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

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

The guests were a group of visitors from North America, all traveling to Japan for the first time. This trip was arranged around the summer holidays. Before coming to Japan, they had enjoyed scuba diving at the Great Barrier Reef in Oceania (scuba diving is a hobby they all share). They stayed in Japan for the duration of their trip, spending some days in Tokyo before continuing to Kyoto, Osaka, and Nara, then returning to Tokyo before heading home. They expressed a wish to "enjoy a variety of Japanese foods during the tour." It was a tour under hot and humid weather.

First, we went to Asakusa. As always, there were large crowds, especially many foreign tour groups and school excursion students. We started from in front of Kaminarimon Gate. I explained the "history of Sensoji Temple and the transition 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 in front of Kaminarimon Gate and strolled slowly through the Nakamise shopping street. There were questions such as "What are the main religions in Japan?" "How many Buddhists are there in Japan?" and "Besides Buddhism, what other religions do people follow?" There was also a question: "Do you go to the temple every week?"

We moved to Rikugien Garden in Komagome (they had expressed a wish to see a beautiful Japanese garden). There were comments and questions such as "What a beautiful garden. I'd like to build one in my own yard," "Do pine trees grow bent naturally? Are they the same as bonsai trees?" (The guests mentioned that their home is located right next to a national park.)

We moved to Shinjuku and strolled around the Kabukicho area, as well as Omoide Yokocho and the quiet Shinjuku Golden Gai. I explained the "origins of Kabukicho" and the "history of Omoide Yokocho." We took commemorative photos many times with the Godzilla Head in the background. There was trash and empty cans scattered here and there, and there was a comment that "This doesn't feel like Tokyo—it's like downtown in a big city." As they wanted to eat ramen for lunch, we went to a ramen restaurant for lunch.

We moved to Harajuku and went to Meiji Shrine. I explained "about Shinto," "about torii gates," "about 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?" We also strolled through Takeshita Street, Cat Street, and Omotesando. As one of the guests very much wanted to see an "owl cafe," we went to check it out, but it was full and we could not get in. We returned to Shibuya and took photos in front of the Hachiko statue. There was also a question: "Why are there no trash cans on the streets?" We parted ways in front of Shibuya Station.

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.