Tokyo in Half a Day: Higashi-ginza & Tsukiji — Guide Masa

Can You Do a Private One-Day Tokyo Tour Before a Yokohama Cruise? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests were a group visiting from Oceania, all of whom were visiting Japan for the first time. Their main purpose in coming to Japan was a 12-day cruise departing from the Port of Yokohama starting the day after next. They were staying in Tokyo for two days before the cruise departure. They had arrived at Narita Airport the previous night, transferring from the Skyliner to the subway to reach their Hotel. Since they arrived late the previous night, they had simply bought food at a convenience store for their meal.

It was a pleasant tour under clear, comfortable weather.

However, the group could not easily agree among themselves, and before departure there was a bit of a disagreement about whether to go to Hamarikyu Gardens or Shibuya, which was eventually settled by deciding on Hamarikyu Gardens. Along the way, the members of the group somehow kept spreading apart, and it took some effort to keep everyone together.

First, we went to Asakusa. As always, it was very crowded. I explained about "Sensoji Temple and the history from Edo to Tokyo," "what the five-story pagoda is," "what Buddhism is," and "the difference between Buddhism and Shinto." We took commemorative photos in front of Kaminarimon Gate and the five-story pagoda. Some of the guests bought a large number of amulets.

There were questions such as "How many Buddhists are there in Japan?" "What other religions do people believe in?" and "How often do people who believe in Buddhism go to temples? Do they visit every week?"

We strolled slowly through the Nakamise shopping street. One of the guests bought a hat "because it was hot." However, they had a hard time deciding, and it took quite a while before finally settling on one.

We then moved to the Imperial Palace. First, we walked through the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace. There were questions such as "It's a shame we can't see the cherry blossoms" and "When is the best time to see the cherry blossoms?" I explained about "the history from the Edo period to the Meiji era," "the Meiji Restoration," "why Edo Castle became the Imperial Palace," and "an overview of the current Imperial Family."

There were also questions such as "Does the Emperor of Japan hold any political power?" and "We'd like to take photos of the Imperial Palace. Why can't we go inside the palace?"

From Tsukiji Station, with the Tsukiji Outer Market on our left, we moved to Hamarikyu Gardens. The guests said, "We wanted to see a beautiful Japanese garden."

There were also comments such as "Japanese people are all quiet and polite" and "The streets are clean and there is no litter scattered around."

As the guests said, "We're a bit tired and would like to return to the hotel," I saw them off at Higashi-Ginza Station, and we parted ways.

Click here for more details: Tokyo Customized Half-Day Tour with Licensed Local 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.