This is a private guided tour report by Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.), a network of 1,000+ government-licensed, English-speaking local guides across all 47 prefectures of Japan.
Tour Itinerary
- 1000 Aloft Ginza
- 1030-1150 Meiji Shrine
- 1200-1320 Lunch and Nijubashi
- 1350-1440 Asakusa
- 1510-1600 Hamarikuy garden
What Is a Private Tokyo Day Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Meiji Shrine and Sensoji
The guests were a group visiting from North America who joined up in Japan after arriving on separate flights, one of which had been delayed by seven hours. One of the guests had stayed near the Kasumigaseki area of Tokyo for a few months about thirty years ago, and they reminisced about how, in the Japan of that era, tea was served in offices and there were staff who pushed passengers onto crowded trains. Since a family member of one of the guests was undergoing treatment for cancer, they purchased a charm and an ema votive tablet at Meiji Shrine and drew an omikuji fortune. For lunch, they chose the miso-marinated grilled mackerel set meal at a restaurant near the Imperial Palace. At Sensoji Temple, one of the guests asked, "How is it possible to make a replica of a hidden Buddhist statue that not even the most senior monks are allowed to see?" I explained that it was created based on past memories, records, and imagination. When they asked whether I was a Buddhist or a follower of Shinto, I answered that most Japanese people pray to both the kami and the Buddha in difficult times, so I do not think I can say which one I belong to. When I asked whether the agency could use the photos taken that day for promotional purposes, they laughed and kindly agreed, saying they doubted anyone would want to use photos of people like themselves.
Click here for more details: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Transportation cost per person
| No. | Transportation | Route | Fare |
| Section 1 | Subway | Higashi-Ginza～Meiji-jingumae | 210JPY |
| Section 2 | Subway | Meiji-jingumae～Nijubashimae | 210JPY |
| Section 3 | Subway | Sakuradamon～Asakusa | 520JPY |
| Section 4 | Subway | Asakusa～Shiodome | 220JPY |
| Total | 1,160JPY | ||
I have been working as a tour guide once a week since 2024.
I grew up in Osaka and studied in Kyoto,
I have been working for the lvestock division of the national organization of agricultural cooperatives.
Japan depends on imports for most of its livestock feed ingredients.
I visited 10 countries on business and stayed in New Orleans working for a subsidiary company for 3 years.
I visited 10 other countries with my wife for sightseeing.
I also started writing Haiku, Japanese traditional poem, after retiring.
One of my favorite is ” Bundled up, you are like a Matryoshka.”
Looking forward to see you!
Sep 24, 2026
benoitlJ9021HN
Perfect guide tour in Tokyo
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Lance was very nice…
Sep 24, 2026
benoitlJ9021HN
Perfect guide tour in Tokyo
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Lance was very nice and helped us . to learn so much. His English is really good and he is extremely well prepared.
Sep 19, 2026
H1282JBkarinas
Great tour with Lance from Japan Guide Agency!
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo Customized Full-Day Private Tour with Licensed Guide
Lance our tour…
Sep 19, 2026
H1282JBkarinas
Great tour with Lance from Japan Guide Agency!
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo Customized Full-Day Private Tour with Licensed Guide
Lance our tour guide was fantastic. From the time we paired, we messaged on WhatsApp as he built our customizable tour day! He gave great suggestions and asked great questions to build a wonderful day.
The day itself was perfect. He met us at the hotel, and guided us fantastically. He had detailed history and facts to share and was well prepared to ensure that we had everything we needed.
Sep 10, 2026
Silver_F
amazing 8-hour walking tour with Lance!
Viator review: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Lance was our…
Sep 10, 2026
Silver_F
amazing 8-hour walking tour with Lance!
Viator review: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Lance was our amazing and thorough tour guide and already prepared an itinerary for us based on his recommendations and our preferences well before arrived in Japan.
On the day of the guided tour – there was a brief introduction on Japanese history – and became the common thread as he brought us through each site and guided us on the subways and introduced us to amazing small mom and pop & artisan shops we would have otherwise never found!
Lots of walking so make sure to wear super comfy shoes but 10/10 would do it again!
Learned so much in a short time and was able to spend the rest of days in Tokyo shopping and going to other places.
Thank you, Lance, for sharing with us your beautiful country! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Jul 4, 2026
317roxaneh
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Great time in Tokyo!
We had a great day with Lance! He…
Jul 4, 2026
317roxaneh
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Great time in Tokyo!
We had a great day with Lance! He had a good sense of humor and was so kind to meet us at our Air BnB, which was a bit out of the way. He gave us a great crash course on Japanese history before heading out on our adventure around Tokyo, visiting shrines, markets, a museum and garden. It was so helpful to have him with us navigating the train system, and he took us to an amazing sushi place for a lovely lunch. All in all, it was really fun and we were able to better appreciate the places we visited with him providing information and history along the way. Would definitely recommend!…