Tokyo: Iidabashi Station & Shinjuku Station — Guide Masa

Title: What Can You See on a One-Day Private Tokyo Tour? A Licensed Guide's Report on Asakusa, Akihabara, the Imperial Palace, and Shinjuku

The guests were a group visiting Japan for the first time from Europe. About two weeks earlier, they had arrived in Japan and first traveled around the Kansai area, visiting Kyoto, Kanazawa, Osaka, Nara, and Hiroshima, arriving in Tokyo the previous evening. They planned to stay in Tokyo for the coming days before flying home. They also planned a day trip to Mount Fuji the following day.

The previous night, they had arrived at their planned accommodation near Shinsen Station but found it "far too cramped and dirty," so they suddenly changed their accommodation to a hotel near Iidabashi Station. They commented that they had stayed at similar accommodations in Kyoto and Kanazawa, and although those were small, they were tidy and comfortable. As a result, the meeting point was also changed.

Their request was: "Today we would like to visit as many spots in Tokyo as possible in a short amount of time." It was a tour under clear skies and intense heat.

Shortly after we set off, one of the guests felt unwell, so that person returned to the Hotel by taxi from Inaricho Station together with another member of the group. The tour continued with the remaining three guests.

First, we went to Asakusa, which was as crowded as ever with many tourists. Starting from the front of Kaminarimon Gate, I explained the history of Sensoji Temple and the transition from Edo to Tokyo, the purpose of the five-story pagoda, an overview of Buddhism, and the differences between Buddhism and Shinto. We took commemorative photos in front of Kaminarimon and strolled slowly through 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?"

As some of the guests were fans of Japanese anime, we next went to Akihabara, which was also crowded with many international tourists. I explained the history and current state of Akihabara. They purchased Pokemon cards and miniature Tomica cars.

We then moved to the Imperial Palace, where I explained the history of Edo, the transition from the Edo period to the Meiji era, the Meiji Restoration, why Edo Castle became the Imperial Palace, and why the capital moved from Kyoto to Tokyo. There were questions such as "What happened to the shoguns and samurai after the Meiji Restoration?", "Does the current Emperor of Japan hold political power?", and "How do Japanese people feel about the next Emperor?" We took photos in various spots around the East Gardens.

Since they said, "We would really like to eat sushi for lunch," we went to a sushi restaurant in Hibiya Chanter. Some of the guests each finished two full servings.

From there, we moved to Shinjuku. First, since they said, "We'd like to try some good sake — fine sake is hard to obtain in Europe," we visited the sake section of a department store. Afterward, we went to Kabukicho, where 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 Golden Gai, Kabukicho, the Godzilla Head, and Omoide Yokocho. They remarked, "This area feels different from other neighborhoods."

There were also comments and questions such as: "Tokyo feels clean and extremely safe, even at night," "Why are there no trash cans on the streets?", "The Tokyo subway is very well made — in Kyoto, the subway wasn't very useful," and "The public restrooms are wonderful."

Finally, I saw them off at Iidabashi 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.