Tokyo in Half a Day: Tochomae Station & Shinjuku Station — Guide Masa

Title: What's a Full-Day Private Tokyo Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Asakusa, Meiji Shrine, and Shibuya

The guests were a group visiting Japan for the first time from North America. They arrived at Haneda Airport last night via a connecting flight and took a taxi from Haneda to their hotel. Their trip includes an eleven-day stay in Japan, after which they plan to continue traveling to other destinations in Asia and North America before returning home. In Tokyo they would stay four days, then visit Hakone, Kyoto, Nara, and Osaka before flying out from Kansai Airport to another destination in Asia. Last night they explored the east side of Shinjuku.

The tour took place under cloudy skies with very hot and humid weather.

First, following their request, we headed to Asakusa. As always, it was extremely crowded. We started from in front of Kaminarimon Gate. I explained the history of Sensoji Temple and the development from Edo to Tokyo, the purpose of the five-story pagoda, what Buddhism is, and the differences between Buddhism and Shinto.

We first took commemorative photos in front of Kaminarimon Gate, then more photos in front of the five-story pagoda. We strolled leisurely through the Nakamise shopping street. There were questions such as "What are the major religions in Japan?", "How many Buddhists are there in Japan?", "Besides Buddhism, what other religions do people follow?", and "Are there Catholics in Japan?".

We then moved to Harajuku and visited Meiji Shrine. I explained about Shinto, the torii gates, Emperor Meiji, and why sake barrels are displayed, as well as why wine barrels are displayed. There were also questions such as "What kind of teaching is Buddhism?" and "How do Buddhism and Shinto differ?".

Because of the intense heat, we took a break for a while at a cafe near Meiji Shrine.

After that, we strolled through Takeshita Street and Cat Street, then headed to Shibuya. First, we took photos looking down at Scramble Square from the entrance of the Keio Inokashira Line platform, then actually crossed the intersection. There were questions such as "Why do so many people gather here?" and "Why did it become famous?".

We also took photos in front of the Hachiko statue. There were comments and questions such as "Japanese people are all quiet and polite," "The city is clean and there is no litter on the streets," and "Why are there no trash bins on the streets?".

They asked to be taken to Shinjuku Station, so I escorted them there, 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.