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. Not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association.
Tour Itinerary
- 1.800 The reception floor of Prince Park Tower Tokyo
- 2.830-930 Tsukiji Outer Market
- 3.1000-1050 Asakusa Semsouji Temple
- 4.11.20-11.50 Imperial Palace Outer Garden
- 5.11.50-12.50 Lunch
- 6.13.10-13.50 Meijijingu Srine
- 7.14.00 Shibuya Crossing
What's a Private Tokyo Tour Like for Wheelchair Users? A Licensed Guide's Report
The guests were a group from North America on a graduation trip, while the rest of the family stayed home in North America. One of the guests plans to enter university in the autumn to study finance and business. The exams were still ahead, but having already taken university-level classes and earned some credits in high school, there was no concern.
This was my first time guiding a group using a wheelchair. Although I had not noticed it before, every tourist facility and station had ramps and elevators installed, so we were able to sightsee with almost no problems. One of the guests pushed the wheelchair.
Since I am tall, I made sure to bend down so that my explanations could be heard clearly.
The only mistake was that we accidentally boarded a women-only train car, and I apologized to those around us, explaining that we needed the wheelchair space. (A few people gave us a slightly stern look.)
One of the guests asked, "What are the components of the black-dyed teeth on the lion head at Namiyoke Shrine?" I answered, "Iron and tannin." (I had been asked this before, so I remembered.)
The same guest asked, "Why is gravel laid down at the Imperial Palace Outer Garden?" I answered, "As at shrines and temples, gravel is laid in sacred places."
At a sushi restaurant in the basement of a building near Marunouchi, one of the guests asked, "How do you decide between vertical and horizontal writing?" I was momentarily stumped.
One of the guests asked, "We're going to Osaka after this — where should we go?" I answered, "Osaka Castle is magnificent, though it is said to have been rebuilt by a construction company rather than by Hideyoshi. Also, Shinsekai has a different atmosphere from Tokyo. I once guided some colleagues there when I was younger."
When the conversation turned to Ghibli Park in Nagoya, one of the guests said, "The guests in our family love Ponyo and Spirited Away." I said, "The Tale of the Princess Kaguya also became a Ghibli film," and when I described the story, they said, "Interesting!"
Regarding the kinako mochi dessert, one of the guests said, "I like mochi, but I'm not so keen on kinako." I said, "Kinako is soybean flour. Much of that soybean is imported to Japan from North America. It might even come from your home region."
On the train home, I looked it up and messaged the guests: "Vertical writing is used for traditional texts such as literature, newspapers, signboards, and packaging. Horizontal writing came from the West and is used for business, textbooks, email, and texts mixing Arabic numerals and the alphabet."
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 | Akabanebashi～Tsukiji Market | 180JPY |
| Section 2 | Subway | Tsukiji～Asakusa | 210JPY |
| Section 3 | Subway | Asakusa～Nijubashimae | 210JPY |
| Section 4 | Subway | Nijubashimae～Meiji-jingumae | 210JPY |
| Section 5 | Train | Harajuku～Shibuya | 160JPY |
| Total | 970JPY | ||
I have been working as a tour guide once a week since the autumein 2024. I got 5 star ratings from 32 individuals or groups succesively.
Previously, I have been working with grain business for 43 years. I was sent to a subsidiary office in New Orleans for three years.
I love Japanese history, culture and nature and want as many viaitors as possible to know the good and beautiful things about Japan. There’s a Zen teaching that I hold dear. That is ‘Ichi-go ichie’, which means ’Treasure every encounter as it may not come again’. Looking forward to see you!
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!…
Jul 1, 2026
Voyager795644
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 8hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Tokyo private family tour
Our family of 5 (kids age 8, 10,…
Jul 1, 2026
Voyager795644
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 8hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Tokyo private family tour
Our family of 5 (kids age 8, 10, 12) had a fantastic experience with Lance as a tour guide on our full day Tokyo tour. He was friendly, knowledgeable, and very flexible with kids on the trip. We highly recommend him!
Jun 26, 2026
Leslie_B
Viator review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Market, temples, Nature, and a great guide
This tour is amazing and…
Jun 26, 2026
Leslie_B
Viator review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Market, temples, Nature, and a great guide
This tour is amazing and Lance was such a great guide. my mother is handicapped and Lance researched the best ways to use the train stations always found us an elevator or ramp. He knew so much about the Japanese culture and history. His English was very strong and easily understood. The temples and markets were beautiful. Two things that really made Lance stand out as a great guide was when we went to the offering area at one of the temples Lance didn’t want us to miss out because we didn’t have a coin so he provided on for each of us. The second thing was I asked a question that he wasn’t sure the answer to, but after the tour I was surprised to see a message from Lance answering my question. He did not gain anything from this I had already paid and tipped him it really just reflected how amazing and dedicated to his job Lance was.thank you Lance for making our tour of Japan so special.
Jun 17, 2026
JKing275
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Tour of Tokyo
Our guide, Lance was exceptional! He immediately contacted me…
Jun 17, 2026
JKing275
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Tour of Tokyo
Our guide, Lance was exceptional! He immediately contacted me after I booked, guiding me through the options. Several days before the tour, rain was in the forecast. Lance revised our options to include mostly indoor tours. He also requested our likes and dislikes prior to picking a lunch spot.
Lance was very knowledgeable about Japan’s history. We appreciated his explanations at each tour site. Descriptions were a nice overview without being overly detailed. Lance’s organization and timing for each stop was spot on and his English was excellent.
It was a pleasure to spend the day with Lance. He epitomized the Japanese culture with his calmness, true kindness and respect for all!