Tokyo: Daiba Station & Shibuya Station — Guide Masa

Title: What Can You See on a Full-Day Private Tour of Tokyo? A Licensed Guide's Report on Asakusa, Akihabara, Harajuku, and Shibuya

The guests were a group visiting Japan for the first time from North America. This was their first visit to Japan. They had arrived at Haneda Airport two days earlier and were staying in Tokyo for only a few days, after which they planned to visit relatives elsewhere in Asia for about a week before returning home. The day before, they had joined a day trip to Mount Fuji. The following day, they planned to visit a cathedral and Disneyland. Their request for today was, "We'd like to see the main spots in Tokyo." It was a clear but somewhat chilly day for the tour.

First, we headed to Asakusa. We started from in front of Kaminarimon Gate. I explained about "Senso-ji Temple and the history from Edo to Tokyo," "what the five-story pagoda is for," "what Buddhism is," and "the difference between Buddhism and Shinto." We took commemorative photos at various spots, including Kaminarimon and in front of the five-story pagoda, and strolled leisurely along the Nakamise shopping street. 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? Are there Christians?"

We then moved to Akihabara. I explained "the origins and history of Akihabara." They bought a large amount of Pokémon goods as souvenirs for their grandchildren. They also bought a large amount of traditional Japanese snacks at Don Quijote as souvenirs for their colleagues.

Next, we headed to Harajuku. At Meiji Shrine, I explained about "Shinto," "the torii gate," "Emperor Meiji," "why sake barrels are displayed," and "why wine barrels are displayed." There were questions such as "What kind of religion is Shinto?" and "How is Buddhism different from Shinto?" After a rest at the café terrace at Meiji Shrine, we strolled along Takeshita Street and Cat Street (as one of the guests wished to look at Japanese secondhand clothing stores).

From here, we moved to Shibuya. We actually crossed the Scramble Crossing, and there were questions such as "Why do so many people gather here?" and "Why did it become famous?" We took photos in front of the Hachiko statue and also strolled leisurely through Shibuya Center-gai. After this, the guests really wanted to eat yakitori, so we went to a yakitori restaurant in Shibuya. They relaxed and enjoyed some beer.

There were comments and questions such as "Unlike back home, the streets are clean and there's no litter," "There are no homeless people to be seen," "Is it safe to walk around late at night?", "Why are there no trash bins on the streets?", and "The public restrooms were beautiful and impressive. I'd like to buy a washlet to take home." They also mentioned that "Shinjuku was very noisy and hectic last night."

I saw the guests off at Daiba Station, and we parted ways.

Click here for more details: Tokyo Customized Full-Day Private Tour 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.