Tokyo in One Day: Shinagawa Station & Shibuya Station — Guide Masa

Title: What's a Private One-Day Tokyo Tour Like in the Rain? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests were visitors from North America, both visiting Japan for the first time. Ten days earlier, they had arrived at Haneda Airport on a direct flight and headed straight to the Kansai region. They toured Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, and Hiroshima, and arrived in Tokyo yesterday.

They plan to stay in Tokyo for a few more days. Tomorrow they will take a day trip to Mount Fuji, and the day after they will visit DisneySea. After that, they plan to return home.

The guests were surprised at how cold Tokyo was today. They also said, "We love Japanese food and want to try many different dishes during our stay in Japan."

Unfortunately, it turned out to be a cold and rainy day for the tour.

First, we went from Shinagawa to Asakusa.

Despite the rain, it was extremely crowded. I explained about "Senso-ji Temple and the history from Edo to Tokyo," "what a five-story pagoda is," and "what Buddhism is."

There were questions such as "Do all Japanese people believe in Buddhism?" and "Are there Christians in Japan?"

They drew omikuji fortunes, and both drew "good fortune," which delighted them greatly. They also purchased a charm for a safe and easy birth.

We took a leisurely stroll through the Nakamise shopping street.

We moved on to Tsukiji. Despite the bad weather, there was a large crowd.

I explained about "the history of the fish market since the Edo period" and "the difference between Toyosu Market and the Tsukiji Outer Market." We looked around various shops, and purchased and sampled "fried sweet potato" and "shumai."

There were also questions such as "Why are there so many people here?" and "Do all the people of Tokyo come here to buy fish?"

We moved on to the Imperial Palace.

We strolled through the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace. In the rain, the cherry blossoms were nearly in full bloom. We took commemorative photos in front of several cherry trees.

I explained about "the history from the Edo period to the Meiji era," as well as "the Meiji Restoration," "why Edo Castle became the Imperial Palace," and "an overview of the current Imperial family."

They remarked, "The pine trees are beautiful." There were also questions such as "Does the Japanese Emperor hold political power?"

After this, we moved on to Harajuku. First, we went to Meiji Shrine.

I explained about "torii gates" and "Emperor Meiji."

I also explained about "the difference between Buddhism and Shinto." We took a short break at a café.

We moved on to Shibuya. Despite the rain, there was a large crowd here as well. I explained about "the history of Shibuya."

We walked across "Shibuya Scramble Square" and took a commemorative photo in front of the Hachiko statue.

There were questions such as "Why are there so many people at the Scramble Crossing?" and "Are they all locals?"

They said, "We want to see a Japanese food court," so we went to Tokyu Food Show. Here too, they purchased "gyoza" and "shumai," which were among the favorites.

They commented, "The people passing by are so quiet." "There is no litter on the streets. Everything is orderly." "There are no homeless people."

They also commented, "The trains and subways are clean and quiet. No one is chatting."

I saw them off at Shinagawa Station, ending the tour.

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.