara cafe. For today, their request was simply to be shown the main highlights of Tokyo.

Although the sky was cloudy, we managed to finish the tour without any rain. First, following their wishes, we headed to Asakusa, starting in front of Kaminarimon Gate. I explained the history of Senso-ji Temple and the transition from Edo to Tokyo, the purpose of the five-story pagoda, what Buddhism is, and the differences between Buddhism and Shinto. We took commemorative photos at Kaminarimon and various other spots, and strolled slowly through the Nakamise shopping street, which was crowded with school excursion students. 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 follow?"

After this, following their wishes, we went to Yanaka Ginza and Nezu Shrine. They said they were happy to see the old townscapes of Tokyo. At Nezu Shrine, a festival was taking place and it was extremely crowded. Spotting a family visiting for Shichi-Go-San, they asked what the purpose of such a visit was. We took photos many times in front of the torii gate, and I explained Inari shrines in detail.

We then moved to Harajuku and visited Meiji Shrine. I explained about Shinto, torii gates, Emperor Meiji, why sake barrels are displayed, and why wine barrels are also displayed. There were questions such as "What kind of religion is Shinto?", "How do Buddhism and Shinto differ?", and "Why did Shinto arise in Japan?" We took a break at the cafe terrace by Meiji Shrine, where the guests seemed to be getting tired.

After this, following their wishes, we moved to teamLab Planets Tokyo.

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. There were comments and questions such as "The streets are clean and there's no litter," "There are no trash cans around the city—why is that?", and "The subway is complicated but very well made."

I saw the guests off at Tokyo International Cruise Terminal Station, where we parted ways.

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.