Tokyo in One Day: Tochomae Station & Shinjuku Station — Guide Masa

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

The guest was visiting Japan for the first time from North America. The day before, the guest had arrived at Yokohama Port on a cruise ship that had traveled through Singapore, Taiwan, and Okinawa, then taken a taxi to the hotel. The previous evening, the guest strolled around the west side of Shinjuku. The plan was to spend today in Tokyo and fly home from Narita Airport the following day. The guest also planned to join a "food tour" in Shinjuku this evening.

Although it was overcast, it was quite hot and humid during the tour.

First, we went to Tsukiji. As always, it was extremely crowded with tourists. We strolled through Tsukiji Uogashi and then went to the outer market. I explained "the history of Tokyo's fish market since the Edo period" and "the difference between Toyosu Market and Tsukiji Outer Market." The guest asked and commented, "Do all Tokyo residents come here to buy fish?" and "It's crowded, but it seems like there are a lot of tourists."

We then went to the Tokyo National Museum in Ueno. I explained the history of the national museum. The guest seemed interested in "Japanese history," especially "swords" and "Zen," and was quite knowledgeable.

We moved to Shinjuku Gyoen. The guest mentioned "liking Japanese gardens" and "having planted a maple in the garden at home," so we strolled slowly through the grounds. The guest said, "Japanese gardens really are wonderful. The pine trees in particular are marvelous."

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." The guest asked questions such as "What kind of religion is Shinto?" "This is completely different from Sensoji Temple," and "How does Buddhism differ from Shinto?" We took a break at the café terrace of Meiji Jingu.

From here, we moved to Shibuya. We actually crossed the Scramble intersection. The guest asked, "Why do so many people gather here?" and "Why did it become so famous?" We also took photos in front of the Hachiko statue. The guest commented and asked, "Japanese people are all quiet and polite." "You don't see homeless people in the city. Downtown in my hometown is now overflowing with homeless people, and you can't walk around safely." "The streets are clean and there's no litter." "Why aren't there any trash cans on the streets?"

I saw the guest off at Shinjuku 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.