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. Not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association.
Tour Itinerary
- 10:30〜11:00
- When we met, I was consulted that since they had booked the Shinkansen, Kintetsu Railway, and Odakyu Railway themselves for this 14-day trip to Japan, they wanted to confirm them and go to the stations if necessary. I planned the tour incorporating sightseeing and station stops, and we departed.
- 11:00〜11:45 Sensoji Temple. Since they are staying at a nearby hotel, they said they would like to come back on their own later.
- 11:45〜12:20 Traveled by subway.
- 12:30〜12:45 Mrs. Diane could not walk due to the heat, fatigue, and stomach pain, and said she wanted to rest. She collapsed onto the lawn on the way to Nijubashi. We rested there.
- 12:45〜13:15 We sat on a bench near a tea stand, and she had coffee and a banana she had brought. She said she had not eaten anything all day.
- She recovered and started walking again.
- 13:15〜13:40 Nijubashi
- 13:40〜14:00 Tokyo. I guided them on the Shinkansen boarding area and how to board within Tokyo Station, which they will use the day after tomorrow.
- 14:00〜14:20 Tokyo/Shinjuku
- 14:20〜14:40 Shinjuku Station. At the Odakyu Romancecar counter, I showed the reservation form and asked for instructions. I explained that they would need to display the QR code themselves, and they understood.
- 14:40〜14:50 Shinjuku/Shibuya
- 15:00〜15:30 I guided and showed them the Shibuya crossing and the building in Shibuya that is the meeting point for the food tour they plan to join the day after tomorrow.
- 15:35 I guided them once again to the Ginza Line subway platform. They said they would use Shibuya/Asakusa to return to their hotel on their own.
- At the Ginza Line station entrance, I thanked them for joining this tour, said goodbye, and took my leave.
Title: What Is a Private Walking Tour of Tokyo's Imperial Palace Area Like? A Licensed Guide's Report
The guests arrived at Narita Airport the previous day after a long journey and had only managed to sleep three or four hours. Since some of the guests had not eaten anything all day, they felt unwell, and while walking to the Nijubashi Bridge, one of them almost collapsed and lay down to rest on the grass. We sat together and rested there for a while. Afterward, they took a break at a cafe beside the Kusunoki statue, having some coffee and Japanese tea. They ate a banana they had brought for breakfast and recovered their energy.
Fatigue, the heat, and a stomachache had left them feeling unwell, which was worrying.
I have permission to post the photos.
They booked with us because a friend had used the service on this site last year and had a great experience, and recommended it. The photo is from Shibuya Station.
They plan to travel from Tokyo to Nagoya and Ise, then on to Kyoto, Osaka, and Okinawa, before returning to Tokyo, staying two nights in the Fuji-Hakone area, then returning to Tokyo to head home. It is a long trip. Take care!
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 | Asakusa～Nijubashimae | 290JPY |
| Section 2 | Train | Tokyo～Shinjuku | 210JPY |
| Section 3 | Train | Shinjuku～Shibuya | 170JPY |
| Total | 670JPY | ||
Hello! How are you?
I am a National Licensed Tour Guide Interpreter, Yumiko Komatsu. Nick name is coco.
I have started this guide job since 2014. I live in Tokyo, but I was born in Matsumoto. I guided many places throughout Japan, from Hokkaido to Okinawa. I guided and am interested in Japanese Art, pop culture, Manga, Japanese landscape, Japanese history, culture, religions and Japanese custom. In Tokyo there are a lot of things you need to visit such as Asakusa temple, Shrine, Team labo, food, Shibuya, and Akihabara. Every place is changing on everyday in Tokyo. I will get you updated information and I hope that you may enjoy your staying in Tokyo. Shall we go?
Mar 22, 2025
Deborah_S
Amazing Day in Toyko
Viator review: Private Tokyo Tour with Licensed Guide & Vehicle (Max 15 persons)
What an amazing experience…
Mar 22, 2025
Deborah_S
Amazing Day in Toyko
Viator review: Private Tokyo Tour with Licensed Guide & Vehicle (Max 15 persons)
What an amazing experience so worth it. Coco from JGA was an unbelievable tour guide so knowledgeable and spoke English well. She even came with a flip chart so we could understand some of Japan history. The driver was so accommodating always there to pick us up so there was no waiting on our part. I had gotten injured before our trip to Japan so required a wheelchair. They made sure to drop off at wheelchair acccessible spots, accompanied us to best entrances inside buildings, helped with tickets, paying vendors etc, and took wheelchair in and out of car. They made an undoable trip so convenient , comfortable and a wonderful experience. The car was clean, comfortable and plenty of room for each person.
Suggestion: very important … spend time researching what sites you want to see and researching how long by car it takes to get to each spot. We saw Sensoji temple, sky tree, imperial palace, Meiji jingu Temple. Choose 8:00 or 9:00 tour to get to Sensoji temple early before crowds. We just did a quick walk through (NY city pace)as we went back on our own later but wanted to understand the history. There was very low volume before 9:30 but after the sea of people was unbelievable. Meiji Jingu temple was our favorite. Would skip sky tree or do it on drop off only as even if you rush it is hard to get through it with the lines for elevators in under 1.5 hours.
Amazing Amazing thank you!!!!!
Oct 15, 2024
David_S
Tokyo Highlight Tour with private guide
Viator review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
We enjoyed seeing Tokyo with Coco.…
Oct 15, 2024
David_S
Tokyo Highlight Tour with private guide
Viator review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
We enjoyed seeing Tokyo with Coco. My friend had one day to see Tokyo. We saw a lot of the highlights with Coco. She mapped out an itinerary based on our interests. Highlights included Senso Ji, Meiji Jingu Shrine, Shibuya Crossing, Imperial Palace, Takeshita Street, Nezu Shrine and Shinjuka. We also gained a better understanding of the Tokyo subway system. Coco also helped map out to the subway to get to future destinations. Highly recommend this tour and especially Coco.
Oct 9, 2024
961harlanh
Coco is a great Tokyo tour guide
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
I had a great experience…
Oct 9, 2024
961harlanh
Coco is a great Tokyo tour guide
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
I had a great experience with my tour guide Coco. She was very insightful and friendly. I
really enjoyed the tour with her and I think she is a great tour guide and she gave me a
great information about Tokyo and made my trip much more enjoyable.
Oct 3, 2024
Dreamer43508203689
Tokyo highlights – Imperial Palace, Fish Market, Rotation Sushi lunch, Takeshita Street.
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide…
Oct 3, 2024
Dreamer43508203689
Tokyo highlights – Imperial Palace, Fish Market, Rotation Sushi lunch, Takeshita Street.
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Our guide Coco worked with us to create an itinerary that highlighted many of Tokyo’s top destinations. She was very professional, informative, warm and friendly. We particularly appreciated that she began communicating with us about tour options days before we arrived in Tokyo. Our tour with Coco was a great start to our stay in Tokyo.