Tokyo in One Day: Kamiyacho & Akabanebashi — Guide Masa

What Is a Full-Day Private Tour of Tokyo's Historical Sites Like? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests were a group visiting Japan from Europe, all visiting Japan for the first time. One of the guests is currently studying at a university in Europe.

This time it was a 13-day trip around Japan, with three days spent in Tokyo. Afterward they planned to travel to Hakone, Kyoto, Hiroshima, and Osaka, then return to Tokyo before heading home.

They arrived at Narita Airport on a direct flight the night before last, and took a pre-booked private car to their hotel. Yesterday they said they had strolled around the Roppongi area and Shibuya on foot.

They said, "We would like to visit places that convey the history of Japan."

It was a cloudy day, with occasional light rain during the tour.

We met at a club. First, we headed to Asakusa. As always, it was crowded with many tourists. I explained "the history of Asakusa and Sensoji Temple" and "the history of Edo and Tokyo."

After that, we set off from in front of the Kaminarimon Gate. I explained "what the five-story pagoda is for," "what Buddhism is," and "the difference between Buddhism and Shinto." We took commemorative photos in front of the Kaminarimon Gate and the five-story pagoda.

We strolled slowly through the Nakamise shopping street. There were questions such as "How many Buddhists are there in Japan?", "Besides Buddhism, what other religions do people follow?", and "Are there Christians in Japan?"

We moved to Ueno and strolled leisurely through the park. I explained "the history and overview of Ueno Park." After that, we entered the National Museum of Western Art (they said the whole group loves art, and always visit local art museums when traveling abroad). They remarked, "This is a splendid collection. Who assembled it?" and "The building is wonderful too."

We moved to the Yanesen area and strolled through "Yanaka Ginza." There were many foreign tourists. We took a break along the way and bought matcha ice cream. They said, "We're glad we can feel the old Tokyo here. We love this kind of atmosphere."

At Nezu Shrine, we passed through the torii gates, and I explained about "Inari shrines."

From here, we moved to Shinjuku San-chome. I explained "the origins and history of Shinjuku" and "the difference between the east and west sides of the station." We walked around and explored Shinjuku Golden Gai, Kabukicho, the Godzilla Head, and Omoide Yokocho. They eagerly filmed the "3D cat display."

They said, "We're a little hungry, so we'd like to eat ramen." Incidentally, it was everyone's first time trying ramen.

There were also comments and questions such as, "We felt Tokyo is a clean and safe city," "Why are there no trash cans on the streets?", "We don't see any homeless people," and "The public restrooms are clean and pleasant."

They said, "We aren't quite sure how to ride the subway, so we'd like you to see us back to the hotel," so I escorted them to Shin-Okachimachi Station and 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.