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

  • Airbnb Nishi-Shinjuku (8:00) → Nishi-Shinjuku Gochome Station (8:07) → Asakusa Station (8:55) → Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center 8F (9:00) → Sensoji Temple & Nakamise Street (Kaminarimon, Nakamise Street, Hozomon, Five-Story Pagoda, Big Straw Sandals, Omikuji Fortune, Incense Burner, Chozuya Purification Fountain, Main Hall, Asakusa Shrine, Matcha Ice Cream Sawawa) 〈9:15–10:15〉 → Meiji Shrine (11:10–12:20) → Harajuku Takeshita Street (12:25–12:45) → Omotesando (12:50–13:05) → Lunch at Shibuya Sushisei (13:15–13:45) → Shibuya Scramble Crossing, Hachiko (13:55) → Nishi-Shinjuku Gochome Station (14:30)

Title: What's a Private One-Day Tokyo Tour of Senso-ji and Meiji Shrine Like? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guest was a visitor from North America on their first trip to Japan. Despite the heat, the guest thoroughly enjoyed today's tour. At Senso-ji Temple and Meiji Shrine, the guest seemed to master the differences between temples and shrines, the different ways of praying at each, and their histories. The guest also received goshuin stamps, drew omikuji fortunes, enjoyed plenty of shopping along Nakamise-dori and at the Meiji Shrine shop, and took many photos at each location. The guest was surprised by the heat of the Japanese summer, but fully enjoyed the tour even while drenched in sweat. To help prevent heatstroke, I treated the guest to matcha ice cream at Senso-ji and a Coca-Cola at Meiji Shrine. This week, in addition to watching a professional baseball game, the guest plans to take day trips to Kyoto and the 5th Station of Mount Fuji, after which the group will also travel to Sapporo, so it seems they will fully enjoy the Japanese summer.

Transportation cost per person

No.TransportationRouteFare
Section 1SubwayNishi-Shinjuku Gochome~Asakusa330JPY
Section 2SubwayAsakusa~Shibuya260JPY
Section 3TrainShibuya~Harajuku150JPY
Section 4TrainHarajuku~Shibuya150JPY
Section 5TrainShibuya~Nishi-Shinjuku Gochome330JPY
Total1,220JPY

Hello and how do you do?
My name is Nobuo Kokure, and please call me Nobby for short, if you want.
Let me introduce myself. I was born in Hayama, a beach resort area, Kanagawa prefecture, south of Tokyo. And I’m now living in Saginuma, Kawasaki city.
When I was a university student, I had the opportunities of doing a home stay with a family In U.S.A., Australia, and England, as a youth exchange student.
After graduation from the university, I started working at American Life Insurance Company, Japan (Alico, Japan), which is a group member company of AIG, now MetLife Insurance Company. I could have a chance to visit the head office and the field offices of U.S.A., Wilmington in Delaware, New York, Boston, Chicago, Fort Lauderdale in Florida, Los Angeles, while I was working for Alico, Japan (Now, MetLife Insurance company).
I had been working for MetLife Insurance Company for about 38 years, in total.
After retiring from the life insurance company, I started working as a tour guide, because I wanted to become a tour guide to introduce culture, history, and manners and customs of Japan in English. It’s so different between my previous job and the guide business, but I like guide business a lot.
I can meet so many people from all over the world and the guide business has been thriving after the pandemic.
I have implemented the tour over 240 times, introduced Japan to more than 4300 tourists from 53 countries.

Not only Tokyo, but I have experienced touring around Nikko, Kamakura, Mt. Fuji & Hakone area, Takayama, Kanazawa, Nagoya, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, and Hiroshima, etc. which are all very famous as a tourist spot in Japan.
If you go on a tour in Tokyo, you must see and visit Asakusa Sensoji Temple which is the oldest Buddhist Temple in Tokyo with histories and Nakamise Shopping Street where you can buy the souvenirs and try to taste Japanese sweets, such as doll cake which is the sponge cake in various shapes filled with red bean paste and Japanese powdered tea ice cream. Another my recommendation in Tokyo to visit is Meiji Shrine, Harajuku, and Shibuya. Meiji Shrine is one of the biggest shrines in Japan with quiet and peaceful atmosphere and magnificent site.
Harajuku and Shibuya are both fun to visit for shopping and experience the Shibuya Crossing.
I usually propose my tentative itinerary and ask if my plan is all right with the customer or not. My hobby is traveling around Japan and foreign countries and going to the gym for exercise.
I would like to work as a guide as long as possible if I’m in good health and my legs are strong, because I love this job.
I put my importance on the mind of OMOTENASHI which means sincere hospitality, though safety during the tour takes precedence, number one priority, before anything else.

I’m very looking forward to seeing you and touring with you in Japan soon.
Thank you!

Best regards,

Nobuo Kokure (Nobby)

Jul 20, 2026
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