Tokyo in One Day: Tokyo Station & Shinjuku Station — Guide Masa

Title: What Can You See on a Full-Day Private Tour of Tokyo? A Licensed Guide's Report on Asakusa, Tsukiji, Meiji Shrine, and Shinjuku

The guests were visitors from Oceania, and it was their first visit to Japan. The purpose of this trip was a long stay in Japan, with plans to start in Tokyo and travel around the whole country. They had arrived at Haneda Airport the previous evening and taken a taxi to their hotel. Before arriving in Japan they had spent time in Asia, and after Japan they planned to head to Oceania for another extended stay before returning home. The previous day they had explored inside Tokyo Station, but found it surprisingly quiet with many shops closed. Their wish for today was to visit the main areas of central Tokyo and get a sense of the transportation system.

It was a tour under clear skies, in weather warm enough to feel hot.

Since they wanted to obtain a SUICA card, we first went to the Ekitabi Concierge at Tokyo Station.

After that, we moved to Asakusa.

Starting from in front of Kaminarimon Gate, I explained about 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 Kaminarimon and various other spots, and slowly strolled through the crowded Nakamise shopping street. There were questions such as "What are Japan's main religions?", "How many Buddhists are there in Japan?", and "Besides Buddhism, what other religions do people believe in?" There was also a question about why some people in kimono could be seen within the temple grounds.

From here, we went to Tsukiji, which was as crowded as ever.

I explained the history of the fish market since the Edo period and the difference between Toyosu Market and the Tsukiji Outer Market. There were questions and comments such as "Do all Tokyo residents come here to buy fish?" and "It's crowded, but it does seem like there are many tourists."

They said they wanted to try some food, and in the end they purchased and sampled grilled crab and grilled beef skewers. They remarked that compared to fish markets they had seen elsewhere, this one was by far cleaner and completely different.

We moved to Harajuku.

Meiji Shrine was full of tourists.

I explained about Shinto, the torii gates, Emperor Meiji, why sake barrels are displayed, and why wine barrels are also displayed. There were questions such as "What kind of religion is Shinto?" and "How do Buddhism and Shinto differ?"

Then to Shinjuku Sanchome.

Since they wished to have sushi for lunch, we went to a sushi restaurant in a department store building. Interestingly, they enjoyed an assorted sashimi platter and also savored some sake. Sitting at the counter, they repeatedly photographed the sushi chef preparing the sushi.

After this, we walked through Shinjuku Golden Gai, Kabukicho, and Omoide Yokocho. There were comments and questions such as "The streets are clean and there's no litter," "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 them off at Tokyo Station on the Marunouchi Line, and 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.