Tokyo in One Day: Nishi-Shinjuku & Shinjuku West Exit — Guide Masa

The guests were a family visiting Japan for the first time from North America. The group consisted of the guests. Everyone was visiting Japan for the first time.

They arrived at Narita Airport last night and took a taxi to their hotel. They mentioned their arrival was delayed by three hours.

This time they are on a 12-day trip to Japan. They will stay in Tokyo, then travel around Kyoto, Osaka, and Nara, and after returning to Tokyo, they plan to head home.

For today, they said, "We would like to visit the main spots in the city and get a sense of the transportation situation."

It was a tour under a cloudy, chilly sky.

Since they could not buy one at the airport, they wanted to purchase a "Welcome Suica Card," so we first went to the Ekitabi Concierge at Shinjuku Station.

From there, we headed to Asakusa first.

It was a Saturday, so it was very crowded.

We started from the 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. We strolled slowly through the crowded Nakamise shopping street.

There were questions such as "What are Japan's major religions?", "How many Buddhists are there in Japan?", and "Besides Buddhism, what other religions do people believe in?"

We moved to the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace.

I explained about "the history of Japan 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 stone walls are built."

There were questions and comments such as "Does the current Emperor of Japan hold political power?", "Who is the next Emperor?", and "Can a woman become Emperor?"

They remarked, "The pine trees are wonderful."

We also visited the Nijubashi Bridge.

We moved to Harajuku and went to Meiji Shrine.

I explained about "Shinto," "the torii gate," "Emperor Meiji," "why sake barrels are displayed," and "why wine barrels are displayed."

There were questions such as "What kind of religion is Shinto?" and "How do Buddhism and Shinto differ?"

Despite the rain, a wedding ceremony was being held, and we took photos.

We took a break at Forest Terrace Meiji Jingu.

We also strolled along Takeshita Street. However, it was met with disapproval, as they said, "A street this crowded is crazy."

We moved to Shibuya.

After that, we looked at the Scramble Square and also crossed the intersection on foot. There were questions such as "Why do so many people gather here?", "About how many people cross at once?", and "Why did it become famous?"

We also took photos in front of the Hachiko statue.

There were comments and questions such as "The city is clean and there is no litter," and "There are no trash cans on the streets. Why is that?"

I saw them off at Nishi-Shinjuku Station, 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.