Tokyo: Shibamata & Harajuku — Guide Danda

What Is a Full-Day Private Tour of Tokyo's Shibamata, Yanaka, Shinjuku, and Harajuku Like? A Licensed Guide's Report

I guided a group of three guests visiting from North America. The itinerary paired contrasting areas: Shibamata and the Nezu-Yanaka district in the first half, and Shinjuku and Harajuku in the second half. Since they had already toured Kyoto with a guide and had a certain amount of background knowledge, I shared a lot of information in a question-and-answer format, partly to confirm and build upon what they already knew. When I asked questions, they would answer while recalling, saying "Well, let me see…," smiling with delight when they got it right, and listening carefully to understand when it was new information. One of the guests had studied Japanese at university for two years, and the group showed great interest in everything, including Japanese culture and history.

Of all the places we visited, the carvings at Shibamata Taishakuten received the highest praise. At first they weren't taking photos, so when I said "It's fine to take pictures," they ended up photographing every single carving. The absence of color apparently gave off a calm atmosphere, and they rated it highly as "a temple to my taste." As an unusual question, they asked "Why are the edges of the building painted white?" I couldn't answer, so I immediately asked the ticket window staff, who said it was for insect repellent (though when I looked it up at home, it turned out to be for corrosion prevention). They were also very curious that the building is made of Japanese cypress and the carvings of zelkova wood, and why that was the case. The Suikei-en garden viewed from the traditional Japanese house was also well received as splendid, though the garden at Yamamoto-tei, ranked third in a U.S. ranking, may not have impressed them as much (perhaps because they had just seen Suikei-en). Still, when we took a break and sat on the tatami, for some reason two of the guests persevered in the formal seiza kneeling position.

After that, they were startled by an emergency earthquake alert during lunch, purchased a special autumn goshuin seal stamp at Nezu Shrine, happily bought a yukata at a kimono shop charging 1 yen per gram at Yanaka Ginza, laughed at the movements of the 3D cat in Kabukicho, were delighted by the Godzilla Head performance, admired the wonderful view of Omotesando from Harakado, and finally collected the station stamp at Harajuku Station (I apologized for forgetting to get one at Nippori Station), ending the tour. At the host club billboard advertisement in Kabukicho, I used my usual line, "Which host is your favorite?" and while one of the guests was seriously trying to decide, another guest offered a nice bit of support, saying "No, that's not it! It's him, right!" In this way, I was able to spend a fun full day together with this close-knit group of three.

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Tour Report by Danda

Nice to meet you. I am delighted to introduce myself. My nickname is Danda. I live in Saitama prefecture next to Tokyo, but I was brought up in Kanazawa, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Japan. My favorite things are bonsai and hiking. Also, I have been a big fun of history and sumo since my childhood. As for the guide, I have enjoyed making communication with foreign visitors since 2019. I have taken more than 30 private groups to not only major scenic spots but also their favorite places such as tea ceremony, maid cafe, sumo tournament, bonsai village, fire ritual and so on. I can arrange the original tour based on your requests and curiosity. It will be only for you. I look forward to meeting you soon. Thank you.