Tokyo Japanese Gardens Private Tour — Guide Noripy

Title: What Is a Private One-Day Garden and Cherry Blossom Tour of Tokyo Like? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests were visiting Japan for the first time from North America. They mentioned that the day after this tour, they would meet friends who were also arriving and join a tour visiting the Nakasendo, Kyoto, and Osaka. That tour, they said, is limited to a maximum of seven participants, accompanied by a specialized Japanese guide who walks the Nakasendo with the group, and offers many opportunities to experience Japanese culture, such as staying at traditional ryokan and enjoying a tea ceremony. The guests seemed to place great importance on appreciating gardens, and their accommodation was a hotel with a magnificent garden, Chinzanso. Having arrived the day before this tour, they appeared to have thoroughly enjoyed the garden both at night and on the morning of the tour day. When we met and exited the grounds of the hotel through the back entrance on the Edogawa Park side, the cherry blossoms along the Kanda River had begun to fall, and they were so moved by the beauty of the petals floating on the water that they took many photographs. We took the subway to the Imperial Palace. Walking from Sakuradamon and admiring the pines of the Imperial Palace Outer Garden, they marveled at the beauty of the pines as well. At Tokyo Station, since the friends who would join them the next day were scheduled to stay at a hotel and wished to have breakfast together, I helped confirm with the staff before guiding them to the platform for the Shinkansen bound for Kyoto. At Hamarikyu, the cherry blossoms were blooming beautifully, which delighted them greatly, but they also paid attention to many other things. They had extensive knowledge, noticing pines, maples, plum blossoms, rapeseed flowers, and daffodils, and even when I introduced a wisteria trellis that had not yet bloomed at all, they imagined the wisteria flowers and were moved — it seemed they had planted various plants and trees in their own garden at home. For lunch, they wanted something simple and chose soba, but ordered it as a set with oyakodon, which they seemed to enjoy very much. Even after finishing the soba, one of the guests savored the broth lovingly, saying it was delicious. At Shinjuku Gyoen, we entered through the Sendagaya Gate and viewed mainly the cherry blossoms, including the cherry orchard, as well as the azaleas that had begun to bloom, and here too they took many photographs. I was a little worried they might be tired, but they wished to extend the time and also visit Meiji Shrine, experiencing a shrine visit for the first time. Furthermore, just as we came out of Meiji Shrine, we encountered some very cute dogs out for a walk. In the morning, the guests, who keep dogs, had said that they "had not seen a single dog since arriving in Japan," but by the end of the day, they ended up meeting many dogs.

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Tour Report by Noripy

Hello, I’m Noripy.
I am a lively woman in my 60s who loves having fun. My charm lies in my bright and approachable personality. Drawing on over 30 years of international experience, I began working as a tour guide in 2023. I have conducted over 100 tours annually, ensuring that my clients enjoy Tokyo and its surrounding areas. I have received high praise from a wide range of customers, from teenagers to people in their 80s. I cater to solo travelers, couples, newlyweds, families, and groups of up to about 10 people. Living in the heart of the city, I actively guide tours primarily in Tokyo. In addition to being certified in English, one of my strengths is being able to communicate effectively in Spanish as well.
I’m looking forward to meeting you all in Tokyo!