Tokyo in One Day: Hotel Celestine Ginza & Toyoiwa Inari — Guide Danda

What Is a Private Walking Tour of Asakusa, Ueno, and Shibuya Like? A Licensed Guide's Tokyo Report

The meeting was set for 9:00, and although the guests did not appear right away and I was a little worried, we were able to meet safely and begin the tour. Since no destinations had been decided at all, I asked about their wishes and started from there. The guests were visitors from North America, and they were wonderfully kind and considerate. Their hotel was near Shimbashi, so as I usually do, I introduced them to Toyoiwa Inari Shrine and Takanoya, and they were delighted, saying these were places they would never have stopped at or even noticed on their own. Takanoya is a traditional Japanese house with "udatsu," so after explaining the meaning of "udatsu ga agaranai," the punchline about "not being able to get a promotion" always gets a laugh, making it a great spot.

The guests actively took part in the experiences available at each location. At Sensoji, they rarely happened to draw the "great blessing (dai-kichi)" fortune and were overjoyed, and they were also moved by the carp in the pond, taking photos the whole time. It felt like their most excited visit to Asakusa I had ever seen.

The guests wanted to have matcha at Hatoya Yasohachi, so we stopped by, but there was already a long line. When I checked with the staff how long the wait would be, they said about 30 minutes. Usually most guests give up at that point, but they said "No, we absolutely want to drink it," so while I waited in line for them, they went to take photos of the Skytree and the Asahi Beer flame monument (though perhaps out of concern, they came back quite quickly). It seems popular because the matcha is made right in front of you from the powder over the counter, and the guests were filming video the whole time. In addition to the drinks, they purchased matcha powder for over 3,000 yen, but they were surprised at the amount — it contained only 20g, and we both stared blankly, thinking "Wait, is this all?" It is said to be enough for five servings: for each serving, mix 4g with 20ml of water (to avoid lumps), then add 20ml of hot water to finish. I wasn't quite sure how to translate "tama" (lumps), but after talking it through, they understood fairly quickly.

At Ueno Park, the lanterns at Ueno Toshogu Shrine were lined up very beautifully and made a strong impression, so they enjoyed looking at the lanterns rather than the main hall itself. At the end, they wanted to go to Shibuya and also wished to exchange money into Japanese yen somewhere, so on the way from the Ginza Line to the Shibuya Crossing, we stopped at a currency exchange in Mark City, then enjoyed Hachiko and the crossing. One of the guests had seen a bit of the movie and was interested in Hachiko. As always, there were many people lined up, so they took photos from the side so as not to get in anyone's way.

They were in good spirits, and although it was already past 15:00, they said they would now have lunch, head to Shinjuku, and go to Omoide Yokocho and Golden Gai. I introduced them to a bar in Golden Gai that I have been to (Zeami: the staff speaks English), and that concluded the tour. At the end, I received many words of thanks, and while I am very grateful that they enjoyed themselves, I also had a wonderful time myself, so I am thankful to the guests.

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Tour Report by Danda

Nice to meet you. I am delighted to introduce myself. My nickname is Danda. I live in Saitama prefecture next to Tokyo, but I was brought up in Kanazawa, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Japan. My favorite things are bonsai and hiking. Also, I have been a big fun of history and sumo since my childhood. As for the guide, I have enjoyed making communication with foreign visitors since 2019. I have taken more than 30 private groups to not only major scenic spots but also their favorite places such as tea ceremony, maid cafe, sumo tournament, bonsai village, fire ritual and so on. I can arrange the original tour based on your requests and curiosity. It will be only for you. I look forward to meeting you soon. Thank you.