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

Private Tokyo Walking Tour Report: Asakusa, the Imperial Palace, Meiji Shrine, Harajuku and Shibuya with a Licensed Guide

The guests were visitors from North America, both visiting Japan for the first time. (Although the booking details listed one person, there were in fact two.) (They had previously lived elsewhere in North America before relocating to their current home some years ago.) They arrived at Haneda Airport the previous night, traveling to their hotel by train and subway (though they took the wrong line and it took two hours to arrive). This time they were staying in Japan for about three weeks, planning to visit Hida-Takayama, Kanazawa, Hiroshima, Osaka, Kyoto, Nara and other places. After returning to Tokyo, they planned to head home. The previous night, they had dinner at their hotel. In contrast to the day before, the tour took place under clear skies. First, we headed to Asakusa. We started in front of the Kaminarimon Gate. 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. We took commemorative photos in front of the Kaminarimon Gate and the five-story pagoda. There were questions such as "How many Buddhists are there in Japan?", "Besides Buddhism, what other religions do people believe in?", and "Does everyone go to a temple every week?" We moved on to the Imperial Palace. We strolled through the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace. There were comments like "It's a shame we can't see the cherry blossoms" and questions such as "When do the cherry blossoms reach full bloom?" I explained about the history from the Edo period to the Meiji period, the Meiji Restoration, why Edo Castle became the Imperial Palace, and why the capital moved from Kyoto to Tokyo. There were questions such as "Does the Emperor of Japan hold political power?" and "Were the stone walls all built by hand?" We moved on to Harajuku and Meiji Shrine. I explained about Shinto, the torii gate, Emperor Meiji, and why wine barrels are displayed there. There was also a question, "When and why did Shinto originate?" We took a break at Forest Terrace Meiji Jingu. After this, we strolled along Takeshita Street and Cat Street. They were surprised by how crowded it was. We headed to Shibuya. First, we walked across the Scramble Crossing, then took photos looking down from the entrance of the Keio Inokashira Line platform. There was a question, "Why do so many people gather here?" We also took photos in front of the Hachiko statue and strolled through Center-gai. There were comments and questions such as "The streets are so clean with no litter. Does no one throw trash on the ground?", "There are no homeless people to be seen," "In North America we always travel by car. This was our first time riding the subway, and it was very comfortable and convenient, though tricky if you're not used to it," and "Why are there no trash cans on the streets?" Since they said the transportation network was hard to understand, I saw them back to their hotel in Shiodome, where 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.