Tokyo in One Day: HOTEL THE CELESTINE GINZA — Guide Danda

What's a Private One-Day Tokyo Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Asakusa, Ueno, and Meiji Shrine

I guided a lovely group visiting from North America. They mentioned with a laugh that the wedding dress worn earlier had weighed as much as 20 kg, which was quite heavy. Because they run a business, they joked that they had no paid vacation, and so they wanted to see as much as possible. As a result, they didn't spend much time shopping, took photos only in moderation, walked very quickly, and cleared each planned location smoothly — almost too smoothly. We reached Asakusa and Ueno Park without any rain, but just as we arrived at Tokyo Station, it began to rain. At Kitanomaru Park, because of the rain there were no university students in hakama taking commemorative photos; we only saw many of them walking between the venue and Kudanshita Station. One of the guests asked again why the back of the women's hakama outfits appears puffed up — it must seem curious to visitors. I offered, "Would you like to take a commemorative photo with them? If so, I can ask them," but they replied, "No, that's alright," so it seemed they weren't especially interested this time. They didn't seem very accustomed to the cold, so perhaps the chill from the rain had an effect. For lunch, they wanted ramen, so we went to Ippudo at Harakado. Unlike other spots, this one is usually not so crowded, which is why I chose it, and it was the right call. They said it was delicious and drank up all the soup, and as they warmed up we were able to have a fun conversation about their home region and languages, making for a very pleasant lunchtime. Finally, we walked around Meiji Shrine, and when the guests took another photo in front of the wine barrels, they kindly said, "I'll tell my friends about you and share the photos too." Before heading to Takeshita Street at the end, we took a short break at a cafe and continued the various conversations we couldn't finish at lunch, which was another wonderful moment. I think it would have been even more enjoyable without the rain and with a bit more warmth, but at the end they said, "We'll come back to Tokyo on April 1st, and we hope to see the cherry blossoms in full bloom then. We'd like to visit Chidorigafuchi once more," and "Today was a great day." We parted ways at the entrance to Takeshita Street.

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Tour Report by Danda

Nice to meet you. I am delighted to introduce myself. My nickname is Danda. I live in Saitama prefecture next to Tokyo, but I was brought up in Kanazawa, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Japan. My favorite things are bonsai and hiking. Also, I have been a big fun of history and sumo since my childhood. As for the guide, I have enjoyed making communication with foreign visitors since 2019. I have taken more than 30 private groups to not only major scenic spots but also their favorite places such as tea ceremony, maid cafe, sumo tournament, bonsai village, fire ritual and so on. I can arrange the original tour based on your requests and curiosity. It will be only for you. I look forward to meeting you soon. Thank you.