Tokyo in One Day: Ginza Station & Tochomae Station — Guide Masa

Title: What's a Full-Day Private Tour of Tokyo Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Asakusa, Tsukiji, and Shinjuku

The guests were a group visiting Japan for the first time from Oceania. They had arrived at Narita Airport the previous evening and taken a taxi to their hotel. In the evening they strolled around Ginza and enjoyed yakiniku. They planned to stay in Tokyo for a few days, then visit Kyoto, Osaka, and Hiroshima, before returning to Tokyo and heading home. They mentioned, "Last year we visited Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Myanmar, Thailand, and others), and there was much to learn. We studied a little about Buddhism." The tour took place under clear skies and pleasant weather.

First, we headed to Asakusa. Despite the early hour, it was extremely crowded. I explained "Senso-ji Temple and the history from Edo to Tokyo," "what a five-story pagoda is," "what Buddhism is," and "the differences between Buddhism and Shinto." I also briefly explained "the difference between Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism." There were questions such as "Do all Japanese people believe in Buddhism?" and "What about other religions?" They drew omikuji fortunes, and found the results somehow fitting. We took a leisurely stroll along the Nakamise shopping street.

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 especially enjoyed and purchased "fried sweet potato" and "tuna sushi" to sample. 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 residents come here to buy fish?"

We then walked to Hama-rikyu Gardens. I explained "the history of Hama-rikyu Gardens." They were absorbed in taking photos, saying "The Japanese garden is wonderful."

We moved to Shinjuku. First, we strolled through Kabukicho and Omoide Yokocho. I explained "an overview of the history of Shinjuku." They remarked, "This feels somehow different from other parts of Tokyo."

They said, "We'd like to have sushi for lunch," so we went to a sushi restaurant. They said, "Japanese sushi is delicious. Where we come from, there are only conveyor-belt sushi shops."

We went to the observation deck of the Metropolitan Government Building at Shinjuku West Exit. Unfortunately, Mount Fuji was not visible, but they said, "I got a good sense of what the city of Tokyo is like." They made comments and asked questions such as "There's no trash on the streets and it's clean," "I don't see any homeless people," and "Why are there no trash cans on the streets?" They also commented, "No one is chatting on the trains," and "The public restrooms are clean."

They said, "I'd like to return to the hotel for a while," so I saw them off at Ginza 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.