Tokyo in One Day: Asakusa Station & Shinjuku Station — Guide Masa

Title: What Is a Private One-Day Tokyo Tour Like for First-Time Visitors? A Licensed Guide's Report on Asakusa, Ueno, and Shinjuku Gyoen

The guests were a group of friends visiting from North America, all visiting Japan for the first time. They had been friends since their school days and all planned this trip to Japan together as a kind of reunion. The evening before, they had arrived at Haneda Airport and made their way to their accommodation by monorail and train. The night before, they bought food at a nearby convenience store for dinner. Their stay in Japan was planned for two weeks, spending three days in Tokyo before traveling to Kyoto, Osaka, and Hiroshima, then returning to Tokyo before heading home.

This private tour by a guide from [Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.)](https://www.j-g-a.org/) took place under clear skies.

First, we headed to Asakusa. We passed through the Nakamise shopping street from Kaminarimon Gate to the main hall. As it was the middle of a holiday period, the guests were surprised by the huge crowds. I explained the "history of Sensoji Temple and Edo to Tokyo," "what the five-story pagoda is," and "the difference between Buddhism and Shinto." There were questions such as "Do all Japanese people believe in Buddhism?" and "What kind of teaching is Buddhism?"

Next, we went to the Tokyo National Museum. On the way, the guests spotted Ueno Zoo and asked, "Are there pandas here?" I told them, "They have already returned to China." The guests mentioned that at a zoo in their home region, a panda had once been returned to China, but soon afterward another panda was sent over.

At the museum, the guests seemed particularly interested in Buddhism and Buddhist statues, asking questions such as "When was Buddhism introduced to Japan?", "What kinds of sects are there?", and "Can all Japanese people chant sutras?"

After this, the guests said they wanted to have ramen and gyoza for lunch, so we went to a restaurant in Shinbashi. They commented, "It's fast, cheap, and delicious," and "In our home region, a bowl of ramen like this costs 20 to 30 dollars." One of the guests could not eat pork and ordered fried chicken with rice instead.

We then moved to Shinjuku Gyoen. The guests commented, "The Japanese garden is wonderful. Just sitting here feels great," and "It's amazing that there's such a green space in the middle of the city." They also commented, "Japanese people are all so polite," "Why are there no trash cans?", and "The public restrooms are clean and pleasant. We were impressed."

I saw the guests off at Shinjuku Station, and the tour came to an end.

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.