Tokyo in One Day: Shimbashi & Meiji-jingumae — Guide Masa

Title: What's a Rainy Day Private Tour of Tokyo Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Asakusa, Tsukiji, the Imperial Palace, and Meiji Shrine

The guests were a group visiting Japan for the first time from North America. They had arrived at Haneda Airport the previous evening and taken a taxi to their hotel. The night before, they had strolled around Ginza and enjoyed grilled meat (yakiniku).

This time they were on a trip of about two weeks. After staying in Tokyo, they planned to visit Kyoto, Osaka, and Okinawa, then return to Tokyo before heading home. They said, "In Japan, we want to visit as many places as possible." They also said, "We want to try and enjoy many different kinds of Japanese food."

Unfortunately, it rained the entire day of the tour.

First we went to Asakusa. Despite the rain, there were large crowds, including many foreign tour groups and school excursion students. We started in front of the Kaminarimon Gate. I explained about "Senso-ji Temple and the history from Edo to Tokyo," "what the five-story pagoda is for," "what Buddhism is," and "the difference between Buddhism and Shinto." We took commemorative photos many times in front of the Kaminarimon Gate, the five-story pagoda, and elsewhere. One of the guests bought an omikuji fortune, drew a "good luck" result, and was delighted. Another of the guests bought a protective amulet (omamori).

There were questions such as "What are the major religions in Japan?", "How many Buddhists are there in Japan?", and "Besides Buddhism, what other religions do people believe in?" There was also a question about "How often do people go to temples?"

Along the way we came across a "pig cafe," and the guests were very curious, taking many photos from the entrance.

We moved on to Tsukiji. I explained about "the history of the fish market since the Edo period" and "the difference between Toyosu Market and the Tsukiji Outer Market." There were questions such as "Why are there so many people here?" and "Do all Tokyoites come here to buy fish?" We strolled around at a leisurely pace, buying and sampling items such as strawberry mochi, fried sweet potato, and matcha ice cream. We also walked through the Tsukiji Uogashi building.

We moved on to the Imperial Palace and strolled through the East Gardens. There was a comment that it was a shame the cherry blossoms could not be seen. I explained about "the history of Edo," "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 "What was the balance of power between the shogunate and the emperor?", "What happened to the shoguns and samurai after the Meiji Restoration?", and "Does the current emperor of Japan hold any political authority?"

Since the guests wanted to eat sushi for lunch, we went to Hibiya Chanter and had lunch at a sushi restaurant. They mentioned that there are about three sushi restaurants where they live, but that the fish is not very fresh and the chefs are not Japanese.

We moved on to Harajuku and visited Meiji Shrine. I explained about "Shinto," "torii gates," "Emperor Meiji," and "why wine barrels are displayed there." There were questions such as "What kind of teaching is Shinto?", "When did Shinto originate?", "How many shrines are there in Japan?", and "What is the difference between Buddhism and Shinto?"

There were also comments and questions such as "It's amazing that there is no litter on the streets," "Does no one throw trash on the streets?", "The subway is very comfortable and convenient," and "Why are there no trash cans on the streets?"

I saw the guests off at Shimbashi 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.