Tokyo: Shimbashi Station & Shibuya Station — Guide Masa

Title: What's a Full-Day Private Tour of Tokyo Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Asakusa, the Imperial Palace, Meiji Shrine, Harajuku, and Shibuya

The guests were a group visiting Japan from North America and Oceania. It was everyone's first visit to Japan. Both parties had arrived at Narita Airport and Haneda Airport the previous day, taking taxis to the hotel and meeting up there. This time, the guests were staying in Japan for a period of time. They would stay in Tokyo for several days, then visit Kanazawa, Kyoto, Osaka, and Hiroshima, before returning to Tokyo and heading home. "We've been looking forward to seeing the cherry blossoms," they said. Although the sky was cloudy, we were spared any rain, and the tour took place in surprisingly warm weather.

First, we headed to Asakusa. We started in front of Kaminarimon Gate. I explained "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 in front of Kaminarimon and the five-story pagoda. The weeping cherry blossoms in the temple grounds were beginning to fall. We slowly strolled through the crowded 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?" There was also a question: "We see many people wearing kimono in the temple grounds. Why is that? Are they all Japanese?"

We moved to the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace. The cherry blossoms were nearly in full bloom. I explained "the history of Japan from Edo to Meiji," "the Meiji Restoration," "why Edo Castle became the Imperial Palace," "the history of the Imperial family," "World War II and the Tokyo air raids," and "how the stone walls were built." There were questions and comments such as "Does the current Emperor of Japan hold political power?" "Who will be the next Emperor?" and "Can a woman become Emperor?"

We took the Tozai Line to Kudanshita. We slowly strolled along Chidorigafuchi. Although the cherry blossoms were beginning to fall, the area was crowded with many tourists. We also saw the fallen cherry tree that had appeared in the news. We walked to Hanzomon Station.

We moved to Harajuku. Meiji Shrine was full of tourists. I explained "about Shinto," "about torii gates," "about 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 do Buddhism and Shinto differ?" We came across a wedding procession, which the guests eagerly photographed. We also encountered a family celebrating "Shichi-Go-San," and, with their permission, took photos as well. We took a break at "Forest Terrace Meiji Jingu." We also strolled through the very crowded "Takeshita Street" and "Cat Street."

We moved to Shibuya. We actually crossed the Scramble Crossing. There were questions such as "How many people cross here?" and "Why did it become famous?" We also took photos in front of the Hachiko statue and strolled through Shibuya Center Street. There were comments and questions such as "The city is clean and there's no litter on the ground," "The public restrooms are clean," "There are no trash cans on the streets. Why is that?" "Everyone is quiet on the trains," and "There are vending machines everywhere."

Finally, I saw the guests off at Ginza 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.