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

  • 10:00 Meet up, meet the customer (25F lobby of Hotel Tokyo) 10:50 Departed the hotel 50 minutes later than scheduled due to the wife's errand 11:40 Arrived at Asakusa Station 11:40〜12:30 Guided tour of Senso-ji Temple and Nakamise-dori (guided tour of the Asakusa Culture and Tourism Center 8F observation deck, Kaminarimon Gate, Nakamise-dori, Hozomon Gate, giant straw sandals, five-story pagoda, omikuji fortunes, incense burner, chozuya purification fountain, main hall, and Asakusa Shrine), 12:45〜13:30 Lunch at Towada (soba, udon, tendon) 14:20 Arrived at Harajuku Station 14:30 〜15:30 Guided tour of Meiji Shrine (including restroom and tea break), 15:40 〜16:00 Guided tour of Harajuku Takeshita-dori, 16:00 〜16:15 Guided tour of Omotesando, 16:30 〜16:55 Guided tour of Shibuya (Hachiko, scramble crossing, location of Ichiran ramen, etc.) 16:55 Disbanded at Shibuya

Title: What's a Private One-Day Tokyo Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Asakusa, Meiji Shrine, Harajuku, and Shibuya

The guests were a group visiting from North America, and for most of the group it was their first trip to Japan. They thoroughly enjoyed today's tour. At Senso-ji Temple and Meiji Shrine, the guests took many photos. In particular, they were deeply impressed by the vast grounds of Meiji Shrine, the tranquility, and the peaceful, serene atmosphere of its magnificent setting.

I explained the differences between temples and shrines, the different ways of praying at each, how to pass through a torii gate, and introduced waka poems composed by Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken. The guests learned a glimpse of Japanese culture and enjoyed the experience.

At Takeshita Street in Harajuku, a lively spot where young people gather, the guests did a lot of shopping and had a great time.

Some of the guests had especially been looking forward to visiting the Shibuya Scramble Crossing, and were very happy to finally see it.

The weather was fine today, and the entire group thanked me, saying they had spent a wonderful and enjoyable day.

Transportation cost per person

No.TransportationRouteFare
Section 1SubwayShimbashi Station〜Asakusa Station~Asakusa Station〜Shibuya Station470JPY
Section 2TrainShibuya Station〜Harajuku Station~Harajuku Station〜Shibuya Station300JPY
Total770JPY

Hello and how do you do?
My name is Nobuo Kokure, and please call me Nobby for short, if you want.
Let me introduce myself. I was born in Hayama, a beach resort area, Kanagawa prefecture, south of Tokyo. And I’m now living in Saginuma, Kawasaki city.
When I was a university student, I had the opportunities of doing a home stay with a family In U.S.A., Australia, and England, as a youth exchange student.
After graduation from the university, I started working at American Life Insurance Company, Japan (Alico, Japan), which is a group member company of AIG, now MetLife Insurance Company. I could have a chance to visit the head office and the field offices of U.S.A., Wilmington in Delaware, New York, Boston, Chicago, Fort Lauderdale in Florida, Los Angeles, while I was working for Alico, Japan (Now, MetLife Insurance company).
I had been working for MetLife Insurance Company for about 38 years, in total.
After retiring from the life insurance company, I started working as a tour guide, because I wanted to become a tour guide to introduce culture, history, and manners and customs of Japan in English. It’s so different between my previous job and the guide business, but I like guide business a lot.
I can meet so many people from all over the world and the guide business has been thriving after the pandemic.
I have implemented the tour over 240 times, introduced Japan to more than 4300 tourists from 53 countries.

Not only Tokyo, but I have experienced touring around Nikko, Kamakura, Mt. Fuji & Hakone area, Takayama, Kanazawa, Nagoya, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, and Hiroshima, etc. which are all very famous as a tourist spot in Japan.
If you go on a tour in Tokyo, you must see and visit Asakusa Sensoji Temple which is the oldest Buddhist Temple in Tokyo with histories and Nakamise Shopping Street where you can buy the souvenirs and try to taste Japanese sweets, such as doll cake which is the sponge cake in various shapes filled with red bean paste and Japanese powdered tea ice cream. Another my recommendation in Tokyo to visit is Meiji Shrine, Harajuku, and Shibuya. Meiji Shrine is one of the biggest shrines in Japan with quiet and peaceful atmosphere and magnificent site.
Harajuku and Shibuya are both fun to visit for shopping and experience the Shibuya Crossing.
I usually propose my tentative itinerary and ask if my plan is all right with the customer or not. My hobby is traveling around Japan and foreign countries and going to the gym for exercise.
I would like to work as a guide as long as possible if I’m in good health and my legs are strong, because I love this job.
I put my importance on the mind of OMOTENASHI which means sincere hospitality, though safety during the tour takes precedence, number one priority, before anything else.

I’m very looking forward to seeing you and touring with you in Japan soon.
Thank you!

Best regards,

Nobuo Kokure (Nobby)

Jul 20, 2026
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