Tokyo in One Day: Courtyard Tokyo & Kyobashi — Guide Masa

Title: What Can You See on a Full-Day Private Tour of Tokyo? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests were a group visiting Japan for the first time from North America. They were in Japan for a ten-day trip, staying in Tokyo before continuing to Kyoto and Osaka, then returning to Tokyo before heading home. The evening before, they had arrived at Narita Airport and taken the "Narita Express" to Tokyo Station. This visit was to celebrate a special occasion. They mentioned that they planned to go to Disneyland the next day, and said they would leave all of today's destinations up to me.

It was a tour under cloudy but very hot weather (though it did rain at the end in Shibuya). Since they wanted to buy a Suica card, we first went to the ticket office at Tokyo Station. From there, we took the subway to Tsukiji.

At the Tsukiji Outer Market, I explained the history of Tokyo's fish market since the Edo period and the difference between the Toyosu Market and the Tsukiji Outer Market. Even early in the morning, it was quite crowded. There were questions and comments such as, "Do all Tokyo residents come here to buy fish?" and "It's crowded, but it seems like there are many tourists."

We moved on to Asakusa, which was extremely crowded as usual, and we could only move very slowly. Starting from the front of Kaminarimon Gate, I explained the history of Sensoji Temple and the transition from Edo to Tokyo, the purpose of the five-story pagoda, what Buddhism is, and the difference between Buddhism and Shinto. We took commemorative photos in front of Kaminarimon and the five-story pagoda, and strolled slowly along the Nakamise shopping street. There were questions such as, "What is the main religion in Japan?", "How many Buddhists are there in Japan?", and "Besides Buddhism, what other religions do people follow?"

We moved to Harajuku and visited Meiji Shrine. I explained about Shinto, the torii gate, Emperor Meiji, and why the wine barrels are displayed. There were questions such as, "What kind of teaching is Shinto?", "When did Shinto originate?", and "How many shrines are there in Japan?" We rested for a while at Forest Terrace Meiji Jingu. We also strolled leisurely along Takeshita Street, Cat Street, and Omotesando.

Then we moved to Shibuya. First, we took photos looking down at Scramble Square from the platform of the Keio Inokashira Line, and afterward actually crossed the intersection. There was a question, "Why do so many people gather here?" We also took photos in front of the Hachiko statue. At that point, it suddenly began to rain. There were questions and comments such as, "Tokyo feels like a clean and safe city," "Why aren't there any trash cans on the streets?", and "The Tokyo subway system is very well organized."

Since they were unfamiliar with Tokyo's transportation, I saw them off at Kyobashi 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.