Tokyo in One Day: Odaiba Station & Shibuya Station — Guide Masa

What's a Full-Day Private Tour of Tokyo Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Asakusa, the Imperial Palace, Gotokuji, and Shibuya

The guests were a group of three. They were originally from Europe and now live in different parts of Europe. They had met each other while traveling abroad some years ago, got along well, and had since enjoyed several overseas trips together. They also shared a love of cats, which was part of what brought them together. This was the first visit to Japan for all of them. Among themselves, the group spoke French.

They had arrived at Narita Airport the previous evening and taken a taxi to their hotel. They planned to stay in Japan for fourteen days. The next day they would take the Shinkansen to Hiroshima, and afterward visit Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, and other places at a relaxed pace before returning to Tokyo and then heading home. They also mentioned, "If possible, we'd love to enjoy the cherry blossoms."

The tour took place under clear skies and almost hot weather.

First, we went to Asakusa.

We started in front of the Kaminarimon Gate. I explained "Sensoji Temple and the history from Edo to Tokyo," "what the five-story pagoda is for," "what Buddhism is," and "the difference between Buddhism and Shinto."

We took commemorative photos at the Kaminarimon Gate, in front of the five-story pagoda, and at various other spots. The weeping cherry blossoms in the temple grounds had almost all fallen. We slowly strolled through the crowded Nakamise shopping street.

There were questions such as "What are the main religions in Japan?" "About how many people in Japan believe in Buddhism?" and "Besides Buddhism, what other religions do people follow?"

There was also a question: "We see many people wearing kimono in the temple grounds. Why is that? Are they all Japanese?"

The guests bought a large number of "omamori" charms as souvenirs for their grandchildren.

We then moved to the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace.

I explained "Japanese history from Edo to Meiji," "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 the stone walls were built."

There were questions and comments such as "Does the current Emperor of Japan hold political power?" "Who will be the next Emperor?" "Can a woman become Emperor?" and "Why can't we approach the Imperial residence buildings within the palace grounds?"

The guests remarked, "The pine trees are wonderful."

Several cherry trees were in full bloom, and the guests photographed them eagerly.

From here we traveled a long way to Gotokuji Temple.

I explained "the history and origins of Gotokuji Temple."

The guests eagerly took photos in front of the "cat statues."

They all bought a "cat" figurine, wrote their names on them, and offered them at the temple. We took a short break at a coffee shop in front of the station.

We moved to Shibuya and actually crossed the scramble crossing. There were questions such as "About how many people cross here?" and "Why did it become famous?"

We also took photos in front of the Hachiko statue and strolled through Shibuya Center Street.

There were comments and questions such as "The city is clean and there's no litter on the ground," "It's surprising that the public toilets are clean and free," "There are no trash cans on the streets. Why is that?" "Everyone is quiet on the trains," and "There are vending machines everywhere."

I saw the guests off at Daiba 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.