Tokyo in One Day: Higashi-ginza & Shinjuku — Guide Masa

Title: What's a Full-Day Private Tokyo Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Asakusa, the Imperial Palace, Meiji Shrine, Shibuya, and Shinjuku

The guests were visitors from North America, and it was their first time in Japan. They were on a trip to Japan, having arrived at Haneda Airport and then traveled by Shinkansen to Osaka the following day. After touring Osaka, Hiroshima, Kyoto, Nara, and Koyasan, they arrived in Tokyo the previous night. They planned to return home from Haneda Airport the following evening.

They mentioned that they had strolled around Ginza the night before, and that the next morning they would visit Toyosu Market and Tsukiji Market. Their request was, "We would like to see as many spots as possible in a short amount of time." It was a hot and humid day for the tour.

From Higashi-Ginza Station, we first headed to Asakusa. As always, it was crowded with large numbers of people. We started from the front of Kaminarimon Gate. I explained about "Sensoji Temple and the history from Edo to Tokyo," "what the five-story pagoda is for," "what Buddhism is," and "the differences 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 major religions in Japan?", "How many Buddhists are there in Japan?", and "Besides Buddhism, what other religions do people follow?"

We then moved to the Imperial Palace and strolled through the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace. I explained about "the history of Edo," "the history from the Edo period to the Meiji era," "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 happened to the shoguns and samurai after the Meiji Restoration?" and "Does the current Emperor of Japan hold any political power?"

We moved 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?", and "How many shrines are there in Japan?" We took a break for a while at the cafe terrace at Meiji Shrine. We also strolled along Takeshita Street, where a strawberry candy was purchased and sampled.

We then went to Shibuya. First, we looked down on Scramble Square from the entrance to the Keio Inokashira Line platform and took photos, then actually crossed the scramble crossing. There was a question, "Why do so many people gather here?" We also took photos in front of the Hachiko statue.

From here, we moved to Shinjuku. I explained about "the origins and history of Shinjuku" and "the differences between the east and west sides of the station." We walked around and explored "Shinjuku Golden Gai" (where several groups of foreign travelers were strolling), the Godzilla Head, and Omoide Yokocho. They commented, "This area feels different from other neighborhoods."

There were also questions and comments such as, "Tokyo feels clean and extremely safe, even at night," "Why aren't there any trash cans around the streets?", "I think the Tokyo subway is extremely well made," and "The public restrooms are wonderful." I saw them off at Ginza Station, where 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.