Tokyo in One Day: Takeshiba Station & Shimbashi Station — Guide Masa

Title: What Is a Private One-Day Tokyo Tour Like on a Rainy Day? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests were visitors from North America. It was their first visit to Japan. They arrived at Haneda Airport on a direct flight yesterday and took a taxi to their hotel. In the evening, they enjoyed kaiseki cuisine in Ginza. This trip to Japan is for ten days, and the day after tomorrow they will head to Kyoto and Osaka, then return to Tokyo before flying home. Tomorrow they plan to visit teamLab. They also mentioned, "We love Japanese food and want to try many different dishes during our stay in Japan."

Unfortunately, the tour took place in very cold, rainy weather.

First, we went to Akihabara. One of the guests is an anime fan. We browsed several shops, and in the end they bought a T-shirt as a souvenir at Don Quijote.

We strolled through the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace. In the rain, the cherry blossoms were on average about half in bloom. We took commemorative photos in front of several cherry trees. I explained topics such as "the history from the Edo period to the Meiji era," "the Meiji Restoration," "why Edo Castle became the Imperial Palace," and "an overview of the current Imperial family." They commented, "The pine trees are beautiful," and asked questions such as "Does the Emperor of Japan hold political power?" Despite the rain, there was quite a large crowd.

They said, "Today we'd like to eat sushi," so we went to a sushi restaurant in Hibiya Chanter. They mentioned, "Recently, three sushi restaurants with Japanese chefs have opened in our area as well." They added, "As expected, sushi eaten in Japan is fresh and delicious, and the price is reasonable too."

After this, we moved to Harajuku. First, we went to Meiji Shrine. I explained topics such as "about the torii gate" and "about Emperor Meiji." I also explained "the difference between Buddhism and Shinto." There was also a question: "How many Christians are there in Japan?" In the rain, we came across a wedding procession and took photos.

We moved to Shibuya. Despite the rain, there was a large crowd. I explained "the history of Shibuya." We walked across the scramble crossing at Shibuya Scramble Square and took commemorative photos in front of the Hachiko statue. They asked questions such as "Why are there so many people at the scramble crossing?" and "Are they all local people?" They commented and asked, "The people passing by are so quiet and polite," and "There is no trash on the streets." They also commented, "The trains and subways are clean and quiet," and "The public restrooms are well-equipped."

I saw them off at Shimbashi Station, and we parted ways.

Click here for more details: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide

Tour Report by Masa

Guiding career:
Guide work started in July 2022. A guide focused on FIT compliance.
FY2022 results: 17 cases, FY2023 results: 97
Destinations: Various places in Tokyo, Hakone, Kamakura and Nikko
As a recent group travel record, in October 2023, we have a track record of guiding a group of 33 people from Singapore to Narita Airport transfer plus sightseeing in Tokyo.
Self-introduction:
In the past, I was stationed in Canada, the United States, and Mexico as an expatriate of a Japanese bank for over 11 years.
Since I have been mainly involved in the financing business in the United States for a long time, I think I am able to provide interpretation and translation services related to business and finance.
I am a certified CPA in the United States.
In addition, for three years from April 2016, I will be engaged in Japanese-English translation work (part-time), and I can also handle translation work.
Although I don’t have a qualification in Spanish, but I think I can handle day to day conversation in Spanish without any problems.
My hobby is trekking and from time to time, take a walk around mountains near Tokyo like Mt. Takao, Tanzawa, etc. I think it is possible to provide tourist information here as well.
Since April 2015, I have been working as a Tokyo Metropolitan Tourism Volunteer and Tokyo Metropolitan Disaster Prevention Volunteer.
One more, I have a separate house near Asuka Village, Nara prefecture, and I stay there for a total of about 30 days every year and have been enjoying sightseeing personally in the vicinity. Therefore, I think in the Kansai region, especially in Nara, Asuka, Yoshino, Koyasan, Kumano Kodo, etc., where I think I will be able to tour guide with confidence.