Tokyo in One Day: Meiji Shrine & tour end — Guide Yoko
October, 2025
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
- 10:00 Meet up@
- 10:30 Meiji Shrine
- 11:30 Takeshita St
- Harajuku
- 13:00 Akihabara
- 14:30 East Garden of Imperial Palace
- 16:00 tour end
Tour Itinerary in Detail
From there the group visited Meiji Shrine at 10:30, Takeshita St at 11:30, Akihabara at 13:00, East Garden of Imperial Palace at 14:30 and tour end at 16:00.
Travel between the sites was by public transport: Akabanebashi to Yoyogi by subway (220JPY); Omotesando to Suehirocho (Tokyo) by subway (210JPY); Akihabara to Tokyo by train (150JPY); Otemachi (Tokyo) to Hibiya by subway (180JPY). Across 4 sections the fare came to 760JPY per person.
What Can You See on a Rainy-Day Private Tokyo Walking Tour? A Licensed Guide's Report
The guests were visitors from North America who booked through a local agency. However, communication from the local agency was slow, so I ended up corresponding directly with the guests. By the time the local agency finally got in touch, the itinerary had already been finalized. My impression is that things come together faster when not going through a local agency.
The guests were very friendly and kind. Since it was raining on the tour day, they even offered to reschedule for the next day. However, I received the email after I had already left home, so we decided to go ahead with the tour. At the guests' request, I guided them to Meiji Shrine, Harajuku, Akihabara, and the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace. We had originally planned to take a taxi from the Hotel to Meiji Shrine, but when we asked at the Hotel, we were told it would cost more than 4,000 yen, so after discussing it with the guests, we decided to take the subway instead.
The guests said they didn't need lunch because they wanted to sightsee as much as possible. However, I suggested we buy onigiri in the basement of Tokyo Station and take a short break at the free rest area in Wadakura Fountain Park to eat them. I was glad they said it was a great idea. On a sunny day you can sit and eat on outdoor benches or on the benches within the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace, but on a rainy day the places where you can sit and eat are limited. I was relieved that seats were available.
I had intended to see the guests back to the Hotel, but they said they could get back on their own, so we traveled together to an intermediate station and parted ways there.
The guests seemed very interested in Japan and asked many questions, listening attentively to my explanations, which made me very happy.
They said they would be traveling on to Kamakura, Nikko, Kanazawa, and Kyoto.
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 | Subway | Akabanebashi～Yoyogi | 220JPY |
| Section 2 | Subway | Omotesando～Suehirocho (Tokyo) | 210JPY |
| Section 3 | Train | Akihabara～Tokyo | 150JPY |
| Section 4 | Subway | Otemachi (Tokyo)～Hibiya | 180JPY |
| Total | 760JPY | ||
Frequently Asked Questions
Which places does this itinerary cover?
This tour visited Meiji Shrine, Takeshita St, Akihabara, East Garden of Imperial Palace and tour end.
How much did transport cost on this tour?
Public transport came to 760JPY per person across 4 sections. Transport fares are paid by the guests and are not included in the guiding fee.
Is the guide licensed, and what language is the tour in?
Yoko is a government-licensed national guide-interpreter of Japan and guided this tour in English. Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.) works with more than 1,000 licensed guides across all 47 prefectures. Not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association.
Can the itinerary be changed for my own trip?
Yes. This report describes one private tour as it actually ran. Every Tokyo itinerary is built around the guests, so the places, the pace and the starting point can all be changed before the tour.
I’m Yoko Kusumoto, a government lisenced English-speaking guide.
I have been living in Tokyo for more than 20 years, and it’s my pleasure to show you around Tokyo. I recommend Meiji Shrine and Asakusa if you are first time in Japan. I also recommend off-the-beaton path spots like Fukagawa Fudodo and Gotokuji Temple(lucky cat temple).
I was born and brought up in Kamakura, where the first shogun’s government was established. It will be my pleasure to introduce you my hometown as well.
I live with my husband and one teenage son.
I like traveling, flowers, sewing, quilting, scrapbooking, and exploring Tokyo.
I’m looking forward to hearing from you soon.
Jun 2, 2026
ericahT6840AD
Awesome!
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Our day with Yoko was great! She took us to some…
Jun 2, 2026
ericahT6840AD
Awesome!
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Our day with Yoko was great! She took us to some great spots in Tokyo and was so helpful.
We would highly recommend her as a guide. If we are back, we will certainly request her
again!
May 20, 2026
CharKris17
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Tokyo Walking Tour
We did a six-hour walking tour of Tokyo with…
May 20, 2026
CharKris17
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Tokyo Walking Tour
We did a six-hour walking tour of Tokyo with Yoko and she was an exceptional guide. We saw multiple shrines (Meiji Shrine is a must see), the Imperial Palace, the “crossing” (there is a similar intersection in the Ginza shopping district which was also cool), the Tokyo Station, and the outer market where we ordered some fatty toro nigiri which was an etherial experience. Can’t say enough good things about Yoko. She taught ys a ton about the history of Japan and had a great sense of humor. A+
May 3, 2026
jefftK1794VZ
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Fantastic day exploring Tokyo
This was our first time visiting Tokyo and…
May 3, 2026
jefftK1794VZ
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Fantastic day exploring Tokyo
This was our first time visiting Tokyo and spending a day with Yoko as our guide was perhaps the best decision we could have made. Even before we arrived we traded messages with Yoko about what we might like to do. She offered valuable tips which made not only our time in Tokyo more efficient but while in Japan as a whole. We saw so many amazing things but Yoko also gave us a primer in using the Tokyo subway system and navigating some of the stations. I could go on and list all the things we did but each tour will be different. However I would highly recommend Yoko as a guide. Perhaps serendipitous, but we were stopped on the street the day after we toured with Yoko by a couple who had a list of things to do but was unsure how to go about doing the things on their list and where those things were located. I was thankful we chose the best guide so we didn’t have that problem.
Oct 23, 2025
Y6401BOshaunam
Knowledgable, engaging guide Yoko Kusmoto made day of Tokyo history, architecture and insights exceptional. le.
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour…
Oct 23, 2025
Y6401BOshaunam
Knowledgable, engaging guide Yoko Kusmoto made day of Tokyo history, architecture and insights exceptional. le.
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Our guide Yoko Kusmoto is exceptional . Her deep knowledge of Japan history, Tokyo’s
architecture and interesting Tokyo places made us appreciate all Tokyo has to offer. Her
smile, infectious laugh, kindness and interest added to our wonderful day.