Tour Itinerary
- 10:00 Meeting place: Hotel Metropolitan Tokyo Ikebukuro
- 10:10 Depart Ikebukuro Station
- (JR Yamanote Line)
- Ebisu Station
- (Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line)
- 11:00 Tsukiji Station
- Tsukiji Tsukiji Outer Market
- 12:00 Depart Tsukiji Station
- (Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line)
- Hibiya Station
- (Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line)
- 12:30 Arrive Otemachi Station
- Tokyo East Gardens of the Imperial Palace
- 13:30 Depart Otemachi Station
- (Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line)
- 14:00 Arrive Meiji-jingumae Station
- Harajuku Meiji Shrine
- Break: Forest Terrace Meiji Jingu
- Takeshita Street
- Omotesando
- 15:00 Depart Meiji-jingumae Station
- (Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line)
- Omotesando Station
- (Tokyo Metro Ginza Line)
- 15:10 Arrive Shibuya Station
- Shibuya Scramble Crossing
- Hachiko Statue
- Shibuya Center Street
- 15:40 Depart Shibuya Station
- (JR Yamanote Line)
- 16:00 Arrive Ikebukuro Station
- 16:00 Disband: Ikebukuro Station
Title: What Can You See on a Private One-Day Tour of Tokyo? A Licensed Guide's Report The guests were two groups of friends visiting Japan from Europe. It was everyone's first visit to Japan. This time they were traveling in Japan for about two weeks, with the main purpose being a cruise around Japan departing from Yokohama Port. They had arrived at Narita Airport late the previous evening via Dubai and taken a taxi to their hotel. They mentioned that they had been to Southeast Asia before but that this was their first time in Japan. Today their request was to be shown the main spots of Tokyo. It was a sunny day, almost too hot, for the tour. First, we went to Tsukiji. Despite it being a day when the market was closed, it was very crowded. I explained the history of the fish market dating back to the Edo period, as well as the difference between Toyosu Market and the Tsukiji Outer Market. There were questions and comments such as, "Do all Tokyo residents come here to buy fish?" and "It's crowded, but it looks like there are a lot of tourists." They said they wanted to try something, and in the end they purchased and sampled tuna sushi. We moved on to the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace. I explained the history of Japan from the Edo to the Meiji period, the Meiji Restoration, why Edo Castle became the Imperial Palace, the history and current situation of the Imperial family, World War II and the Tokyo air raids, and how the stone walls were built. There were questions such as, "Does the current Emperor of Japan have political power?" "Who is the next Emperor?" "Can a woman become Emperor?" and "Can we not see the Imperial Palace directly?" There was also a question about how the stones for the walls were transported. Next we went to Meiji Shrine. I explained Shinto, the torii gate, Emperor Meiji, why sake barrels are displayed, and why wine barrels are displayed. There were also questions such as, "What kind of religion is Shinto?" "How does Buddhism differ from Shinto?" and "Why did Shinto arise in Japan?" We took a break at the café terrace at Meiji Shrine. We also strolled along Takeshita Street and Omotesando. We 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 was a question about why so many people gather there. There were also comments and questions such as, "The city is clean and there's no litter on the ground," "There are no trash cans in the city. Why is that?" and "The subway is extremely well made. It's quiet inside the cars." I saw them off at Ikebukuro Station, where we parted ways. A notable stop on the tour was Meiji Shrine. Meiji Shrine is a Shinto shrine in central Tokyo dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his consort. Set within a large forested area of planted trees, it offers a peaceful contrast to the surrounding city and is one of the most visited shrines in Japan, especially during the New Year period. Visitors pass through large wooden torii gates on the approach to the main shrine buildings.
Click here for more details: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Transportation cost per person
| No. | Transportation | Route | Fare |
| Section 1 | Train | Ikebukuro～Ebisu | 210JPY |
| Section 2 | Train | Ebisu～Tsukiji | 210JPY |
| Section 3 | Other | Tsukiji～Otemachi (Tokyo) | 180JPY |
| Section 4 | Train | Otemachi (Tokyo)～Meiji-jingumae | 210JPY |
| Section 5 | Train | Meiji-jingumae～Shibuya | 180JPY |
| Section 6 | Train | Shibuya～Ikebukuro | 210JPY |
| Total | 1,200JPY | ||
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.
Jul 21, 2026
Christelle_G
Viator review: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Excellent tour guide
Masa san is extremely knowledgeable and…
Jul 21, 2026
Christelle_G
Viator review: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Excellent tour guide
Masa san is extremely knowledgeable and lovely company. My 13-yr-old daughter and I had a great day walking around the sites we had picked with him. He tooks his time to explain all the history and then kindly walked us to the spot of our next booking as it was quite confusing. I would very highly recommend him. Of all the tours we did in Tokyo Masa Sam was my favourite tour guide.
Jul 1, 2026
97TexAg
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 8hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Amazing day in Tokyo
Masa was our tour guide. Masa was an…
Jul 1, 2026
97TexAg
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 8hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Amazing day in Tokyo
Masa was our tour guide. Masa was an amazing tour guide that communicated extremely well ahead of time about the sites we would like to see in Tokyo, picked us up and dropped us off at our hotel, was very friendly and well prepared and finally but most importantly made our day in Tokyo very memorable.
We went to the Buddhist temple in Asakusa, Meiji Shinto Temple, imperial Palace, Shinjuku Gyoen National Gatden, and Shibuya Crossing. All were great and amazing suggestions by Masa.
Would highly recommend this tour as it was a private tour guide for a full day and provided discretion on which 5-6 sites you want to see. Also highly recommend our tour guide Masa who was a wealth of knowledge and very friendly and charming.
15/10 would do again.
Jun 2, 2026
Tagare S
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Great tour and guide!
This is a great tour, and our…
Jun 2, 2026
Tagare S
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Great tour and guide!
This is a great tour, and our guide, Masa was really great. Although it was raining, he had no
hesitations in completing his tour and showing us great places around Tokyo. If you are still
on the fence about this, please don’t, you won’t regret it. Thank you, Masa!
Jun 1, 2026
Lisa_A
Viator review: Private Tokyo Tour with Licensed Guide & Vehicle (Max 15 persons)
Adler Family Tour
Our tour with Masa was…
Jun 1, 2026
Lisa_A
Viator review: Private Tokyo Tour with Licensed Guide & Vehicle (Max 15 persons)
Adler Family Tour
Our tour with Masa was incredible and filled with interesting facts and history, he gave us incredible insight on each location. We loved that we were able to choose 3-4 sites from a large selection and really spend enough time at each spot. Masa was kind and knowledgable and even helped us with a restaurant reservation for later in the evening when were unable to find one.
