Tokyo: Tokyo Station & Shibuya Station — Guide Masa

Title: What Can You See on a Full-Day Private Tokyo Tour? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests were a group of visitors from North America, all visiting Japan for the first time. They arrived at Narita Airport the previous night after a connecting flight, then took the Narita Express to Tokyo Station. The night before, they had strolled around Ginza. They planned to stay in Japan for about two weeks, spending only two days in Tokyo before visiting Hakone, Hida-Takayama, Kanazawa, Kyoto, Osaka, and Hiroshima, and returning home after coming back to Tokyo.

They mentioned that they loved Japanese food, and today they wanted to visit as many spots as possible even in a short time. It was a tour under intense heat.

For some reason, they had specifically requested a visit to Shibamata, so we first headed to Shibamata in Katsushika. Unfortunately, most of the shopping street was closed, but I explained the history of Shibamata and the film series "Tora-san." The guests seemed familiar with the "Tora-san" films and took a leisurely stroll along the approach.

We then moved to Asakusa. Starting from the front of the Kaminarimon Gate, I explained the history of Senso-ji Temple and of Edo to Tokyo, what the five-story pagoda is for, what Buddhism is, and the difference between Buddhism and Shinto. We took commemorative photos in front of Kaminarimon and strolled slowly 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 believe in?"

We moved to Rikugien Garden. They said they had really wanted to see a Japanese garden. We strolled slowly through the grounds, and they commented that the greenery was beautiful and wonderful.

From here we moved to Shinjuku. I explained the origins and history of Shinjuku and the differences between the east and west sides of the station. We walked around and explored Kabukicho, the Godzilla Head, and Golden Gai. They said, "This area feels different from other neighborhoods."

Everyone loved sushi, so we went to the counter of a sushi restaurant. They seemed accustomed to sushi and ordered chirashi sushi. They remarked that, unlike sushi restaurants back home, the ingredients were fresh and the prices were extremely reasonable.

We moved to Harajuku and visited Meiji Shrine. I explained about Shinto, the torii gate, Emperor Meiji, and why wine barrels are displayed there. There were questions such as "What kind of teaching is Shinto?", "When did Shinto originate?", and "How many shrines are there in Japan?" We rested for a while at the cafe terrace at Meiji Shrine. We also strolled slowly along Takeshita Street.

Then on to Shibuya. First, we took photos looking down at Shibuya Scramble Square from the entrance to the Keio Inokashira Line platform, and then actually crossed the scramble intersection. There was a question of "Why do so many people gather here?" We also took photos in front of the Hachiko statue.

They offered various questions and comments, such as "Tokyo feels clean and extremely safe even at night," "There is no litter on the streets, which is very different from back home," "Why are there no trash cans on the streets?", "Tokyo's subway system is very well made," and "The public restrooms are wonderful."

I saw them off at Tokyo Station, where we parted ways.

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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.