Tokyo in One Day: Shinjuku Station & Shibuya Station — Guide Masa

Title: What's a Full-Day Private Tour of Tokyo Like for First-Time Visitors? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests were friends visiting Japan for the first time from North America. They arrived at Haneda Airport the previous evening and took a taxi to their hotel. The night before, they had explored Shinjuku. On this trip, they planned to travel around Japan, staying in Tokyo before continuing to Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, and Hiroshima, then flying home from Kansai Airport.

Today, they said they "wanted to learn how to ride the subway." Partway through, the tour continued under light rain.

Since they first wanted to buy SUICA cards, we headed to the travel concierge counter at Shinjuku Station.

After that, we went to Asakusa, which was as crowded as ever. Starting from the front of Kaminarimon Gate, I explained the history of Sensoji Temple and the shift 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 at Kaminarimon, in front of the five-story pagoda, and at various spots, and strolled leisurely along the Nakamise shopping street. There were questions such as "What are the main religions in Japan?", "How many Buddhists are there in Japan?", "Besides Buddhism, what other religions do people follow?", and "Are there Catholics in Japan?"

Next, we went to Tsukiji, which was crowded with tourists as usual. We explored the Tsukiji Fish Market and then the outer market. I explained the history of Tokyo's fish market since the Edo period and the differences between 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 many tourists."

We moved on to Koishikawa Korakuen. The guests said they were "big fans of Japanese gardens." We strolled slowly through the grounds. They asked, "Isn't it possible to see the autumn leaves yet?" and remarked, "The pine trees we see in Japan really are wonderful."

We then moved to Harajuku. I explained about Shinto, the torii gate, Emperor Meiji, why the sake barrels are displayed, and why wine barrels are displayed as well. There were questions such as "What kind of religion is Shinto?", "This is completely different from Sensoji Temple," and "How do Buddhism and Shinto differ?" We rested at a cafe terrace at Meiji Shrine.

From there, we moved to Shibuya. We actually crossed the scramble crossing. There were questions such as "Why do so many people gather here?" and "Why did it become famous?" We also took photos in front of the Hachiko statue. There were comments and questions such as "Japanese people are all so quiet and polite," "Why are there no trash cans on the streets?", and "There are no hand dryers or paper towels in the public restrooms."

I saw them off at Shinjuku 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.