Tokyo: Asakusa Station & Mitsukoshimae Station — Guide Masa

Title: What's a Private Off-the-Beaten-Path Tokyo Day Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Shibamata, Yanaka, and Nihonbashi

The guests were a group visiting Japan from North America. One of them was visiting Japan for the second time, while the other was visiting for the first time.

The purpose of this trip was an approximately two-week stay in Japan. They had already traveled to Hiroshima, Kanazawa, Hida-Takayama, Kyoto, Nara, and Osaka, arriving in Tokyo the previous day. They would stay in Tokyo for only two days before flying home.

The day before, they had strolled around the Senso-ji area. Their request was, "We'd like to go somewhere ordinary tourists don't go." The tour took place under clear skies, in weather that was almost hot.

The meeting point was supposed to be Shibamata Station, but the previous evening I received a phone call asking me to pick them up at their hotel, so the meeting point was changed at short notice. We went from Asakusa to Shibamata.

There were surprisingly many tourists, and we took a leisurely stroll along the approach. I explained "The history and current state of Taishakuten." I also explained "What is Buddhism?" and "The difference between Buddhism and Shinto." One of the guests mentioned having seen the "Tora-san" (Otoko wa Tsurai yo) films, so they were quite familiar with the background as well.

We entered the temple and paid our respects. They commented, "Asakusa is too noisy for my taste. This place is calmer and feels much nicer."

We also strolled through the "Yamamoto-tei" and along the "banks of the Edogawa River."

Next we went to the "Edo-Tokyo Museum." As it was a Sunday, it was packed with many visitors. We made a full circuit of the museum amid the crowds, and they said, "Now I understand old Tokyo well."

Near Ryogoku Station, we saw many sumo wrestlers, prompting questions such as "What is sumo?", "Is it popular?", and "How can I buy tickets?"

We moved on to Nippori. I explained "The history and current state of the Yanaka, Nezu, and Sendagi areas." However, Yanaka Ginza was extremely crowded with international tourists. The comment was, "Compared to other parts of Tokyo, this is quiet and calm — this is exactly the kind of place I wanted to visit."

At Nezu Shrine, we passed through the torii gates of the Inari shrine and paid our respects. The azaleas had already finished blooming. They said, "It's quiet, and I prefer this."

We moved on to Nihonbashi. I explained "The history and current state of Edo and Nihonbashi." First I explained the "Kidai Shoran" scroll. After that, we strolled through Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi, Kiya honten, and others, and enjoyed a sake tasting at a Toyama specialty shop. They said, "It was wonderful to feel the atmosphere of the Edo period."

As they were "a little tired," we took a short break at a coffee shop. There were comments and questions such as "Tokyo is so clean, with no litter on the streets," and "Everyone is so quiet on the trains."

I saw them off at Asakusa Station, and we parted ways.

Click here for more details: Tokyo Hidden Gems Off the Beaten Path Tour, 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.