Tokyo in One Day: Shiomi Station & Shin-kiba Station — Guide Masa

Title: What Is a Private One-Day Tokyo Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Asakusa, Tsukiji, Shinjuku Gyoen, Harajuku, and Shibuya

The guest was visiting Japan for the first time, coming from Europe. They arrived at Haneda Airport last night on a direct flight and took a taxi to the hotel. They were on a trip to Japan, planning to stay in Tokyo before visiting Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, and Hiroshima, then returning to Tokyo before heading home. The guest mentioned that they had been studying Japanese. The tour took place under cloudy skies with occasional strong gusts of wind due to the influence of a typhoon.

We started at Asakusa, which was very crowded as always. Beginning in front of Kaminarimon Gate, I explained "Sensoji Temple and the history from Edo to Tokyo," "what the five-storied pagoda is for," "what Buddhism is," and "the difference between Buddhism and Shinto." We took commemorative photos at Kaminarimon, in front of the five-storied pagoda, and at various other spots, and leisurely strolled through the Nakamise shopping street. There were questions such as "What are the major 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 strolled through the Tsukiji fish market area and then visited the outer market. I explained "the history of Tokyo's fish market since the Edo period" and "the difference between Toyosu Market and the Tsukiji outer market." There were questions and comments such as "Do all Tokyoites come here to buy fish?" and "It is crowded, but it seems there are many tourists after all."

We then moved to Shinjuku Gyoen. Since the guest liked Japanese gardens, we walked leisurely through the grounds. The guest said, "Japanese gardens really are wonderful. The pine trees in particular are splendid."

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

From here, 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 "The Japanese are all quiet and polite," "The subway is far more refined than the one in London," "The city is clean with no litter on the ground," and "Why are there no trash bins around the city?" The guest also noted, "However, it is strange that young people do not give up their seats to older people on the subway."

On the way toward the hotel, I saw the guest off at Shinkiba Station and 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.