Tokyo in One Day: Ueno Station & Daiba Station — Guide Masa

Title: What Can You See on a One-Day Private Tour of Tokyo? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests were a family visiting Japan for the first time, coming from Oceania. They were staying at a hotel near Ueno Station. They had arrived at Narita Airport the day before via a connecting flight and taken the Skyliner to their hotel. The evening before, they had explored the area around Ueno Station.

They planned to stay in Japan for an extended trip, spending several days in Tokyo before traveling on to Hakone, Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, and Hiroshima, then returning to Tokyo before heading home. The following day they planned to spend the whole day at Disney Sea.

For today, they said they wanted to "visit the main spots in Tokyo and get a sense of the transportation situation." It was a tour under clear skies, with weather warm enough to feel hot. They commented that it was "too hot compared to their home region."

First, we went to Tsukiji. It was as crowded as ever. I explained the "history of the fish market since the Edo period," the "difference between Toyosu Market and the Tsukiji Outer Market," and the "tuna auctions." They asked and commented, "Do all Tokyo residents come here to buy fish?" and "It's crowded, but it really seems like there are many tourists."

They said they wanted to try some food. In the end, they purchased and sampled "tuna sushi," "mochi with strawberry," and "matcha soft-serve ice cream." They also bought "wasabi peanuts" as a souvenir.

We moved to Harajuku and went to Meiji Shrine. I explained "about Shinto," "about torii gates," "about Emperor Meiji," "why sake barrels are displayed," and "why wine barrels are displayed." They asked questions such as "What kind of religion is Shinto?" and "How does Buddhism differ from Shinto?" A wedding ceremony was taking place, and they photographed the procession. We took a break at Forest Terrace Meiji Jingu.

We also strolled along Takeshita Street, but it was unpopular, as they said, "I don't like the crowds."

We moved to Shibuya. After that, they viewed Scramble Square and walked across the crossing. They asked, "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.

After this, following their wishes, we went to Odaiba. After seeing the "Statue of Liberty" and the "Gundam statue," we walked around inside Aqua City. However, clouds had rolled in, so we were unable to get a clear view of the Tokyo cityscape.

They made comments and asked questions such as "The trains are quiet," "The public restrooms are well-equipped and clean," "The streets are clean and free of litter," and "There are no trash bins on the streets. Why is that?"

I saw them off at Ueno 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.