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

What Is a Private Tokyo Day Tour Like for First-Time Visitors? A Licensed Guide's Report on Asakusa, Akihabara, Meiji Shrine, and Shibuya

The guests were a group visiting Japan from Europe, all visiting Japan for the first time. Some of the guests practiced karate at a dojo back home, were knowledgeable about Japanese history, and could speak a little Japanese. They said, "We had always wanted to come to Japan but couldn't because of the COVID-19 situation. This time it finally came true."

The night before, they had arrived at Narita Airport via a connecting flight and taken the Narita Express to their accommodation. They planned to stay in Japan for a total of two weeks. After spending a few more days in Tokyo, they intended to travel around Kyoto, Osaka, and Nara before returning to Tokyo and heading home.

They commented, "There aren't many restaurants around our hotel. We should have stayed at a hotel closer to the city center."

The tour took place under rainy weather.

Despite the rain, Asakusa was crowded with people. There were questions such as "When was this temple built?", "Do all Japanese people believe in Buddhism?", and "Are there people who believe in religions other than Buddhism?" I explained the history of Senso-ji Temple, and there were also questions such as "What kind of teachings does Buddhism have?"

One of the guests drew an omikuji fortune and was delighted to pull "Daikichi" (great blessing). They obtained a goshuin stamp at Yogo-do Hall.

After this, we moved to the Akihabara electronics district. As they were all big fans of Japanese anime, they bought a large amount of character goods and figures. They said, "We'd like to come back here again tomorrow."

At Meiji Shrine, there were questions such as "What are the torii gates for?", "Do Japanese people follow Buddhism or Shinto?", and "How are Buddhism and Shinto different?" There were also questions about the Japanese Imperial Family and "Why did the Meiji Restoration happen?"

In the rain, we took a break at the "Cafe Terrace Meiji Jingu" and bought ice cream. After that, we strolled along Takeshita Street and Cat Street.

We then moved to Shibuya and crossed the Scramble Crossing. There was a question: "Why is it so crowded here?"

There were also comments such as "The whole city is clean and beautiful," "It's quiet inside the subway and no one is making noise, although it's too complicated and hard to understand," and "The public toilets are clean and pleasant. It's also nice that they're free."

I saw them off at Hatchobori Station, where the tour ended.

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.