Tokyo Customized Half-Day Tour — Guide Lance

October, 2025

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

  • 1.900-910 subway to Ohtemachi
  • 2.910-1020 Imperial Palace East Gardem
  • 3.1020-1030 subway to Nezu
  • 4.1030-1200 Nezu and Yanaka area　
  • 5.1200-1220 JR railway and subway
  • 6.1220-1310 Asakusa

Title: What's a Private Walking Tour of Tokyo Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Ginza, the Imperial Palace, Yanaka, and Asakusa

We met at a very refined hotel on Marronnier Street in Ginza 1-chome, where boutiques such as Vuitton and Bulgari line the street. The guests were visitors from Oceania. They had come to Japan four times for family ski trips to Niseko and Furano. Although some of the guests had visited Otemachi many times for work, this was their first sightseeing trip. I was asked why the capital was moved from Kyoto to Tokyo during the Meiji period, and I explained that the northern domains had fought on the side of the shogunate, so the new government needed to be placed in Edo to keep them in check. At the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace, I was asked why the keep of Edo Castle burned down for the third time, and I explained that a monk had tried to burn the kimono of a young woman who had died of a broken heart as a memorial offering, when a strong wind blew and the fire spread all the way to Edo Castle. Both of the guests really enjoyed the Asakura Museum of Sculpture in Yanaka. At Yanaka Cemetery, I was asked about sotoba, and I explained that they originally derived from towers built over the graves of kings in India, but since commoners could not build towers, they were simplified. At the Nitenmon Gate in Asakusa, I was asked whether what Zochoten is holding is a flashlight (it does indeed look somewhat similar), and I explained that it is a ritual implement used in ceremonies. One of the guests, who had worked at a bookshop, told me that many translations of Japanese books are published in Oceania, and showed me that they were currently reading "Butter" by Asako Yuzuki. One of the guests walked extremely fast — the first guest ever to walk faster than me.

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

Transportation cost per person

No.TransportationRouteFare
Section 1SubwayGinza～Ohtemachi (Tokyo)180JPY
Section 2SubwayOhtemachi (Tokyo)～Nezu180JPY
Section 3TrainNippori～Ueno150JPY
Section 4SubwayUeno～Asakusa180JPY
Total690JPY

Tour Report by Lance

I have been working as a tour guide once a week since 2024.
I grew up in Osaka and studied in Kyoto,
I have been working for the lvestock division of the national organization of agricultural cooperatives.
Japan depends on imports for most of its livestock feed ingredients.
I visited 10 countries on business and stayed in New Orleans working for a subsidiary company for 3 years.
I visited 10 other countries with my wife for sightseeing.
I also started writing Haiku, Japanese traditional poem, after retiring.
One of my favorite is ” Bundled up, you are like a Matryoshka.”
Looking forward to see you!

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Sep 24, 2026
benoitlJ9021HN
Perfect guide tour in Tokyo
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Lance was very nice…

Sep 19, 2026
H1282JBkarinas
Great tour with Lance from Japan Guide Agency!
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Sep 10, 2026
Silver_F
amazing 8-hour walking tour with Lance!
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Jul 4, 2026
317roxaneh
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Great time in Tokyo!
We had a great day with Lance! He…