Tokyo in One Day: Takeshiba Station & Shimbashi Station — Guide Masa

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

The guests were a group of three visiting Japan from North America. It was the first visit to Japan for all of them. Some of the guests worked in the IT industry. They mentioned that a previous generation of the family had once run a trading business in Kobe before the war but returned overseas just before the war began.

This was a 13-day trip to Japan. They had arrived at Narita Airport two days earlier and taken a taxi to their hotel. The previous day, they had gone to Asakusa and Shibuya by taxi. They planned to visit Disneyland the next day. Today, their request was to see the notable spots around the city.

It felt like the beginning of autumn, though the temperature was still quite high during the tour.

First, we went to Tsukiji. We strolled through the Tsukiji Uogashi and then to the Outer Market. I explained the history of Tokyo's fish market dating back to the Edo period, as well as the difference between the Toyosu Market and the Tsukiji Outer Market. There were questions and comments such as, "Do all Tokyo residents come here to buy fish?" and "It's crowded, but it does seem like there are a lot of tourists."

At the request of one of the guests, they purchased and sampled grilled king crab, tuna sushi, and matcha ice cream. They also bought dashi stock and dried soybeans. One of the guests said the fish market brought back fond memories, as there were many fish markets back home.

From there, we walked to the Hamarikyu Gardens. Comments included, "We could see it from the hotel, but walking through it is wonderful," and "There is a Japanese garden back home, but this one is far more beautiful."

Next, we moved to Shinjuku. I explained the origins of Shinjuku, the difference between its east and west sides, and the history of Kabukicho. The guests especially liked the Godzilla Head and the cat billboard, filming them enthusiastically on video. One of the guests also purchased cosmetics at Don Quijote.

We then moved to Harajuku, starting with Meiji Shrine. I explained about Shinto, torii gates, Emperor Meiji, and why sake barrels and wine barrels are displayed there. There were questions such as, "How is Buddhism different from Shinto?"

We took a break for a while at the Cafe Terrace at Meiji Shrine. Afterward, at one of the guests' request, we went to Takeshita Street. There were comments and questions such as, "Tokyo feels clean and safe," "Why are there no trash cans on the streets?" and "There are no homeless people to be seen."

Saying they were tired and wanted to return to the hotel, and that they were not yet used to the subway, I saw them off at Takeshiba 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.