Tokyo in Half a Day: Imperial Palace & Shinjuku — Guide Noripy
September, 2026
This is a private guided tour report by Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.), a network of 1,000+ government-licensed, English-speaking local guides across all 47 prefectures of Japan.
Tour Itinerary
- 8:00 Meet up @ in front of Akasaka Hikawa-cho Park Mansion
- 8:25 @ Imperial Palace (Sakuradamon, Nijubashi/Main Gate)
- 9:00 @ Imperial Palace East Gardens
- 10:00 @ Asakusa (Sensoji Temple, Nakamise Shopping Street, Asakusa Shrine, Shin-Nakamise Shopping Street, West Approach)
- 12:00 @ Shinjuku
- 12:10 Disband @ in front of Nishi-Shinjuku Aoki
Can You Do a Private Full-Day Tokyo Tour of the Imperial Palace and Asakusa? A Licensed Guide's Report
The guests were visiting Japan for the first time from North America. They had already traveled to Kyoto, Osaka, and Hiroshima, and this was a full day of Tokyo sightseeing before their departure the following day. During an earlier Tokyo tour in the first half of their stay, one of the guests had suffered heat exhaustion and felt unwell. We planned the itinerary around the guests' wishes, including places they had missed at that time. Since the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace open at 9:00 a.m., we started the tour at 8:00 by first accessing the Sakuradamon Gate of the Imperial Palace, then strolling past the Nijubashi Bridge, the Main Gate, and the Otemon Gate before arriving at the East Gardens. Because rain was falling intermittently, they chose not to climb up to the former castle keep foundation, but afterward their spirits gradually rose with the shopping in Asakusa. At a knife shop (a cutlery store on the Shin-Nakamise shopping street), each of them spent time listening to the staff's explanations and purchased two knives. They also bought many souvenirs, including a sushi magnet, Kit Kats, T-shirts, and stationery such as notebooks and memo pads. The capybara cafe they had hoped to at least glance at was closed, as Tuesday is its regular holiday, and they took a photo of the sign's description. As for street food, one of the guests said they loved steamed pork buns, so before boarding the subway to head from the East Gardens to Asakusa, they bought a juicy pork bun at a convenience store and ate it on the spot, looking very satisfied. In Asakusa, at a popular melon bread shop I had introduced near the west approach entrance, they shared and enjoyed a melon bread filled with cream.
Above all, one of the main events in Asakusa was this: the spot where the heat exhaustion incident had occurred was right in front of a ground-level exit of the Ginza subway line, and they reunited with the rickshaw puller who had helped support the emergency response at that time. They thanked that person wholeheartedly, saying "Thank you!!!" many times, and handed over a small gift of appreciation. After Asakusa, the guests seemed anxious about the meeting point for a food tour they had booked in Shinjuku right after this tour, so I ended up guiding them there, leading them to a spot near the west exit of Shinjuku Station before we parted ways.
Click here for more details: Tokyo Customized Half-Day Tour with Licensed Local Guide
Transportation cost per person
| No. | Transportation | Route | Fare |
| Section 1 | Subway | Roppongi～Kasumigaseki (Tokyo) | 180JPY |
| Section 2 | Train | Takebashi～Asakusa | 210JPY |
| Section 3 | Subway | Asakusa～Kanda (Tokyo) | 180JPY |
| Section 4 | Train | Kanda (Tokyo)～Shinjuku | 210JPY |
| Total | 780JPY | ||
Hello, I’m Noripy.
I am a lively woman in my 60s who loves having fun. My charm lies in my bright and approachable personality. Drawing on over 30 years of international experience, I began working as a tour guide in 2023. I have conducted over 100 tours annually, ensuring that my clients enjoy Tokyo and its surrounding areas. I have received high praise from a wide range of customers, from teenagers to people in their 80s. I cater to solo travelers, couples, newlyweds, families, and groups of up to about 10 people. Living in the heart of the city, I actively guide tours primarily in Tokyo. In addition to being certified in English, one of my strengths is being able to communicate effectively in Spanish as well.
I’m looking forward to meeting you all in Tokyo!
Sep 10, 2026
Sonal_G
Noripy is just the best
Viator review: Tokyo Vegetarian and Halal Food Private Tour with Licensed Guide
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Sep 10, 2026
Sonal_G
Noripy is just the best
Viator review: Tokyo Vegetarian and Halal Food Private Tour with Licensed Guide
Noripy is such a great guide and just a wonderful human being that felt like an old friend. We had first visited Tokyo eight years ago, so we had not planned on getting a tour, but we felt like we got both a Food Tour and a cultural tour with her and we were so grateful for both. My daughter is moving to Japan, and so we were excited to be here but we were disappointed that we had not been able to find vegetarian food as easily. Noripy had tips and tricks and language she suggested we use and helped us with our first vegan ramen which was excellent. I highly recommend anything you can do with a Noripy, you should run and go do it! She trained at Boston University and international relations, and had ties with both my daughters from her schooling which tickled us with delight. She is a spry woman and the kindest soul and I’m so glad our paths crossed as Tokyo came to life through her welcoming eyes. We were nervous about going on this tour because we had a bad experience with a different tour with someone else the night before, but she restored our faith in humanity and tour guides and that was a tall order.
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It was a GREAT TOUR with Noripy! With a family of many different ages and walking levels this was fantastic. We were picked up from our cruise in Yokohama and dropped off at Haneda airport. We had about 10 hours before our flight and it went flawlessly.
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Alec T
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Noripy was excellent! She guided us through…
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Alec T
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Noripy was excellent! She guided us through several parts of the city: Imperial Palace, Tokyo Station, Tokyo Tower, Sangedatsumon, Zojo-ji, Meiji Jingu, and Golden Gai. A great way to see many Tokyo sites and get acquainted with the city on your first day!
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Hema_R
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Lovely experience. My…
Lovely experience. My guide was an absolutely adorable lady who managed to fit all the iconic Tokyo spots into my 6-hour tour without anything feeling rushed. She was knowledgeable, organised, and genuinely kind. Toward the end she even helped me with some shopping, which I really appreciated. A wonderful introduction to Tokyo and a guide I’d happily recommend….