Tokyo in One Day: Meiji Shrine & Kabukicho — Guide Danda

What's a Private Tokyo Day Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Meiji Shrine, Tsukiji, Fukagawa Fudodo, and Kiyosumi Garden

I guided a group visiting from Oceania, and they were very easygoing and friendly, which made them a pleasure to be with. At Meiji Shrine, our first stop, we were able to see a wedding procession, and since I learned that the guests preferred a calm, traditional atmosphere and were interested in large taiko drums, I changed the plan to add Fukagawa Fudodo after Tsukiji and ultimately skipped Asakusa. At Tsukiji, just as we arrived in front of the altar at Tsukiji Hongwanji, one of the guests turned pale, saying their phone had gone missing. Since they had at least had it when passing through the ticket gate with Mobile Suica, we went back to Tsukiji Station and asked the station staff (while I was thinking about when to contact [Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.)](https://www.j-g-a.org/)), and then one of the guests said with a smile, "Found it — it was in my bag." I was truly relieved. If it had really been lost, sightseeing that day would have been out of the question, so I was very glad. After that, at Tsukiji Market, since the shops there cater to tourists, we simply walked around without eating anything in particular and headed to Fukagawa Fudodo. As usual, I had them purchase a goma prayer stick and take a commemorative photo, then we took seats in the center to watch the goma fire ritual and experience the blessing. The guests were moved by this traditional Japanese ceremony, and while they were startled by the first strike of the large taiko drum, they also often peered in to watch it being played. I was glad I changed the plan to bring them here. In the end, one of the guests told me, "Today's tour was full of the gardens and traditional atmosphere I love, and I really enjoyed it." Since one of the guests followed a gluten-free diet, I took them to my usual sushi restaurant in Kiyosumi-Shirakawa, and since they said they preferred this kind of local place, they enjoyed the sushi with salt (without miso soup). After that, we went to Kiyosumi Garden, the main destination of the day, and throughout the walk they kept saying, "There's nothing like this scenery back home, it's wonderful." I tried to take a photo together here, but somehow the conversation turned to host clubs partway through, and we missed the chance. As a result, before returning to the hotel, I ended up taking them to see the host club signs in Kabukicho, and the guests were extremely curious and peppered me with questions about host clubs. Finally, when I asked which of the four places from the day they liked best, they said, "No, it was six places. The sushi restaurant and the host club sign, ha ha," and they were still talking excitedly, so I think the host clubs must have made quite an impression. Hotel staff took a photo for us, and we parted ways. It was less a pleasant day than a truly fascinating one, and the guests were very happy.

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Tour Report by Danda

Nice to meet you. I am delighted to introduce myself. My nickname is Danda. I live in Saitama prefecture next to Tokyo, but I was brought up in Kanazawa, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Japan. My favorite things are bonsai and hiking. Also, I have been a big fun of history and sumo since my childhood. As for the guide, I have enjoyed making communication with foreign visitors since 2019. I have taken more than 30 private groups to not only major scenic spots but also their favorite places such as tea ceremony, maid cafe, sumo tournament, bonsai village, fire ritual and so on. I can arrange the original tour based on your requests and curiosity. It will be only for you. I look forward to meeting you soon. Thank you.