This is a private guided tour report by Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.), a network of 1,000+ government-licensed, English-speaking local guides across all 47 prefectures of Japan. Not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association.
Tour Itinerary
- 09:00 We met at the front desk on the 6th floor of Hotel New Otani Garden Tower. The husband Mr. Mike, wife Mrs. Ursula, eldest daughter Victoria in her first year of junior high, and eldest son Liam in his first year of elementary school. The route had been decided through email exchanges in advance, but when I confirmed the entire itinerary for this trip, they would spend 4 days in Tokyo, then 3 days each in Kyoto and Osaka, 2 days in Hakone, and finally 2 days in Tokyo. They wanted to arrange a guide for the first day in each city and be able to move around well on their own for the rest of the time in each city, so with that in mind, I guided them while explaining recommended places, recommended meals, etc. in Tokyo one by one.
- 09:45 -11:30 Arrived at Sensoji Temple → Azuma Bridge → Kaminarimon → Nakamise Shopping Street → Main Hall → Stone Bridge → Asakusa Shrine. Since they had two children and it was a very hot day, we strolled while taking breaks at 4 places for sweets and drinks.
- 11:30 Took the Ginza Line subway, transferred at Omotesando, and arrived at Meiji Jingumae.
- 12:20 Started strolling around Meiji Shrine.
- 13:15 As a reference for their own movements starting tomorrow, we moved from Harajuku to Shibuya on the Yamanote Line.
- 13:25 Took photos at Hachiko and filmed video of the scramble crossing from the connecting corridor between the Inokashira Line and the Ginza Line. Here they got hungry and wanted to go into a sushi restaurant, so we went to the 8th floor of Seibu Department Store.
- 14:00-15:10 Had a sushi lunch at the sushi restaurant "Kodai Suzumezushi."
- 15:10-15:25 As 6 hours had passed and they could return to Akasaka-mitsuke on their own via the Ginza Line, I told them about the location and shop information for places like 109 that the daughter wanted to go to, Don Quijote that the wife wanted to go to, and Tokyu Plaza that the husband wanted to go to, and at 15:30 we parted ways.
What Is a Private Tokyo Day Tour Like in Summer Heat? A Licensed Guide's Report
The original route included the Imperial Palace Nijubashi Bridge area after Senso-ji Temple, but the temperature rose to around 33 degrees. When we were leaving Senso-ji Temple, I asked whether the group was doing okay in terms of heatstroke, and the response was, "Yes, we'll go there on our own when it's a bit cooler. Let's skip the walk around the Imperial Palace Plaza and go to Meiji Shrine, which has a forest instead." So we omitted the Imperial Palace Plaza that we had originally planned to visit. On days when the temperature approaches 35 degrees, I make a point of asking about everyone's condition several times during the tour and adjusting the schedule as we go. Each person had prepared one bottle of water, but we stopped at a convenience store twice to buy more.
During the tour, I also gave detailed information about Akihabara and Odaiba, which would be enjoyable places for the guests during their three days of self-guided exploration starting the next day, and they were very pleased.
Click here for more details: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Transportation cost per person
| No. | Transportation | Route | Fare |
| Section 1 | Subway | Akasaka-mitsuke～Asakusa | 600JPY |
| Section 2 | Subway | Asakusa～Meiji Jingumae | 0JPY |
| Section 3 | Train | Harajuku～Shibuya | 150JPY |
| Total | 750JPY | ||
I acquired national guide license in 2014, and I have been doing guide work full fledged since 2016. In my career before starting guide work, I was a business man and made more than 1,000 business trips both abroad and in Japan, and that experience is my foundation as a guide because I came to know so many places both abroad and in Japan. I have been taking care of both group and individual tourists, and the number of foreign guests I have taken care is close to 2,500 so far. I am based in Tokyo, but I can cover guide work in many prefectures throughout Japan. When I take care of foreign guests, my major concern is to listen attentively to them, find out what they want to know and do in Japan, and give them appropriate guiding in accordance with what I heard from my guests. I would like to provide tailor made tour as much as possible for every precious guest who kindly chose Japan as the tour destination.
Aug 1, 2025
8
898kendrap
Great first day in Tokyo!
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Asai, our tour guide, made our…
Aug 1, 2025
8
898kendrap
Great first day in Tokyo!
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Asai, our tour guide, made our first day in Tokyo so memorable and enjoyable! He shared his knowledge and love for the city as he showed us around. We now understand how to navigate the train system, and he even left us a list of how to explore other areas of the city by train. Our tour was a fun way to get acquainted with this amazing city!
Jul 14, 2025
Anette_V
Perfect
Viator review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Our guide Minoru Asai was very friendly and knowledgeable about culture,…
Jul 14, 2025
Anette_V
Perfect
Viator review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Our guide Minoru Asai was very friendly and knowledgeable about culture, history and
society. He picked and showed us more than We expected. Also he was good Company for
both me, my husbond and our son aged 22.
Jun 30, 2025
liammL2246HL
Amazing experience
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
We had an amazing private tour with Minoru Asai! We…
Jun 30, 2025
liammL2246HL
Amazing experience
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
We had an amazing private tour with Minoru Asai! We loved seeing all of the sights on the tour and Minoru was extremely knowledge about all things in Tokyo and else-wear in Japan. We were able to adjust the stops due to the heat (it was up to 35C!) and Minoru had great suggestions for things to check out. Highly recommend!
Jun 26, 2025
394milesd
Excellent guide making an excellent day in Tokyo
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
A perfect day, tailored…
Jun 26, 2025
394milesd
Excellent guide making an excellent day in Tokyo
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
A perfect day, tailored to our needs (and the weather) and delivered so attentively by our guide Minoru Asai. He was in contact in advance of the day to understand our interests, and advised us on practicalities and remained flexible throughout the day as required. His knowledge, and passion, for the history of Tokyo made the day! Could not have asked for more.