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

Title: What Is a Full-Day Private Tour of Tokyo Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Tokyo Tower, the Imperial Palace, Meiji Shrine, and Shibuya

The guests were a group visiting Japan for the first time from North America, having originally come from Asia before relocating to North America years ago. For this trip, they first traveled from North America to Asia, spent about a week with relatives, and then came to Japan. Afterward, they planned to visit Kyoto and Osaka, then travel from Kansai Airport to another destination in Asia before returning home. Some of the guests were staying at a different hotel and joined at Tochomae Station before we set off. They planned to visit Hakone the next day.

The guests were very knowledgeable about Japanese history and geography, having studied Japanese history at university. The tour took place in weather that felt like midsummer.

First, in line with their wishes, we headed to Tokyo Tower. Seeing Azabudai Hills along the way, they asked, "What is that — is it an office building or a condominium?" At Tokyo Tower we went up to the Top Deck, and they remarked, "There are too many high-rise buildings around," and "I can really see that Tokyo is a vast, sprawling city."

The East Gardens of the Imperial Palace were, as expected, very crowded. They asked questions such as "When was it built as a castle?" and "Did Edo Castle become the Imperial Palace?" I explained the nature and history of the Japanese Imperial family. They also asked, "Does the Emperor live inside here?", "Does the Emperor have political influence?", and "Who will become the next Emperor?"

At Meiji Shrine, they asked, "What kind of religion is Shinto? How do Buddhism and Shinto differ?" and "What are the torii gates for?" They also asked, "What was the balance of power between the Emperor and the Shogun?", "Do Japanese people respect the Emperor and the Imperial family?", and "Why did the Meiji Restoration happen?"

We took a break with a light meal at the cafe terrace near Meiji Shrine. We then strolled along Takeshita Street, though they did not seem very interested.

After that, we moved to Shibuya. At the Scramble Crossing, they commented, "Why are there so many people?" and "It's similar to Times Square." We took photos in front of the Hachiko statue. They also remarked, "The whole city is so orderly and clean," "Everyone is so polite," "It's so quiet on the subway, with no one being noisy," and "I don't see any homeless people. Why is that?"

Since they said they wanted to visit teamLab, I saw them off at Kamiyacho 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.