Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day — Guide Masa
September, 2026
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 Meet @Hotel
- 1030-1140 Meiji Shrine
- 1140-1220 Harajuku
- 1230-1420 Shibuya
- 1450-1540 Asakusa
- 1600 Tour end at Hotel
Title: What Does a Full-Day Private Tokyo Tour Cover? A Licensed Guide's Report on Meiji Shrine, Harajuku, Shibuya, and Asakusa
The guests were visitors from Europe. Through email correspondence beforehand, they had let me know they wished to visit Meiji Shrine, Harajuku, Shibuya, and Asakusa, so the route was confirmed in advance. At Meiji Shrine, they also entered the Inner Garden and enjoyed the grounds. In Harajuku, they strolled along Takeshita Street, Cat Street, and Omotesando and had a wonderful time. In Shibuya, they enjoyed crossing the Scramble Crossing several times and filming videos. We had a relaxed lunch in Shibuya before moving on to Asakusa. They said the ride on the Ginza Line made for a good rest along the way. In Asakusa, they enjoyed Senso-ji Temple and Asakusa Shrine. We then returned to Higashi-Ginza on the Toei Line and finished at the Hotel. A notable stop on the tour was Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa. Senso-ji is Tokyo's oldest temple, founded in the 7th century, and is one of the most visited temples in Japan. Visitors approach the main hall through the Kaminarimon Gate with its enormous red lantern, then walk along Nakamise-dori, a lively shopping street lined with stalls selling traditional snacks and souvenirs. The adjacent Asakusa Shrine, built in the Edo period, honors the founders of the temple and hosts the famous Sanja Matsuri festival each spring, making the area a rich blend of religious history and traditional culture.
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 | Omotesando～Shibuya | 180JPY |
| Section 3 | Subway | Shibuya～Asakusa | 260JPY |
| Section 4 | Subway | Asakusa～Higashi-Ginza | 220JPY |
| Total | 870JPY | ||
A lot of foreigners are visiting Japan, but I would like them to think, “I am glad that I learned about Japanese culture and enjoyed it. I want to come again.” I want you to have a fun experience as well as to guide you to the standard sightseeing courses. I’m always trying to be able to guide like that. And I’m also looking for an Instagramable point that will be your memory. After graduating from university, I have been in Sapporo for 16 years, Osaka for 4 years, Sendai for 2 years, and Tokyo for a total of 12 years. But now, I’m mainly guiding in the Tokyo area due to living here. I especially love Ueno, Asakusa, and Kawagoe. They are cities where you feel the history and are full of people’s kindness. Please feel free to contact me, I want to meet you. Let’s have a fun day and envoy together!
Jul 18, 2026
B6890TLkristenb
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
BEST tour guide!
Our tour guide Masa was the…
Jul 18, 2026
B6890TLkristenb
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
BEST tour guide!
Our tour guide Masa was the BEST! He answered all of our questions and had the best attitude. He helped us with understanding Japanese culture In a nonjudgmental way. We are so grateful for our time with him. He taught us so much and showed us more than we could have ever seen on our own.
Jul 17, 2026
F170AQdianak
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Excellent Tokyo Tour with a Great Licensed Guide!
Our…
Jul 17, 2026
F170AQdianak
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Excellent Tokyo Tour with a Great Licensed Guide!
Our family had a great experience with this tour of Tokyo at the beginning of our Japan vacation! Masa, a government licensed tour guide, was our wonderful guide and was very accommodating as soon as I booked the tour on Viator! He reached out and helped plan our sites to visit and gave me advice on the sequence of sites and tips on the different areas of Tokyo. Masa suggested seeing Harajuku since we had kids that would enjoy the famous shopping street there. He also helped one of our younger children get a physical Suica card since that is required. He taught us how to use the train system as well as enlightened us on traditional Shinto and Buddhist customs. It was a long day of walking, but that is the itinerary we chose. Masa was very accommodating, friendly, and helpful. Our kids loved him! I highly recommend Masa and this tour!
July 5, 2026
Peter H
Tripadvisor Revie : Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Tokyo highlights with Masa.
A great day with Masa.
Good…
July 5, 2026
Peter H
Tripadvisor Revie : Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Tokyo highlights with Masa.
A great day with Masa.
Good communications with him about our day.
He shared lots of things about the places we visited – which we would not have known had we done this by ourselves.
5 star reviews for our day with Masa.
July 3, 2026
Heather D
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Best experience ever!!
Jun 2026 • Family
I can’t speak highly…
July 3, 2026
Heather D
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Best experience ever!!
Jun 2026 • Family
I can’t speak highly enough about Masa!! I was reluctant to book a tour initially, but I’m so glad that we did! Masa literally made the tour! He was the best introduction to Japan that we could’ve asked for! He listened, had knowledge and experience that made so much more fun, he knew all the ins and out of every place he took us to. He made sure that we didn’t miss the fun little details, he taught us experiences and traditions that we didn’t even know about before. And by far the best part was that by the end of the trip, he felt more like an old friend than a tour guide! For the rest of our time in Japan, we referenced back to things Masa taught us not only about Japan in general, but just the day to day things to make us feel more comfortable. And every story that we share with friends and family now that we are back home include how much we loved Masa! I literally could not recommend him enough.