Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
December, 2024
Tour Itinerary
- 11:00 Meet at Parman Tamachi lobby. After asking about their planned stay in Japan, things they're interested in, and places they'd like to visit, we decided to first go to Meiji Shrine and Harajuku, then to Asakusa Sensoji Temple, and set off. If time remains, we'll reconfirm after finishing the first two and proceed from there.
- 12:00 Had them purchase a subway all-day common ticket, so that from the next day when they move around by themselves they can use it as a reference. Arrived at Meiji-jingumae Station from Toei Mita Station by transferring subways three times. At the same time, at Tamachi Station I also taught them how to use the JR Yamanote Line.
- 12:00-13:00 Guided them around Meiji Shrine.
- 13:00-14:35 Guided them from Meiji Shrine to Takeshita Street. They became interested in the print club on Takeshita Street, so we made purikura photos there. Next, since they said they wanted to fill their stomachs a little, we bought crepes at SANTA MONICA CREPE. They really liked Takeshita Street and said they wanted to come again the next day (December 30) to visit animal cafes, so I taught them all the locations of animal cafes (cats, Shiba Inu, otters, hedgehogs). Also, since they said they wanted to do fashion shopping, I told them about LAFORET, and finished Harajuku, then headed to Sensoji Temple by subway.
- 15:10 Arrived at Asakusa. During the trip they mentioned they wanted to buy matcha to take home, so right after getting off at Asakusa Station we went to Masudaya and purchased matcha. Also, since you can drink matcha for 500 yen, they said they wanted to drink it, so they enjoyed matcha for a while inside the shop. After finishing, we went to Nakamise Street. First they liked "Yoroshi Keshodo" and purchased hand cream and other items. Next, at a chopstick shop they purchased chopsticks with their names engraved. After that, they worshipped at the main hall, photographed the koi at the stone bridge, and viewed the Danjuro bronze statue at the Sensoji backyard. Since they said they couldn't purchase tickets for the New Year Asakusa Kabuki online, I took them to Asakusa Public Hall and tried to purchase, but all advance tickets were sold out and they said to line up for same-day tickets from 10 AM on January 2, so when I conveyed this, they said they would try coming on the 2nd. After finishing at the Public Hall, since they said they wanted to eat dango, we returned to Kannon Street, entered "Kanmi Mitsuya," and they tasted three kinds of dango. By the time we had done all that it was 4:30 PM, and when I asked what they'd like to do with the little time remaining, they asked, "We have a reservation at the sushi restaurant Kyubey for 7 PM, but should we return to the hotel? Or should we go directly?" So I boarded the Ginza Line intending to take them to Ginza where Kyubey is located and say goodbye. However, since Kyubey has several branches in the city, when I had them show me the Kyubey reservation screen in the subway car, it was not the Ginza Kyubey but the New Otani Kyubey, so instead of getting off at Ginza we got off at Akasaka-mitsuke Station and I took them to the 2nd floor of the New Otani Main Tower.
- 17:30 Said goodbye at the New Otani.
What's a Private Tour of Tokyo Like from Meiji Shrine to Asakusa? A Licensed Guide's Report The guests were visitors from North America who arrived at Haneda in the early morning. They were staying in Japan for about two weeks, and their interests ranged from history to anything related to youth culture. They were bright and cheerful, having just finished their studies. In the end, the tour covered Meiji Shrine, Harajuku, Nakamise Street, and the Asakusa area. In Harajuku, the guests discovered a photo sticker booth for the first time and spent about 30 minutes there, ate crepes, and looked around LAFORET. In Asakusa, they bought matcha, drank it, and purchased hand cream and chopsticks. They also asked at the public hall whether they could get tickets for the Asakusa New Year kabuki performance starting on the 2nd, then enjoyed dango, and were delighted with everything, repeatedly exclaiming "COOL, COOL." The guests had contrasting personalities, one outgoing and one more reserved, which perhaps was exactly why they got along so well and were on very good terms, making them a cheerful and lively group that was a pleasure to guide. I asked where they wanted to go on their own the following day, and I shared as much information as I could about each place, starting with how to get there. They said they had a wonderful time, so I parted from them with peace of mind.
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Transportation cost per person
| No. | Transportation | Route | Fare |
| Section 1 | Subway | Mita Station～Meiji-jingumae Station | 900JPY |
| Section 2 | Subway | Meiji-jingumae Station～Asakusa Station | 0JPY |
| Section 3 | Subway | Asakusa Station～Akasaka-mitsuke Station | 0JPY |
| Total | 900JPY | ||
I acquired national guide license in 2014, and I have been doing guide work full fledged since 2016. In my career before starting guide work, I was a business man and made more than 1,000 business trips both abroad and in Japan, and that experience is my foundation as a guide because I came to know so many places both abroad and in Japan. I have been taking care of both group and individual tourists, and the number of foreign guests I have taken care is close to 2,500 so far. I am based in Tokyo, but I can cover guide work in many prefectures throughout Japan. When I take care of foreign guests, my major concern is to listen attentively to them, find out what they want to know and do in Japan, and give them appropriate guiding in accordance with what I heard from my guests. I would like to provide tailor made tour as much as possible for every precious guest who kindly chose Japan as the tour destination.
Aug 1, 2025
8
898kendrap
Great first day in Tokyo!
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Asai, our tour guide, made our…
Aug 1, 2025
8
898kendrap
Great first day in Tokyo!
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Asai, our tour guide, made our first day in Tokyo so memorable and enjoyable! He shared his knowledge and love for the city as he showed us around. We now understand how to navigate the train system, and he even left us a list of how to explore other areas of the city by train. Our tour was a fun way to get acquainted with this amazing city!
Jul 14, 2025
Anette_V
Perfect
Viator review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Our guide Minoru Asai was very friendly and knowledgeable about culture,…
Jul 14, 2025
Anette_V
Perfect
Viator review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Our guide Minoru Asai was very friendly and knowledgeable about culture, history and
society. He picked and showed us more than We expected. Also he was good Company for
both me, my husbond and our son aged 22.
Jun 30, 2025
liammL2246HL
Amazing experience
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
We had an amazing private tour with Minoru Asai! We…
Jun 30, 2025
liammL2246HL
Amazing experience
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
We had an amazing private tour with Minoru Asai! We loved seeing all of the sights on the tour and Minoru was extremely knowledge about all things in Tokyo and else-wear in Japan. We were able to adjust the stops due to the heat (it was up to 35C!) and Minoru had great suggestions for things to check out. Highly recommend!
Jun 26, 2025
394milesd
Excellent guide making an excellent day in Tokyo
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
A perfect day, tailored…
Jun 26, 2025
394milesd
Excellent guide making an excellent day in Tokyo
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
A perfect day, tailored to our needs (and the weather) and delivered so attentively by our guide Minoru Asai. He was in contact in advance of the day to understand our interests, and advised us on practicalities and remained flexible throughout the day as required. His knowledge, and passion, for the history of Tokyo made the day! Could not have asked for more.
