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

Title: What Can You See on a Full-Day Private Tour of Tokyo? A Licensed Guide's Report on Asakusa, Tsukiji, Akihabara, Harajuku, and Shibuya

The guests were students visiting Japan for the first time from North America. They were visiting Japan during a spring break holiday. They had arrived at Haneda Airport on a direct flight the previous night and traveled via the monorail and the Yamanote Line to Shinjuku, where they stayed at a B&B. They planned to stay in Japan for a total of ten days. The next day, since a relative of theirs lived in Japan, they planned to visit other sightseeing spots in Tokyo, and from the day after next they planned to visit Kyoto, Osaka, and Kobe before returning to Tokyo and heading home. The previous night, they had picked up dinner at a convenience store near their accommodation.

The tour took place under clear, pleasant weather.

First, we went to Asakusa. Despite the early morning hour, it was extremely crowded. I explained about "Senso-ji Temple and the history from Edo to Tokyo," "what a five-story pagoda is," "what Buddhism is," and "the difference between Buddhism and Shinto." There were questions such as "Are there various sects within Buddhism?" "Do people go to pray once a week?" and "Do all Japanese people believe in Buddhism?" We strolled slowly through the Nakamise shopping street.

Next, we moved to Tsukiji. There was a large crowd. I explained "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 they took a liking to "sweet potato" treats, which they bought and sampled. There were also questions such as "Why are there so many people here?" "This is the first time I've seen real wasabi," and "Do all Tokyo people come here to buy fish?"

From here, we moved to Akihabara. I explained "the origins and history of Akihabara." Both of the guests enjoyed "PC gaming" as a hobby, so they stopped by various shops and compared prices. They commented that "the game shops are far more extensive than back home."

After this, we moved to Harajuku. First we went to Meiji Shrine. I explained about "torii gates," "Emperor Meiji," "the history of Edo and Tokyo," "the Meiji Restoration," and "why wine barrels are on display." There was also a question, "How many Christians are there in Japan?"

We moved to Shibuya. Despite it being daytime, there was a large crowd. I explained "the history of Shibuya." We walked across the "Scramble Square" area and took commemorative photos in front of the Hachiko statue (they said, "I know about Hachiko from watching the movie"). There were questions such as "Why are there so many people at the scramble crossing?" and "Are they all local people?"

After this, they said they really wanted to go to the Pokemon Center, so we went to Shibuya Parco. The store was extremely crowded.

They commented, "There's no litter on the streets," "I don't see any homeless people," and "There are no trash cans on the streets." They also commented, "The trains and subways are clean and quiet. No one is chatting. It's completely different from back home," and "The public restrooms are also plentiful and clean."

Finally, I saw them off at Shinjuku 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.