Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day — Guide Sam

Title: What's a Private Full-Day Tour of Tokyo Like With Shibuya Shopping and Asakusa Kimono? A Licensed Guide's Report

The meeting point and desired spots kept changing right up until the last minute, which made things quite challenging, but the tour was carried out without any major problems. As one person was absent, I guided the group on the day.

The evening before, I had been asked to come to the Hotel at 11:00, but around 09:30 on the day of the tour, the guests emailed me asking whether I could come directly to a pancake shop in Shibuya instead. Since I was at Tokyo Station at the time, I contacted them via a messaging app to say I could arrive around 10:30, hurried to Shibuya Station, and joined the guests just as they were finishing their meal to begin the tour.

The two main requests from the guests this time were shopping in Shibuya and a kimono experience in Asakusa. Since the restaurant where they had a 17:00 dinner reservation was in Azabu-Juban, I first took them to Asakusa, which was farther away. As they had not made a reservation, I chose a major kimono rental shop close to the station. Selecting kimono and getting dressed took more than an hour. Since taking photographs also used up quite a bit of time, at Senso-ji Temple we turned back at the Hozomon Gate without stopping at the main hall, so that we could return to the rental shop before 15:00. In Shibuya, the guests requested a liquor store where they could buy tequila. I managed to find one shop online, though it was a difficult task for me since I am not knowledgeable about alcohol.

It was fortunate that the dinner restaurant was close to Azabu-Juban Station. We arrived a little before opening time and parted ways in front of the restaurant.

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Tour Report by Sam

Hi. My name is Masafumi Miyazaki. Please call me “Sam”. I am a government-licensed guide.
I was born in Tokyo and was raised in the suburbs of Tokyo called Tama area. When I was in university, I majored in western dramas, so I am good at playing like an actor.
I like reading, listening to the music, and walking. I belong to several walking clubs, and sometimes I guide the members around Tokyo.
One of my strengths as a guide is that I know well about kombu, Japanese kelps. In December every year, I work at a traditional kombu shop in Tsukiji Fish Market. At that shop, I learned a lot of things related to kombu or other ingredients for washoku. I can explain the different characteristics of them to you.
Also, I am familiar with Japanese flowers and plants. If you stroll around a Japanese garden with me, I am sure you will be able to enjoy beautiful flowers and unique plants in every season.
I look forward to meeting you. Thank you.