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
- 10:00 Hotel Ginza PREMIER (Guest 10 minutes late)
- 10:20 Hotel
- 11:00 Nezu Shrine ("Bunkyo Azalea Festival" entrance fee 500 yen/person, guide at own expense)
- 12:45 Walk around Yanaka, lunch (eating while walking)
- 14:15 Rikugien Garden
- 15:45 Harajuku
- 16:45 Dismissal
What Can You See on a Private Tokyo Walking Tour of Nezu, Yanaka, and Harajuku? A Licensed Guide's Report
The guests were a group visiting Tokyo after a one-week retreat in Ito Onsen. At their strong request, we entered the "Bunkyo Azalea Festival," and thanks to the fine weather they were delighted by the vivid azalea flowers. I guided them through the thousand torii gates and Nezu Shrine. On our walk through Yanaka, we waited in line a little but enjoyed street food such as taiyaki and menchi-katsu for lunch, and they enjoyed shopping at accessory shops and elsewhere. Since we were running a little behind schedule, we took a bus to Rikugien to save time, which allowed us to walk slowly through the garden. One of the guests seemed to have a deep interest in the Japanese view of religion, and I answered their questions carefully and sincerely, such as while we were resting at a quiet and calm teahouse. When we moved to Harajuku the tour end time was approaching, but I guided them through Takeshita Street, Cat Street, and Omotesando, and parted from the guests as they continued shopping. In addition, since one of the guests was also interested in kabuki, I explained how to obtain single-act tickets at the Kabukiza Theatre.
Click here for more details: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Transportation cost per person
| No. | Transportation | Route | Fare |
| Section 1 | Train | Ginza～Nezu | 178JPY |
| Section 2 | Bus | Sendagi 3-chome～Kamifujimae | 210JPY |
| Section 3 | Train | Komagome～Harajuku | 208JPY |
| Total | 596JPY | ||
Welcome guests!
I am Masa Abe, though everyone calls me MASA. For over 40 years, I worked as an in-house lawyer for one of the most renowned Japanese companies in the world. During my tenure, I spent eight and a half years in New York, where I had the pleasure of studying, working, and making friends with wonderful people. I truly enjoyed living and traveling in the U.S.
After retiring from the company in 2023, I pursued a new path and soon qualified as a National Government Licensed Guide-Interpreter. As your guide, I am excited to offer professional and heartfelt services to you, my new friends from abroad.
Best wishes, MASA
May 21, 2025
CraigMaplewood
Informative and knowledgeable guide
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Masa brought his strong historical knowledge and easy…
May 21, 2025
CraigMaplewood
Informative and knowledgeable guide
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Masa brought his strong historical knowledge and easy personality to complement our day
visiting the Imperial Palace and the Yanaka area of Tokyo. His English was excellent. He
answered all the questions we asked and made the tour day both easy and informative.
May 15, 2025
luc_arY4023MB
A memorable Tokyo tour with Masa
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
I had a great time on…
May 15, 2025
luc_arY4023MB
A memorable Tokyo tour with Masa
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
I had a great time on this tour! Our guide, Masa, was incredibly kind, knowledgeable, and easy to talk to. Communication was amazing even before the tour started—he listened to our interests and tailor-made the itinerary just for us. He shared interesting facts at each stop and made the whole experience feel personal and meaningful. My favorite parts were exploring Rikugien Garden and walking through Yanaka Ginza. The pace was perfect, and everything ran smoothly. Highly recommend this tour, especially with Masa as your guide!
May 8, 2025
Catherine_R
Great Tour to take on Day 1
Viator review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Wonderful tour of Tokyo including…
May 8, 2025
Catherine_R
Great Tour to take on Day 1
Viator review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Wonderful tour of Tokyo including tsukiji market and asakusa shrine. We learned how to get
a SUICA card and use the Tokyo train system. Mr Masa was very knowledgeable. It made us
confident to get around Tokyo for the rest of our trip!
Apr 25, 2025
TomQ188
A wonderful day in Tokyo
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
My wife and I had a wonderful…
Apr 25, 2025
TomQ188
A wonderful day in Tokyo
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
My wife and I had a wonderful 6-hour private tour with Masa Abe, who took us to Tokyo highlights that we had selected from a number of options he suggested. He was knowledgeable, interesting, taught us how to use the subway and spoke perfect English! We learned that he spent several years working for Sony in New York. If you can get him for your guide, you’ll be in very good hands.