Tokyo: Tochomae Station & Shinkyo bus stop — Guide Masa

Title: What Is a Private Day Trip from Tokyo to Nikko Like? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests were a group visiting Japan for the first time from Oceania. They arrived at Narita Airport via a connecting flight and traveled to Shinjuku by the Narita Express, on a trip of about two weeks in Japan. Since arriving, they had explored central Tokyo, including a theme park, Shibuya, and Shinjuku, and had also enjoyed a day trip to Mount Fuji. From the following day they planned to continue to Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, and other places, eventually flying home from Kansai Airport. Today they said they wanted to see and enjoy "Japanese history and the atmosphere of a regional area."

It was a clear but chilly day for the tour. We met at a hotel in Shinjuku and headed from Asakusa toward Nikko. On the way, I explained "the origins and history of Nikko," "the Edo period, and the Edo period in relation to Tokugawa Ieyasu," and "the five highways and the system of alternate attendance (sankin-kotai)."

First, we took a bus from Tobu-Nikko Station to central Nikko. We walked around Rinnoji Temple, where a goma fire ritual was being performed, and we observed it for a while. I explained "about Buddhism" and "Buddhism in relation to Shinto." At Rinnoji, the guests admired the Japanese garden and took their time photographing it.

From there we continued on foot to Nikko Toshogu Shrine. Despite it being a weekday, it was quite crowded with large tour groups from overseas. We went around the Yomeimon Gate, the main hall, and the "crying dragon" in turn. The "three wise monkeys" and the "sleeping cat" seemed to be particular favorites, and the guests spent a lot of time photographing them. Regarding the "three wise monkeys," they mentioned they had heard about them beforehand.

We then walked to Nikko Futarasan Shrine. The guests said, "The avenue of cedar trees is wonderful. This is a landscape we could never see back home," and strolled slowly around the grounds.

We walked to the entrance of the West Approach. The guests said they wanted some coffee, so we took a break at a cafe. After resting, we walked on to Kanmangafuchi Abyss. Along the way, snow remained on the road, so we could only proceed slowly, stopping here and there to take photographs.

We walked back to the entrance of the West Approach and headed to the Shinkyo Bridge. At Shinkyo, for some reason there were few tourists, so we were able to take our time photographing various spots.

After that, we took a short break, then took a bus to Tobu-Nikko Station. The guests commented, "Nikko is cold," and "Toshogu is completely different from the Japanese shrines we've seen so far. It is very lavish and highly decorated. Very interesting." They also remarked, "Everywhere you go in Japan, there is no litter on the ground; it's clean. It's completely different from back home."

On the way back, the guests mostly napped in the vehicle. I saw them off from Asakusa Station via Ueno-Okachimachi Station to Tochomae Station, where we parted ways.

Click here for more details: Nikko Day Trip from Tokyo: Customized Tour, 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.