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

Guest was a visiting group from North America. It was their first visit to Japan. They had arrived at Haneda on a direct flight the previous day and took a taxi to their Hotel. They said they had strolled around the Hotel area the previous evening. This was an approximately two-week trip to Japan. After staying in Tokyo, they planned to visit Hakone, Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, and Hiroshima, then return to Tokyo before heading home. It was quite a hot and humid day for the tour. They requested to meet and start the tour not at their accommodation, but in the lobby of the Hotel at Tokyo Station. However, I received a call saying, "We don't know which exit to use from Tokyo Station," so it took quite a bit of effort before we managed to meet up. We strolled slowly on foot through Marunouchi, Gyoko-dori Avenue, and in front of Nijubashi Bridge. We then moved to the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace. I explained about "Japanese history from the Edo period to the Meiji era," "the Meiji Restoration," "why Edo Castle became the Imperial Palace," and "the Great Tokyo Air Raid," among other topics. There were questions and comments such as "What happened to the shoguns and samurai after the Meiji Restoration?", "Does the current Emperor of Japan hold political authority?", and "The pine trees are beautiful and wonderful." We passed from Hirakawa Gate to Takebashi Station and headed to Mitsukoshimae Station. We strolled through shops such as "Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi," "Kiya," "Ninben," and "Yamamoto Noriten." By chance, a "Niigata Prefecture products fair" was being held, and here they experienced "sake tasting," which they seemed to enjoy very much. They also seemed to especially like the basement food floor of the Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi store, saying, "We'll come back again tomorrow." From here, we moved to Shinjuku. I explained about "the origins of Shinjuku," "the differences between the east and west sides," and "the history of Kabukicho." They seemed to particularly like the "Godzilla Head" and the "cat billboard," photographing them enthusiastically. They said, "The atmosphere is different from Shibuya." After that, we moved to Harajuku. I explained about "Shinto," "torii gates," "Emperor Meiji," "why sake barrels are displayed," and "why wine barrels are displayed." There were questions such as "What kind of religion is Shinto?", "It's completely different from Sensoji Temple," and "How do Buddhism and Shinto differ?" We took a break at Cafe Terrace Meiji Jingu. From here, we moved to Shibuya. We actually crossed the Scramble Square. There were questions like "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 quiet and polite," "I felt the public safety is very good," "The streets are clean and there's no litter," and "Why aren't there trash cans on the streets?" We parted ways in front of Shibuya Station.

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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.