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
- 1. 10:00 Meet at The Strings by InterContinental Tokyo
- 2. 10:30 Meiji Shrine
- 3. 11:30 Imperial Palace East Gardens
- 4. 12:45 Tokyo Station
- 5. 13:00 Nezu Shrine
- 6. 13:30 Yanaka
- 7. 14:15 Lunch (Gonpachi Asakusa Azumabashi)
- 8. 15:15 Asakusa
- 9. 16:00 Disband at Asakusa
A One-Day Private Tour of Tokyo: Meiji Shrine, Imperial Palace East Gardens, Yanaka, and Asakusa — A Licensed Guide's Report
The guests were visitors from North America. They were spending about two weeks in Japan overall, and after visiting Hiroshima, Kyoto, and other places, they came to Tokyo. Today was their first day in Tokyo, and they planned to explore the city for about three more days.
I guided them to Meiji Shrine, the Imperial Palace East Gardens, Nezu Shrine, Yanaka, and Asakusa. Along the way, they mentioned they also wanted to see the exterior of Tokyo Station, so it was added to our list of destinations. It was a hot day, but the guests were very energetic and walked quickly, so we were able to follow the itinerary as planned. They had also done a guided tour in Kyoto, so they had already received a certain amount of explanation about temples, shrines, and religion. To avoid overlapping too much, I had to check how much they already knew as we went along, which was the challenging part.
Since they had a late breakfast, they said we could skip lunch and started that way, but partly because of the heat, we decided to take a break along the way. They preferred a proper meal over a cafe, so it ended up being a late lunch. At the end, I explained how to get back to their hotel from Asakusa, and we parted ways.
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 | Train | Shinagawa～Harajuku | 178JPY |
| Section 2 | Subway | Meiji-jingumae～Otemachi | 209JPY |
| Section 3 | Subway | Otemachi～Nezu | 178JPY |
| Section 4 | Train | Nippori～Ueno | 146JPY |
| Section 5 | Subway | Ueno～Asakusa | 178JPY |
| Total | 889JPY | ||
Hello, I’m Haruhiko Yokota, a certified tour guide based in Tokyo and a top-ranked guide registered with JGA Inc. Please feel free to call me Haru.
I’ve been living in Tokyo for about 30 years and conducted close to 200 tours between 2023 and 2025. I’m very familiar with most major sightseeing spots in and around Tokyo, ranging from traditional temples and shrines to modern attractions. I also enjoy traveling throughout Japan, which has given me extensive knowledge of popular destinations across the country.
I’m happy to customize your tour to match your interests and preferences. If you have any requests or questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. I’ll do my best to make your tour both enjoyable and memorable!
Jul 13, 2026
529gregj
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Haru is an excellent guide in Tokyo
Haru (Haruhiko…
Jul 13, 2026
529gregj
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Haru is an excellent guide in Tokyo
Haru (Haruhiko Yokota) was a consummate professional from the first comment he made contact with us. He asked for our visit priorities and designed an interesting and engaging tour over the several hours we spent together. Very polite, he escorted and taught us through Japanese culture and sights, which was exactly what we wanted to see and learn about. We highly recommend Haru as a guide in future.
Jul 12, 2026
Felice R
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo Customized Half-Day Tour with Licensed Local Guide
Touring gardens in Tokyo with the perfect guide , Haru…
Jul 12, 2026
Felice R
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo Customized Half-Day Tour with Licensed Local Guide
Touring gardens in Tokyo with the perfect guide , Haru
Haru was an amazing tour guide. His communication skills from the first email to his tour presentation was superb! He was able to fine tune our tour with incredible precision. Haru was extremely professional and friendly! He was able to conduct our tour in a very organized, interesting and fun way. We would highly recommend Haru to give you the perfect tour of Tokyo.
Jul 9, 2026
mariee530
An incredible walking tour
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
This tour was beyond expectations!…
Jul 9, 2026
mariee530
An incredible walking tour
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
This tour was beyond expectations! Haru, my tour guide, was knowledgeable, kind and friendly. I feel like I learned so much from him throughout the day! I loved that I was able to choose from so many different sightseeing options. I simply gave Haru my list of preferred places and he did the rest! His patience with me as I took 4638 pictures was abundant! I would highly recommend this tour and I will certainly hope you have Haru as your guide!
Jun 30, 2026
simonegN55VE
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Fabulous walking tour with Haru
Haru was fabulous! We booked the tour…
Jun 30, 2026
simonegN55VE
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Fabulous walking tour with Haru
Haru was fabulous! We booked the tour for our first full day in Tokyo, and Haru provided us
with a perfect overview of the city. He was friendly, knowledgeable, and extremely
accommodating to our needs. I would highly recommend him to others.