Tokyo in One Day: Shinjuku-sanchome & Tochomae — Guide Masa

What Is a Private One-Day Tokyo Sightseeing Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests were a group visiting Japan from North America, all visiting Japan for the first time.

Two days earlier, they had arrived at Narita Airport and taken a taxi to their accommodation. However, due to the effects of a typhoon, their flight was delayed and their arrival at the accommodation ended up being late.

The meeting point was initially set at a hotel, but on the morning of the tour I received an email requesting a change to the basement floor of a department store, and then a further request to change it to a coffee shop in Shinjuku, so the arrangements were somewhat challenging to handle.

In fact, they were staying at a private lodging near the original hotel.

This trip to Japan was an 11-day stay. They planned to spend some time in Tokyo before traveling to Kyoto and Osaka, and then returning home from Kansai Airport.

They said they wanted to visit the main areas of the city today to get a sense of the transportation situation.

Although the sky was overcast, the tour took place in rather hot and humid weather.

First, in accordance with their wishes, we headed to Hie Shrine.

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

There were also some slightly off-topic questions such as "Is there an emperor in Japan now?" and "Is the emperor a god in Shinto?"

We took photos in front of Inari-zaka and the torii gate.

One of the guests walked slowly and, wherever possible, we chose to move via elevators and escalators. This person also had difficulty hearing, so I was often asked the same question several times.

We moved on to Harajuku.

Meiji Shrine was quite crowded with tourists.

Here again, I explained about Shinto, about torii gates, about 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 is Buddhism different from Shinto?"

We happened to encounter a wedding procession, and they eagerly took commemorative photos. There was also a bonsai display, which they observed with great interest.

We took a short break at Forest Terrace Meiji Jingu. We also strolled along Takeshita Street.

They commented, "This street is so crowded, it doesn't really suit us."

We moved on to Shibuya. Looking at Shibuya Scramble Square, there were questions such as "About how many people cross at once?" and "Why did it become so famous?"

We actually crossed the Shibuya Scramble Crossing. We also took photos in front of the Hachiko statue.

They wanted to see a "depachika" food floor, so we went to Tokyu Food Show. We found an eat-in space, and the guests bought sweets, bread, and drinks they liked and took a short break.

From there, we headed to the observation deck of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building.

There was a long line at the entrance, and it took 20 minutes to reach the observation deck.

We went around the observation deck. I explained the main surrounding buildings. Somehow, we were even able to faintly see the summit of Mount Fuji.

They said, "Now we really understand that Tokyo is a huge city, spread out over a vast area."

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

I saw them off at Shinjukugyoenmae 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.