This is a private guided tour report by Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.), a network of 1,000+ government-licensed, English-speaking local guides across all 47 prefectures of Japan. Not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association.
Tour Itinerary
- 09:00 Met at the ANA iHotel lobby. As they had not yet had breakfast, I waited for 30 minutes, and at the same time reconfirmed the previously discussed itinerary, deciding to proceed along the following route. Sensoji Temple → Ueno Station (JR Pass activation) → Meiji Shrine → Takeshita Street.
- 10:00-11:30 Guided them in the order of the Sumida River bank → Kaminarimon → Nakamise Shopping Street → Sensoji Temple main hall. Along the way, they purchased 3 hair ornaments (kanzashi) at the kanzashi shop WARGO for the three daughters. After finishing, we moved to Ueno Station and to the JR EAST Travel Center.
- 11:50-12:30 At the JR EAST Travel Center, activated the JR Pass and obtained reserved seat tickets for the HIKARI train for Tokyo–Kyoto–Hiroshima–Kyoto–Tokyo. After finishing, we moved to Meiji Shrine.
- 13:10-13:45 Guided them at Meiji Shrine. When finished, they requested to have lunch, so we went for lunch. We went to Ichiran Ramen but there was a 30-minute wait in line, so we went to Oreryu Shio Ramen.
- 13:55-14:30 Went to Oreryu Shio Ramen Harajuku branch and had ramen and gyoza for lunch. After finishing, we walked to Takeshita Street.
- 14:40-15:10 Shopping on Takeshita Street. When finished, I asked what they wanted to do next, and since the wife was becoming quite dazed from jet lag, they decided to return to the hotel, so I took them to Meiji-jingumae (Harajuku) Station on the Chiyoda subway line and said goodbye.
What Is a Private Tokyo Day Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report
During the breakfast briefing, the request that had been mentioned in an earlier email came up again — that six hours might not be enough time to see everything, and that they would be happy to pay an additional fee to extend the tour if needed. Since I had no schedule after 3:00 p.m., I confirmed once more that extending the tour would be no problem. However, after finishing our visit to Meiji Shrine, one of the guests became quite exhausted, so we decided to have lunch and then return to the hotel right afterward. Since they had arrived in Japan around 9:00 a.m. the previous day, this being the day after arrival, the effect of jet lag turned out to be significant. Yesterday's forecast had predicted heavy rain, but fortunately it changed so that almost no rain fell, which reduced that source of stress. It was unfortunate that the guest became tired, but given the guests' own wishes, it could not be helped. I heard that they plan to visit Mount Fuji tomorrow, then continue to Kyoto, including a round trip to Hiroshima from Kyoto in a single day, so I provided useful information for each destination. Combined with the fact that activating the JR Pass was completed very smoothly with zero waiting time, the guests were very pleased.
Click here for more details: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Transportation cost per person
| No. | Transportation | Route | Fare |
| Section 1 | Subway | Tameike-sanno～Asakusa | 700JPY |
| Section 2 | Subway | Asakusa～Ueno | 0JPY |
| Section 3 | Subway | Ueno～Meiji-jingumae (Harajuku) | 0JPY |
| Total | 700JPY | ||
I acquired national guide license in 2014, and I have been doing guide work full fledged since 2016. In my career before starting guide work, I was a business man and made more than 1,000 business trips both abroad and in Japan, and that experience is my foundation as a guide because I came to know so many places both abroad and in Japan. I have been taking care of both group and individual tourists, and the number of foreign guests I have taken care is close to 2,500 so far. I am based in Tokyo, but I can cover guide work in many prefectures throughout Japan. When I take care of foreign guests, my major concern is to listen attentively to them, find out what they want to know and do in Japan, and give them appropriate guiding in accordance with what I heard from my guests. I would like to provide tailor made tour as much as possible for every precious guest who kindly chose Japan as the tour destination.
Aug 1, 2025
8
898kendrap
Great first day in Tokyo!
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Asai, our tour guide, made our…
Aug 1, 2025
8
898kendrap
Great first day in Tokyo!
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Asai, our tour guide, made our first day in Tokyo so memorable and enjoyable! He shared his knowledge and love for the city as he showed us around. We now understand how to navigate the train system, and he even left us a list of how to explore other areas of the city by train. Our tour was a fun way to get acquainted with this amazing city!
Jul 14, 2025
Anette_V
Perfect
Viator review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Our guide Minoru Asai was very friendly and knowledgeable about culture,…
Jul 14, 2025
Anette_V
Perfect
Viator review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Our guide Minoru Asai was very friendly and knowledgeable about culture, history and
society. He picked and showed us more than We expected. Also he was good Company for
both me, my husbond and our son aged 22.
Jun 30, 2025
liammL2246HL
Amazing experience
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
We had an amazing private tour with Minoru Asai! We…
Jun 30, 2025
liammL2246HL
Amazing experience
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
We had an amazing private tour with Minoru Asai! We loved seeing all of the sights on the tour and Minoru was extremely knowledge about all things in Tokyo and else-wear in Japan. We were able to adjust the stops due to the heat (it was up to 35C!) and Minoru had great suggestions for things to check out. Highly recommend!
Jun 26, 2025
394milesd
Excellent guide making an excellent day in Tokyo
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
A perfect day, tailored…
Jun 26, 2025
394milesd
Excellent guide making an excellent day in Tokyo
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
A perfect day, tailored to our needs (and the weather) and delivered so attentively by our guide Minoru Asai. He was in contact in advance of the day to understand our interests, and advised us on practicalities and remained flexible throughout the day as required. His knowledge, and passion, for the history of Tokyo made the day! Could not have asked for more.