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

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

The guests were a group of young friends visiting Japan for the first time from Europe. They were staying at a private lodging in the Kagurazaka area. Two days earlier, they had arrived at Narita Airport via a connecting flight and traveled to their accommodation by taxi. The day before, they had strolled around their lodging area and Shinjuku. From the next day onward, they planned to split into three groups and travel separately — some heading toward the Kansai region, others toward Nagano and the Hokuriku area. For today, they wanted to "visit the main spots in Tokyo and get a sense of how the transportation system works."

The tour took place under clear skies, with weather warm enough to feel hot. The guests commented that it was "too hot compared to back home."

From there, we first headed to Asakusa. Despite the early hour, it was extremely crowded. We started from in front of Kaminarimon Gate. I explained the history of Sensoji Temple and the transition from Edo to Tokyo, the purpose of the five-story pagoda, what Buddhism is, and the differences 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 the main religions in Japan?", "How many Buddhists are there in Japan?", and "Besides Buddhism, what other religions do people follow?" Everyone in the group purchased an omamori charm as a souvenir.

We moved on to Nippori. I explained the history and current state of the Yanaka, Nezu, and Sendagi areas. However, Yanaka Ginza was very crowded with tourists. The guests commented, "Compared to other parts of Tokyo, it's quiet and calm — this is the kind of place we wanted to see." At Nezu Shrine, we passed through the torii gates of the Inari shrine and paid our respects. Here, everyone drew an omikuji fortune. They said, "It's quiet, and we like this better."

From here, we went to Tsukiji, which was as crowded as ever. We first visited "Tsukiji Uogashi," then went to the outer market. I explained the history of the fish market dating back to the Edo period, and the differences between Toyosu Market and the Tsukiji outer market. There were questions and comments such as "Do all people in Tokyo come here to buy fish?" and "It's crowded, but it seems like there are a lot of tourists." The guests said they wanted to try something, so they ended up buying and tasting onigiri and mochi. They remarked, "We have fish markets back home too, but not this big," and "We eat a lot of fish back home too — mostly salmon and halibut."

We moved to Harajuku and visited Meiji Shrine. I explained about Shinto, torii gates, 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?" A wedding ceremony was taking place, and the guests photographed the procession. They also took commemorative photos of a group celebrating a shrine visit for a child. We took a break at Forest Terrace Meiji Jingu.

We then moved to Shibuya. Afterward, we looked at Scramble Square and walked across the crossing. There were questions such as "Why are so many people gathering here?", "About how many people cross at once?", and "Why did it become so famous?" We also took photos in front of the Hachiko statue. The guests made comments and asked questions such as "The public restrooms are plentiful and clean," "The streets are clean with no litter," and "There are no trash cans on the streets — why is that?"

We saw them off at Kagurazaka Station and ended the tour.

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.