Tokyo: Asakusa Station & Ginza Station — Guide Masa

A Private One-Day Tokyo Tour for First-Time Visitors: A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests were visitors from Europe, and it was their first time in Japan. They had arrived at Haneda the previous evening on a direct flight and taken a private car to their accommodation.

This was part of a roughly two-week trip to Japan. They would stay in Tokyo for only a few days, then travel around Hakone, Kanazawa, Kyoto, Osaka, and Hiroshima, before flying from Kansai Airport to continue on to another destination in Asia. After touring around, they planned to return home, making it about a month-long holiday in total.

They mentioned that they wanted to enjoy a variety of Japanese cuisine.

It was a pleasant tour under clear skies and comfortable weather. They noted that winters in their home region are very rainy, so this weather felt refreshing and they had not experienced it in a while.

From the hotel, we walked through the main hall and the Nakamise shopping street to Kaminarimon Gate. It was extremely crowded.

I explained about "Senso-ji Temple and the history from Edo to Tokyo," "what a five-story pagoda is," and "the difference between Buddhism and Shinto." There were questions such as "Do all Japanese people believe in Buddhism?" and "What kind of teachings does Buddhism offer?"

There was a request to exchange a JR Pass coupon for tickets, so we went to the station travel concierge at Ueno Station.

From there, we went via Tsukiji Station to Hama-rikyu Gardens. (At Tsukiji Market, several shops were open and there were quite a lot of tourists.)

I explained about "the Edo period and the Meiji Restoration, and the history of Tokyo" and "the history of Hama-rikyu." They commented that it was wonderful to have such a large green park right in the center of the city. We watched a lion dance performance within the grounds.

From here we moved on to Tokyo Tower.

I explained about "Tokyo Tower" and "Tokyo Skytree." We were able to faintly see Mount Fuji. They said they now understood clearly how vast a metropolis Tokyo is.

There was a request to have sushi for lunch, so we went to a sushi restaurant in Shibuya. They said the sushi was far fresher and more delicious than what they had eaten at home, and reasonably priced as well.

We moved on to Meiji Shrine. A great number of worshippers had gathered, and we were stopped many times before reaching the main hall, so it took some time.

Again, I explained about "the Meiji Restoration," "Emperor Meiji," and "why wine barrels are displayed there." They said it was wonderful and refreshing that there was another place with so much greenery in the center of the city.

After this, we moved to Shibuya, experienced the Scramble Crossing, and took photos. We also took commemorative photos in front of the Hachiko statue.

Here too there were questions such as "Why are there so many people? Are they mostly Japanese, or are they travelers?"

They also commented that "Japanese people are all so polite," "the streets are clean and there is no litter," "why aren't there any trash cans?," "the subway is very well-designed and far more comfortable than back home," and "the public restrooms are clean and pleasant."

They wished to stroll around Ginza before returning to the hotel, so I saw them 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.