Tokyo in One Day: Toyocho Station & Nijubashimae Station — Guide Masa

What Is a Full-Day Private Tour of Tokyo Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Asakusa, Ueno, Tsukiji, and the Imperial Palace

The guest was a person visiting Japan for the first time from North America. They had decided to visit Japan after being recommended by family and a friend who said, "Japan is safe even at night, and the cities are clean."

Having arrived at Narita Airport a few days earlier, the guest had taken a series of trains to their accommodation. On the first and second days of their stay, they visited Disneyland and DisneySea, and the previous day they had explored Shibuya and Harajuku on their own. They planned a day trip to Mount Fuji the next day and were scheduled to return home from Narita Airport the day after.

Under cloudy skies, we managed to avoid the rain, and the tour proceeded with several rest breaks along the way.

First, we went to Asakusa. I explained about "Senso-ji Temple and the history of Edo/Tokyo" and "the difference between Buddhism and Shinto." There were questions such as "What kind of religion and teaching is Buddhism?" "Do all Japanese people believe in Buddhism?" and "Are there people who believe in religions other than Buddhism?"

We moved on to Ueno and the Tokyo National Museum. I explained "an overview of Japanese history." The guest seemed particularly interested in "Buddhist statues" and "swords," taking many photos with their smartphone. They also bought cookies as a souvenir at the shop.

We then moved to Tsukiji. I explained about "the history of Tokyo's fish markets" and "the difference between Toyosu Market and the Tsukiji Outer Market." There were also questions such as "Why are there so many people here? Is it always like this?" and "Do all the people of Tokyo come here to buy fish?"

The guest purchased and sampled "tuna sashimi," "grilled beef skewers," and "onigiri (rice balls)." They especially liked the onigiri, commenting, "Since coming to Japan, I've eaten sushi at several sushi restaurants and thought it was very reasonably priced, fresh, and delicious, but now I prefer onigiri." By chance, they were approached by a TV crew and answered a brief interview.

We moved to the Imperial Palace. I explained about "the history of Edo/Tokyo," "the Meiji Restoration," and "the current Imperial Family." There were questions such as "When was it built as a castle?" and "Why did Edo Castle become the Imperial Palace?" There were also questions such as "Does the Emperor live inside here?" and "Who will become the next Emperor?"

The guest made comments such as "Everywhere in the city is clean and quiet. There is no litter on the ground," and "There are so many subway lines that it's hard to get used to. Yesterday I made mistakes several times and was confused." They also said, "On my next visit to Japan, I would love to go to Kyoto and Hiroshima."

I saw the guest off at Toyocho 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.