Tokyo in Half a Day: Break up at Hinazushi — Guide Danda

What Is a Private Morning Tour of Asakusa and Ueno in Tokyo Like? A Licensed Guide's Report

I guided a family visiting from North America on a private tour of Asakusa and Ueno in Tokyo. At the guests' request to save time and travel during quieter hours, we moved the meeting time up to 8:00 and focused the itinerary on Asakusa and Ueno. We headed to Asakusa on the Toei Asakusa Line, and we were lucky because the Ginza Line was suspended during that same time slot. Since it was a family outing, everyone enjoyed taking photos poking their faces into the holes of the usual white monument, the Green Planet, in Asakusa. As it had only just turned 9:00, Nakamise Street was empty and we reached the Hozomon Gate in no time. Being able to walk before the crowds and before it got hot was thanks to the guests' good judgment. Regarding the omikuji fortune slips, after explaining that there is about a 40% chance of drawing "bad luck," everyone in the group gave it a try. Three drew "great luck" and two drew "bad luck," exactly as I had described, so everyone was oddly convinced and took a commemorative photo holding their omikuji together. As it turned out, there was no restaurant at their hotel, and no place to have breakfast around the hotel either, so they had told me they had a light meal at a convenience store. I took them to Kagetsudo, and when they tried the melon bread, everyone smiled and said, "This is delicious." One of the group did not have a Suica card, so we purchased one at Ueno Station. Also, when asked about booking Shinkansen tickets, I recommended smartEX, but for some reason their credit card would not be accepted, so I was thanked for being able to arrange the reserved round-trip seats to Kyoto as well. At Ameyoko, the group was very curious about the sweets at Futatsugi, and when asked, "What are famous sweets in Japan?" I was at a loss because there are so many kinds and everyone has different tastes, but I recommended "Hi-Chew and Takenoko no Sato." They said, "We already bought Hi-Chew, so let's get Takenoko no Sato," and they also bought many other things. This is something that really divides people into fans and non-fans. We walked through the shopping street on the way there and under the elevated tracks on the way back, occasionally stopping at shops that caught their interest. In Ueno Park, the Pokemon manhole cover was the most highly rated spot (the Ueno Great Buddha remained low-rated as usual). Finally, I took them to Ueno no Mori Sakura Terrace, where various kinds of lunch can be enjoyed. Although they showed interest in okonomiyaki and tonkatsu, they seemed to love sushi so much that they could eat it every day, so we parted ways at Hina Sushi. Today was a very hot and humid day, so thanks to the guests' judgment, having the tour in the morning was a great help.

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Tour Report by Danda

Nice to meet you. I am delighted to introduce myself. My nickname is Danda. I live in Saitama prefecture next to Tokyo, but I was brought up in Kanazawa, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Japan. My favorite things are bonsai and hiking. Also, I have been a big fun of history and sumo since my childhood. As for the guide, I have enjoyed making communication with foreign visitors since 2019. I have taken more than 30 private groups to not only major scenic spots but also their favorite places such as tea ceremony, maid cafe, sumo tournament, bonsai village, fire ritual and so on. I can arrange the original tour based on your requests and curiosity. It will be only for you. I look forward to meeting you soon. Thank you.