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

  • 9:45 Guide arrives at Toyama Century (meeting place: 7-3-36 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo)
  • 10:00 Meet the guests at the meeting place
  • 10:10 Depart from the meeting place, walk to Higashi-Shinjuku Station
  • 10:20 Depart from Higashi-Shinjuku Station, take the Toei Oedo Line toward Aoyama-itchome via Tochomae
  • 10:50 Depart from Aoyama-itchome Station, take the Ginza Line toward Asakusa Station
  • 11:18 Arrive at Asakusa Station
  • 11:25-12:20 Guide through Sensoji Temple, Nakamise Street (Hozomon Gate, Five-Story Pagoda, Big Straw Sandal, Omikuji fortune, incense burner, purification fountain, main hall, Asakusa Shrine, Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center 8F observation deck)
  • 12:30-13:30 Lunch at Yakiniku Heiseien Asakusa Main Store restaurant
  • 13:36 Depart from Asakusa Station, take the Ginza Line toward Shibuya
  • 14:10 Arrive at Shibuya Station
  • 14:10-14:30 Guide through Shibuya Scramble Crossing and Hachiko
  • 14:30 End at Shibuya Station

Title: What Is a Private 4-Hour Asakusa and Tokyo Walking Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests were a group from Europe visiting Japan for the first time, arriving after traveling in another part of Asia. It was a warm and friendly family tour throughout. The guests took many photos at Senso-ji Temple. They learned the differences between temples and shrines, mastered the respective ways of praying at each, and gained an understanding of Japanese history and culture. Since one of the guests does not eat fish or seafood, I made a reservation for them at a yakiniku restaurant in Asakusa, and everyone seemed to enjoy the meal.

They planned to visit teamLab in Toyosu on their own tonight, so I explained how to get there. They also planned to take a bus from Tokyo Station to the 5th Station of Mount Fuji the next day, so I explained the routes and meeting points for each. The four hours passed in the blink of an eye, and the guests thoroughly enjoyed the first day of their Tokyo tour.

Transportation cost per person

No.TransportationRouteFare
Section 1OtherHigashi-Shinjuku~Asakusa320JPY
Section 2OtherAsakusa~Shibuya260JPY
Total580JPY

Hello and how do you do?
My name is Nobuo Kokure, and please call me Nobby for short, if you want.
Let me introduce myself. I was born in Hayama, a beach resort area, Kanagawa prefecture, south of Tokyo. And I’m now living in Saginuma, Kawasaki city.
When I was a university student, I had the opportunities of doing a home stay with a family In U.S.A., Australia, and England, as a youth exchange student.
After graduation from the university, I started working at American Life Insurance Company, Japan (Alico, Japan), which is a group member company of AIG, now MetLife Insurance Company. I could have a chance to visit the head office and the field offices of U.S.A., Wilmington in Delaware, New York, Boston, Chicago, Fort Lauderdale in Florida, Los Angeles, while I was working for Alico, Japan (Now, MetLife Insurance company).
I had been working for MetLife Insurance Company for about 38 years, in total.
After retiring from the life insurance company, I started working as a tour guide, because I wanted to become a tour guide to introduce culture, history, and manners and customs of Japan in English. It’s so different between my previous job and the guide business, but I like guide business a lot.
I can meet so many people from all over the world and the guide business has been thriving after the pandemic.
I have implemented the tour over 240 times, introduced Japan to more than 4300 tourists from 53 countries.

Not only Tokyo, but I have experienced touring around Nikko, Kamakura, Mt. Fuji & Hakone area, Takayama, Kanazawa, Nagoya, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, and Hiroshima, etc. which are all very famous as a tourist spot in Japan.
If you go on a tour in Tokyo, you must see and visit Asakusa Sensoji Temple which is the oldest Buddhist Temple in Tokyo with histories and Nakamise Shopping Street where you can buy the souvenirs and try to taste Japanese sweets, such as doll cake which is the sponge cake in various shapes filled with red bean paste and Japanese powdered tea ice cream. Another my recommendation in Tokyo to visit is Meiji Shrine, Harajuku, and Shibuya. Meiji Shrine is one of the biggest shrines in Japan with quiet and peaceful atmosphere and magnificent site.
Harajuku and Shibuya are both fun to visit for shopping and experience the Shibuya Crossing.
I usually propose my tentative itinerary and ask if my plan is all right with the customer or not. My hobby is traveling around Japan and foreign countries and going to the gym for exercise.
I would like to work as a guide as long as possible if I’m in good health and my legs are strong, because I love this job.
I put my importance on the mind of OMOTENASHI which means sincere hospitality, though safety during the tour takes precedence, number one priority, before anything else.

I’m very looking forward to seeing you and touring with you in Japan soon.
Thank you!

Best regards,

Nobuo Kokure (Nobby)

Jul 20, 2026
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