Tokyo in One Day: Shibuya & Nishi-Shinjuku — Guide Masa

Title: What's a Full-Day Private Tokyo Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report Covering Shibuya, Asakusa, Skytree, and Shinjuku

The guests were visitors from North America, both visiting Japan for the first time. They had arrived at Haneda Airport on a direct flight the previous day and taken a taxi to their Hotel. The night before, they had strolled around the Shibuya area. The next day they planned a day trip to Mount Fuji and the Fuji Five Lakes, and the day after that they would board a cruise ship departing from Yokohama, visiting Kagoshima, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Vietnam before ending in Singapore. From Singapore they planned to fly home.

Under cloudy skies (though it never actually rained), we conducted the tour with several rest breaks along the way.

First, we went from Shibuya via Asakusa to Tokyo Skytree. "I realized what a vast city Tokyo is," they said. We were able to see Mount Fuji faintly in the distance.

From there we headed to Asakusa. Passing through Kaminarimon and the Nakamise shopping street, we reached the main hall. I explained "the history of Senso-ji Temple and the transition from Edo to Tokyo" and "the difference between Buddhism and Shinto." They asked questions such as "Do all Japanese people believe in Buddhism?", "What kind of teachings does Buddhism offer?", and "Are there Christians here?"

We then moved to the Imperial Palace. I explained "the Meiji Restoration" and "the current challenges facing the Imperial Family." "I really liked the beautiful pine trees," they said, and also asked, "Does the Emperor really live inside here?"

After this, they said, "We'd like to check out tomorrow's meeting point for the Mount Fuji tour," so we went to Nishi-Shinjuku and the Shinjuku Island Tower.

Then we moved to the east exit of Shinjuku. We strolled through "Shinjuku Golden Gai" (though all the shops were closed), "Kabukicho," and "Omoide Yokocho." We also viewed the Godzilla Head. "The atmosphere here is completely different from the other neighborhoods in the city," they commented.

We returned to Shibuya, and since they said, "We'd like to buy some wine," we went to the food hall beneath Mark City. They commented, "The whole city is clean. There's no litter on the ground," "The public toilets are clean and pleasant," "The subway is quiet and clean," and "Why aren't there any trash cans on the streets?"

They also remarked, "Back home there have been many immigrants from abroad recently, and the streets have become dirty and dangerous."

We parted ways at the entrance to their Hotel.

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.