Tokyo in Half a Day: Tokyo Tower & Imperial Palace — Guide Seizo
September, 2024
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
- 8:50 Meet up @ Hotel Okura Tokyo
- 9:30 Tokyo Tower
- 10:40 Meiji Shrine
- 11:50 Imperial Palace
- 13:00 Dismiss @ Hotel Okura Tokyo
Tour Itinerary in Detail
The tour started at 8:50 at @ Hotel Okura Tokyo and ended at 13:00. The day ran to 4 hours and 10 minutes from start to finish.
Over the course of the day the route took in Tokyo Tower at 9:30, Meiji Shrine at 10:40 and Imperial Palace at 11:50.
Travel between the sites was by public transport: Toranomon Hills to Kamiyacho by subway (600JPY); Kamiyacho to Meiji-jingumae by subway (0JPY); Meiji-jingumae to Nijubashimae by subway (0JPY); Hibiya to Toranomon Hills by subway (0JPY). Across 4 sections the fare came to 600JPY per person.
What Is a Private One-Day Tokyo Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Tokyo Tower, Meiji Shrine, and the Imperial Palace
The guests were visitors from North America. Some of the guests had been to Japan many times before, while it was a first visit for others in the group. After sightseeing in Tokyo, they planned to travel to Kyoto. At Tokyo Tower, the guests appeared impressed by the vast views over the city. At Meiji Shrine, they were moved by the quiet and solemn atmosphere and listened with great interest to explanations about Shinto and Emperor Meiji. At the Imperial Palace, they showed interest in explanations about the role of the emperor as well as the Edo shogunate and the Meiji Restoration. The temperature and humidity were very high today, and one of the guests said they had sweated a great deal and wished to return to the hotel soon to change clothes, so we cancelled the originally planned lunch and returned to the hotel.
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 | Toranomon Hills～Kamiyacho | 600JPY |
| Section 2 | Subway | Kamiyacho～Meiji-jingumae | 0JPY |
| Section 3 | Subway | Meiji-jingumae～Nijubashimae | 0JPY |
| Section 4 | Subway | Hibiya～Toranomon Hills | 0JPY |
| Total | 600JPY | ||
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does this Tokyo tour start and finish?
The guide met the guests at @ Hotel Okura Tokyo at 8:50, and the tour finished at @ Hotel Okura Tokyo at 13:00.
How long does the tour last?
About 4 hours and 10 minutes in total, from 8:50 to 13:00.
Which places does this itinerary cover?
This tour visited Tokyo Tower, Meiji Shrine and Imperial Palace.
How much did transport cost on this tour?
Public transport came to 600JPY per person across 4 sections. Transport fares are paid by the guests and are not included in the guiding fee.
Is the guide licensed, and what language is the tour in?
Seizo is a government-licensed national guide-interpreter of Japan and guided this tour in English. Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.) works with more than 1,000 licensed guides across all 47 prefectures. Not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association.
Can the itinerary be changed for my own trip?
Yes. This report describes one private tour as it actually ran. Every Tokyo itinerary is built around the guests, so the places, the pace and the starting point can all be changed before the tour.
I am Seizo Kamiuto, National Government Licensed Guide Interpreter (English). I was born in Kagoshima City in Kyushu (Southern part of Japan) and grew up there until the graduation from a high school. I came to Tokyo to enter a University in Tokyo and since then, I have lived in Tokyo for more than 40 years and therefore I know Tokyo and its suburbs and Kagoshima City very well. After retiring from an IT company, I have been working as a Guide Interpreter of English since March 2018. I have guided many overseas guests to the popular sightseeing spots in Tokyo, Kamakura, Mt. Fuji area (Kawaguchiko Lake etc.), Hakone, Nikko, Yokohama, Kawagoe and Kagoshima and so on. I have received good reviews from many guests. I can explain the history and the culture of Japan in detail. I look forward to an opportunity to guide you in Japan. Thank you. Seizo Kamiuto
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Seizo was a tremendously fabulous and friendly tour guide. He made us feel welcome and took great care to explain the tour and what we would be seeing during the day. It was a great way to see the city’s sights and a great help navigating the transit system. Loads of trains rides to get us to each new location.
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Had an amazing tour with Seizi Kaminto. He was very knowledgeable, easy going, great sense of humour and taught us a lot about Japanese culture and history. We all thoroughly enjoyed the tour and our guide Seizo. Would highly recommend.
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We had an excellent time with Seizo Kamiuto as our guide for Kamakura. He was an excellent guide for the whole day and it really made a difference with an experienced person who knew the area. He was very friendly and accommodating with our plans for Kamakura, including me picking out which temples and shrines to visit. He met us at our hotel in Asakusa and dropped us back off at the hotel even if it is an hour from Kamakura. He also recommended a great sushi restaurant that I would not have even known existed, even if I was looking straight at it. I would highly recommend bringing a guide like Seizo if you want to maximize your time in Kamakura to explore the area.
Our tour went to 3 places in the morning and 2 places in the afternoon. The morning places were a bit out of the way and less crowded, but were beautiful on their own. The morning places where Engakuji Temple, Meigetsu-in Temple (slightly out of season for September but some hydrangeas were still blooming and the temple itself was very beautiful with nature all around), and Kencho-ji Temple. The afternoon was in the busier places of Kamakura, but the crowds weren’t too bad. They were Hasedera Temple and the Giant Buddha of Kamakura Temple. Each place was different and pretty in their own ways.
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We had a great time learning about little Edo. Our guide, Mr. Seizo, was very knowledgeable, accommodating, and patient with the number of questions we had.