Tokyo in One Day: Hotel Akasaka & Takeshita Street — Guide Danda

What's a Private Family-Friendly Tokyo Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Akasaka, Asakusa, Shibuya, and Harajuku

I guided a group visiting from North America. As on a previous occasion, the members of the group got along wonderfully, and it was a heartwarming day from start to finish. The trip's destinations had been arranged partly through communication with an agent. We began in Akasaka-mitsuke, where I first explained a traditional Japanese-style izakaya with a sugidama (cedar ball), then introduced a recommended restaurant, Akasaka Umaya, to start the tour. During the subway ride to Asakusa, I spent the whole time talking with one of the guests, who worked in design and kindly showed me some of their creative work.

In Asakusa, we started by having everyone poke their faces through the hole in the white sculpture "Green Planet" for photos. For some reason this delighted one of the guests, who ended up enjoying it even more than the younger members of the group and had a photo taken while putting their head through (the group truly got along wonderfully). At Nakamise, some of the guests became absorbed in hand cream and bought so many I lost count. While waiting, I chatted with another guest about how it all "runs in the genes," sharing the kind of relatable observations one often makes. There happened to be a white heron dance at Senso-ji today, but as the group did not show much interest, it was fortunately a good way to save time.

When we had lunch at Azuma, I learned that one of the guests usually cooks at home, and I was amazed to see photos of their beautifully plated dishes, which looked truly professional and creative (the photos of my own cooking that I showed in return felt so plain by comparison that I was almost embarrassed). On the Ginza Line to Shibuya, I talked with one of the guests about high school life, and another guest happily took photos, saying how nice it was.

Everyone was thrilled by the crowds at the Shibuya Crossing and by a wedding procession at Meiji Shrine, filming videos of both. While waiting at one point, I showed some of the guests an old Japanese instant cup noodle commercial and asked, "What do you think this commercial is for?" then explained, "It's actually a playful jab at English education in Japan." This went over very well, and I was asked to send the YouTube link by email.

Finally, since the younger members of the group all play soccer (their photos playing soccer looked incredibly cool), they wanted to buy soccer gear, so we spent a good while at the KAMO shop in Harajuku, where everyone made their purchases before heading to Takeshita Street. The goal there was an animal cafe, and the group debated between a micro-pig cafe and a Samoyed cafe. We parted ways after I received the kind words, "Today was perfect, including the weather," and "Thank you." They were a truly wonderful group to guide.

Click here for more details: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide

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.