Tokyo in One Day: Kyobashi Station & Shibuya Station — Guide Masa

Title: What Can You See on a Private One-Day Tokyo Tour? A Licensed Guide's Report on Asakusa, Tsukiji, the Imperial Palace, Meiji Shrine, and Shibuya

The guests were friends visiting Japan from North America. It was the first visit to Japan for both of them. The main purpose of this trip was a cruise around Japan. The day after next, they would depart from Yokohama Port, stopping at ports such as Shimizu, Kagoshima, and Nagasaki, before heading to Busan in Asia. The guests would disembark there. After spending a week in Asia, they planned to return home by air. They stayed in Tokyo for only two days. They had become friends after meeting on a cruise some years earlier. Tomorrow, they planned to visit teamLab and Akihabara. Both had already set up Suica cards on their phones.

Unlike the previous day, this tour took place under clear skies. Both guests wished to go around without lunch or breaks.

First, we went to Asakusa, which they had requested. As always, it was very crowded. I explained about "Senso-ji Temple and the history from Edo to Tokyo," "what a five-story pagoda is," "what Buddhism 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 Shinto?" They drew omikuji fortunes (both drew "good luck" and were delighted), and also purchased a "traffic safety" amulet as a souvenir. We strolled leisurely through the Nakamise shopping street.

We moved to Tsukiji, which was also full of people. I explained about "the history of the fish market since the Edo period" and "the difference between Toyosu Market and the Tsukiji Outer Market." We looked around various shops and bought coffee at a café. There were also questions such as "Why are there so many people here?" and "Are the people here locals or travelers from overseas?"

From there, we went to the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace. We strolled through the gardens. A few early-blooming cherry trees could be seen, and we took commemorative photos in front of them. I explained about "the transition from the Edo period to the Meiji era," "the Meiji Restoration," "why Edo Castle became the Imperial Palace," and "an overview of the current Imperial Family." They said, "The pine trees are beautiful." There were also questions such as "Does the Emperor of Japan hold political power?"

We moved to Harajuku, first visiting Meiji Shrine. I explained about "torii gates" and "Emperor Meiji." They said, "It's wonderful that there is such a green park in the middle of the city."

We moved to Shibuya, where I explained about "the history of Shibuya." We walked across the "Scramble Crossing" and took commemorative photos in front of Hachiko. There were comments such as "Japanese people are all polite" and "There is no litter on the streets." They also commented, "The subways are clean and quiet. It wouldn't be like this in our country."

I saw them off at Kyobashi Station, and the tour ended.

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.