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
- 8:00:00 Meet Tokyo station
- 8:10:00 train Tokyo->Tsukiji Stn
- 8:30:00 sightseeing Tsukiji Fish Market
- 9:20:00 walk Tsukiji Market -> Hamarikyu
- 9:40:00 sightseeing Hamrikyu Garden
- 11:10:00 train Shinbashi->Akasaka Mitsuke
- 11:50:00 sightseeing Hotel New Otani Garden
- 12:30:00 train Akasaka Mitsuke->Asakusa
- 13:00:00 sightseeing Sensoji Temple
- 14:30:00 train Asakusa-> Tour end
- Since they wanted to go to Meiji Shrine and it was on the way back for me, I escorted them to the shrine entrance.
Tour Itinerary in Detail
The itinerary covered 00 train Tokyo->Tsukiji Stn at 8:10, 00 sightseeing Tsukiji Fish Market at 8:30, 00 walk Tsukiji Market -> Hamarikyu at 9:20, 00 sightseeing Hamrikyu Garden at 9:40, 00 train Shinbashi->Akasaka Mitsuke at 11:10, 00 sightseeing Hotel New Otani Garden at 11:50, 00 train Akasaka Mitsuke->Asakusa at 12:30, 00 sightseeing Sensoji Temple at 13:00 and 00 train Asakusa-> Tour end at 14:30.
Travel between the sites was by public transport: Tokyo Station to Tsukiji by subway (178JPY); Shinbashi to Akasaka Mitsuke by subway (178JPY); Akasaka Mitsuke to Asakusa by subway (209JPY). Across 3 sections the fare came to 565JPY per person.
Title: What Can You See on a Private One-Day Tokyo Tour? A Licensed Guide's Report on Tsukiji, Hamarikyu, Asakusa, and Meiji Shrine
The guest was a visitor from North America who came to Japan to attend a Star Wars event held at Makuhari Messe, so the accommodation was in the Chiba area. When I mentioned that I had studied at a university in North America, it turned out to be the same university that a family member attends. The guest was very calm and kind, and listened attentively to explanations about Japanese history and culture. At Tsukiji, the guest enjoyed some wagyu skewers and bought wasabi sesame as a souvenir. The guest was fond of cherry blossoms, and greatly enjoyed Hamarikyu Gardens, taking photos happily and sending them by message to a family member who had originally planned to come along. We had first planned to visit Shibuya, but the guest had already been there and, the day before, requested to see a garden or cherry blossoms instead if possible. Shinjuku Gyoen was closed, so as an alternative we stopped by the garden at Hotel New Otani, which has a different atmosphere from the metropolitan gardens and is conveniently located. At Sensoji Temple, the guest was surprised by the large crowds while enjoying buying souvenirs. Finally, the guest expressed a wish to visit a shrine as well, so although it meant heading back, since it was on my way I took the guest to Meiji Shrine. (The guest had explored Shibuya with a friend the day before and was able to return to Chiba alone.) It was a very enjoyable day of guiding.
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 | Subway | Tokyo Station～Tsukiji | 178JPY |
| Section 2 | Subway | Shinbashi～Akasaka Mitsuke | 178JPY |
| Section 3 | Subway | Akasaka Mitsuke～Asakusa | 209JPY |
| Total | 565JPY | ||
Frequently Asked Questions
Which places does this itinerary cover?
This tour visited 00 train Tokyo->Tsukiji Stn, 00 sightseeing Tsukiji Fish Market, 00 walk Tsukiji Market -> Hamarikyu, 00 sightseeing Hamrikyu Garden, 00 train Shinbashi->Akasaka Mitsuke, 00 sightseeing Hotel New Otani Garden, 00 train Akasaka Mitsuke->Asakusa, 00 sightseeing Sensoji Temple and 00 train Asakusa-> Tour end.
How much did transport cost on this tour?
Public transport came to 565JPY per person across 3 sections. Transport fares are paid by the guests and are not included in the guiding fee.
Is the guide licensed, and what language is the tour in?
Yoko is a government-licensed national guide-interpreter of Japan and guided this tour in English. Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.) works with more than 1,000 licensed guides across all 47 prefectures. Not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association.
Can the itinerary be changed for my own trip?
Yes. This report describes one private tour as it actually ran. Every Tokyo itinerary is built around the guests, so the places, the pace and the starting point can all be changed before the tour.
My name is Yoko Umeda. I live in Tokyo,
I studied abroad and worked for foreign based companies located in Tokyo. During my life of living in the US and working in these companies, I was often asked about Japan and Japanese culture from my friends and collogues, to which now I became a certified guide to satisfy all of your curiosity.
Tokyo is a fascinating city! It has everything, not only industrialized modern buildings, but also precious monuments rich in history and beautiful nature. I am sure it will give you eye opening experiences!!
Please visit us and I wish to be your guide!