Tokyo in One Day: Takeshiba Station & Shimbashi Station — Guide Masa

The guests were a group of three visiting Japan for the first time, based partly in Europe and partly in Oceania. The group had arrived at Haneda Airport the previous day and taken a taxi to their Hotel. The following days, some of the guests planned a 14-day cruise around Japan, while another planned to travel independently to Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, and Hiroshima starting the same day. Both plans included returning to Tokyo afterward and flying home. They said, "Tomorrow we plan to explore the eastern part of Tokyo without a guide, so today we would like to focus mainly on the western part." It was a rather hot and humid day under cloudy skies. First, we went to the observation deck of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. There was quite a long line of tourists. It was hazy, so the view was not very clear. We were unable to see Mount Fuji. They said, "Now I understand how vast and sprawling Tokyo is." There was a question about the population of Tokyo. We moved on to Shinjuku Gyoen. They said they liked Japanese gardens, and we took a leisurely stroll through the grounds. They commented, "Japanese gardens really are wonderful. The pine trees in particular are magnificent." Returning to the Shinjuku east exit, we walked around Kabukicho and other areas. I explained "the history of Shinjuku," "the differences between the east and west sides," and "the history of Kabukicho." They especially seemed to like the "cat billboard" and photographed it enthusiastically. They commented, "The atmosphere here is different from other places. There is some scattered trash." At Shinjuku Golden Gai, almost all the shops were closed, but several groups of tourists were strolling around. For lunch, we went to the Isetan building. Since they requested "a place that ordinary tourists don't usually go," we went to a kushikatsu restaurant. We moved on to Harajuku. I explained "about Shinto," "about torii gates," "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?" "This is completely different from Sensoji Temple," and "What is the difference between Buddhism and Shinto?" After a rest at the cafe terrace of Meiji Jingu, we also walked along Takeshita Street. 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 "All Japanese people are quiet and polite," "There are no homeless people to be seen in the city," and "The city is clean with no litter on the ground." I saw them off at Shimbashi Station on the Yurikamome line, 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.