Tokyo in Half a Day: Meiji Shrine — Guide Naoki
December, 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. Not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association.
Tour Itinerary
- 11:00 Meet at the hotel, Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center 8th floor observation terrace
- 12:30 Tsukiji, tour the outer market, lunch at Sushi Cho
- 14:00 Visit Meiji Shrine
- 15:00 Disband at Shibuya Station
Tour Itinerary in Detail
This private tour of Tokyo began at 11:00, when the guide met the guests at hotel, Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center 8th floor observation terrace, and finished at 15:00. The day ran to 4 hours from start to finish.
From there the group visited Tsukiji, tour the outer market, lunch at Sushi Cho at 12:30 and Meiji Shrine at 14:00.
Travel between the sites was by public transport: Asakusa to Tsukiji by train (210JPY); Tsukiji to Ebisu by train (210JPY); Ebisu to Harajuku by train (150JPY); Harajuku to Shibuya by train (150JPY). Across 4 sections the fare came to 720JPY per person.
Title: What's a Full-Day Private Tour of Tokyo Like on the First Day in Japan? A Licensed Guide's Report
The guests were a group visiting from North America. It was their first time in Japan. They arrived at Haneda on a direct flight at 5:00 a.m. and said they had slept on the plane, so sightseeing would be no problem. Since they expressed an interest in history and culture, I guided them on foot to Asakusa while showing them the Kappabashi Kitchenware Street. From the observation terrace on the 8th floor of the Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center, we looked out over the town while I gave an overview of Japanese history. Since they would also be staying in Tokyo the following day and were lodging in Asakusa, I suggested visiting Nakamise the next day, and they agreed. At Tsukiji, we explored the outer market and they enjoyed some strawberry daifuku. For lunch, I told them there are places locals go to as well, and since they wished to avoid the bustle of the outer market, we ate at Sushi Cho. They ordered a nigiri set and commented that it was "very delicious." In particular, everyone praised the minced tuna gunkan-maki. For the move to Meiji Jingu, we used the Hibiya Line, and since they seemed a little tired, I arranged things so they could sit for as long as possible. (Since they were able to get seats, I changed the transfer point to Ebisu instead of the planned Hibiya.) Meiji Jingu was very well received, and one of the guests collects goshuin, so I helped with purchasing a goshuin book. Everyone looked at the goshuin designs and said they were "very nice." After that, they wanted to return to the hotel, so I guided them to use the Ginza Line from Shibuya. I explained that since Shibuya is the starting station, they could be sure to get seats, and that it was about a 30-minute ride with no transfers to Tawaramachi, the station nearest the hotel. The weather was good and the climate warm, and I believe they enjoyed their first day tour in Japan.
Click here for more details: Tokyo Customized Half-Day Tour with Licensed Local Guide
Transportation cost per person
| No. | Transportation | Route | Fare |
| Section 1 | Train | Asakusa～Tsukiji | 210JPY |
| Section 2 | Train | Tsukiji～Ebisu | 210JPY |
| Section 3 | Train | Ebisu～Harajuku | 150JPY |
| Section 4 | Train | Harajuku～Shibuya | 150JPY |
| Total | 720JPY | ||
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does this Tokyo tour start and finish?
The guide met the guests at hotel, Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center 8th floor observation terrace at 11:00, and the tour finished at Shibuya Station at 15:00.
How long does the tour last?
About 4 hours in total, from 11:00 to 15:00.
Which places does this itinerary cover?
This tour visited Tsukiji, tour the outer market, lunch at Sushi Cho and Meiji Shrine.
How much did transport cost on this tour?
Public transport came to 720JPY 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?
Naoki 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.
English / Guide in English and German / Guiding areas are in Tokyo, Yokohama and my home town Okayama. (Since I’m based in Tokyo, I might not be able to guide in Okayama, depending on the timing.) My profile in German follows!
First of all, thank you very much for your taking time to have a look at my profile. My name is Naoki Shimono. Naoki would be fine. I’m a certified tour guide in English and German. After long years of work at Japanese electronics manufacturer, always in charge of international marketing, I’m focusing on tour guide and interpreter. As of now, I did tour guide more than 50 times in English and more than 50 times in German. Not only in Tokyo but also other cities, such as Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, Hakodate, Niigata, Shimizu, Fukuoka, Kagoshima, Naha etc. It is always a big pleasure for me to show around Japan to guests from abroad. I’m looking forward to seeing you in Japan!
Deutsch / Reiseleiter auf Deutsch und Englisch / In Tokio und Yokohama sowie in meiner Heimatstadt Okayama. (Da ich in Tokio ansässig bin, kann ich je nach Zeitpunkt möglicherweise nicht in Okayama als Reiseleiter tätig sein.)
Zunächst einmal vielen Dank, dass Sie sich die Zeit genommen haben, mein Profil anzusehen. Mein Name ist Naoki Shimono. Naoki wäre schön. Ich bin zertifizierter Reiseleiter in Englisch und Deutsch. Nach langjähriger Tätigkeit bei einem japanischen Elektronikhersteller, wo ich stets für das internationale Marketing verantwortlich war, konzentriere ich mich nun auf die Reiseleitung und Dolmetschertätigkeit. Bisher habe ich über 50 Mal auf Englisch und über 50 Mal auf Deutsch als Reiseleiter gearbeitet. Nicht nur in Tokio, sondern auch in anderen Städten wie Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, Hakodate, Niigata, Shimizu, Fukuoka, Kagoshima, Naha usw. Es ist mir immer eine große Freude, Gästen aus dem Ausland Japan zu zeigen. Ich freue mich darauf, Sie in Japan zu sehen!
Oct 16, 2025
Songqi_L
Highly recommend!
Viator review: Okayama Full-Day Private Trip with Government-Licensed Guide
Naoki san is a great guide. He’s very friendly, adaptive,…
Oct 16, 2025
Songqi_L
Highly recommend!
Viator review: Okayama Full-Day Private Trip with Government-Licensed Guide
Naoki san is a great guide. He’s very friendly, adaptive, and helpful. We ended up touring not only inside Okayama, but also Kurashiki area. And after knowing that I wanted to check out Kibitsu shrine and Naoshima island, he spent time writing down how to go to those places very carefully after our day trip. The additional help was much appreciated!
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Oct 11, 2025
Gizelle K
Wonderful Experience
Tripadvisor review: Okayama Half-Day Private Trip with Government-Licensed Guide
A very organise tour, from the prompt pick up…
Oct 11, 2025
Gizelle K
Wonderful Experience
Tripadvisor review: Okayama Half-Day Private Trip with Government-Licensed Guide
A very organise tour, from the prompt pick up at meeting place (train station) to drop off at
our accommodation. Our guide, Naoki has wealth of knowledge regarding the area and it’s
history, he covered a lot of ground in an allocated 4hr time frame.