Tokyo in One Day: Bayside Station & Maihama Station — Guide Masa

Title: What's a One-Day Private Tokyo Tour Like in Cherry Blossom Season? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests were a group visiting Japan from North America, all making their first trip to the country. Their journey lasted about two weeks. After arriving at Narita Airport, they immediately flew on to Kansai Airport. They started their trip in Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, and Hiroshima, then moved to Tokyo two days ago. Over the previous two days, they had enjoyed Disneyland and DisneySea.

Today they spent a full day sightseeing in the city, with plans to return home from Narita Airport the following morning.

"We really loved Kyoto," they said.

It was a chilly day with light rain, so the tour was conducted under umbrellas.

The guests expressed a wish: "We want to see cherry blossoms. We couldn't see them in the Kansai region."

First, we visited Shinjuku Gyoen.

I explained "The history and current state of Shinjuku Gyoen" and "The history of Edo and Tokyo."

The cherry blossoms had begun to bloom, and several trees were in full bloom. The guests eagerly took commemorative photos in front of several cherry trees.

"The pine trees are wonderful," they said, taking many photos here and there. They also remarked, "The Japanese garden is magnificent."

After this, the guests explained that touring various Disneylands is a family hobby. There was a piece of Disney merchandise they really wanted, but it was not sold at Tokyo Disneyland. They wished to visit the Disney Store in Shinjuku to buy it if available, so we went there. They purchased the socks they had been looking for.

We moved to the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace.

I explained "Japanese history from the Edo to Meiji periods," "About the Meiji Restoration," "Why Edo Castle became the Imperial Palace," "The history of the Imperial Family," "World War II and the air raids on Tokyo," and "How stone walls are constructed."

There were questions and comments such as: "What happened to the shoguns and samurai after the Meiji Restoration?", "Does the current Emperor of Japan hold political power?", "Who is the next Emperor?", "Can a woman become Emperor?", and "How many members are there in the Imperial Family in total?"

We moved to Ueno Park and strolled along Sakura Street.

The weeping cherry tree at the entrance was nearly in full bloom. However, the cherry trees along the street were "still just beginning to bloom." Despite the rain, there were many tourists.

Many food stalls were set up, and we strolled while browsing them.

At the guests' request, we went to Akihabara.

I explained "The history and current state of Akihabara."

Spotting a sign for a "maid café," they asked, "What is that?"

We browsed several shops. They purchased Pokémon merchandise.

After this, the guests said they wanted to have lunch, so we went to a family restaurant.

There were comments and questions such as: "The streets are clean and there's no litter," "The public toilets are beautiful and clean," and "There are no trash cans on the streets. Why is that?"

Since the guests were unfamiliar with Tokyo's geography, I saw them off at Maihama 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.