Tokyo in One Day: Shiomi Station & Ginza Station — Guide Masa

Title: What Is a Private One-Day Tokyo Tour Like for Senior Guests? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests were a group visiting from Oceania, coming to Japan for the first time. This visit was part of a 14-day trip. They planned to stay in Tokyo, then travel to Hakone, Hida-Takayama, Kanazawa, Kyoto, and Hiroshima, before returning to Tokyo and heading home.

They had arrived at Narita Airport the previous evening and taken a pre-booked taxi to their Hotel. However, due to heavy rain, they arrived much later than planned, finally reaching the Hotel around 21:00.

They mentioned, "Tomorrow we are planning to visit Odaiba."

The tour took place under cloudy skies, with occasional light rain.

First, they wanted to activate their JR Pass, make Shinkansen reservations, and purchase a Suica card. They had been told by a travel agency that "the guide can take care of everything."

So we headed to the travel concierge counter at Ueno Station. However, since the itinerary details (dates, train times, etc.) had not been finalized, it took considerably more time than usual before everything was completed.

From there, we went to Asakusa. Starting in front of the Kaminarimon Gate, I explained about "Sensoji Temple and the history from Edo to Tokyo," "the purpose of the five-story pagoda," "what Buddhism is," and "the difference between Buddhism and Shinto." We took commemorative photos at the Kaminarimon Gate, in front of the five-story pagoda, and at various other spots. We strolled slowly along the Nakamise shopping street.

They asked, "What are the major religions in Japan?" "How many Buddhists are there in Japan?" and "Besides Buddhism, what other religions do people believe in?"

Next, we went to Tsukiji. As always, it was extremely crowded with tourists. I explained about "the history of Tokyo's fish market since the Edo period" and "the difference between Toyosu Market and the Tsukiji Outer Market."

They asked and commented, "Do all Tokyo residents come here to buy fish?" and "It's very crowded—are these locals or tourists?"

They purchased and tasted some matcha ice cream.

We then moved to the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace. I explained about "Japanese history from the Edo period to the Meiji era," "the Meiji Restoration," "why Edo Castle became the Imperial Palace," and "the Tokyo air raids."

They asked, "What happened to the shoguns and samurai after the Meiji Restoration?" and "Does the current Emperor of Japan hold any political power?"

We moved on to Ginza. In the light rain, we strolled around Mitsukoshi, Ginza Six, the Nissan showroom, and other spots.

They commented and asked, "Japanese people are all so quiet and polite," "There are no homeless people to be seen in the city," "The streets are clean and there is no litter," and "Why are there no trash cans on the streets?"

I saw them off at Shiomi Station, where 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.