Tsukiji & Asakusa Local Food Tour in 1 Day — Guide Hiromi
February, 2025
This is a private guided tour report by Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.), a network of 1,000+ government-licensed, English-speaking local guides across all 47 prefectures of Japan. Not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association.
Tour Itinerary
- 9:00 Tokyo International Cruise Terminal 〜 Shimbashi Station (Assist with purchasing JR Shinkansen tickets and Suica at the station)
- 10:00 Shimbashi 〜 Asakusa (Sumida River, Nakamise, Senso-ji Temple) then tea ceremony experience at 'Kakinuma'
- 13:00 By taxi to Ueno (Lunch @ Tsune-zushi)
- 14:30 By JR from Ueno 〜 Akihabara (Souvenir shopping) then maid cafe experience at 'at-home cafe'
- 16:30 Suehirocho 〜 Ginza (Mitsukoshi, Nissan Crossing, Kyukyodo, Ginza Six)
- 17:30 Shimbashi 〜 Tokyo International Cruise Terminal
- 18:00 Disband at the wharf
Title: What's a Private One-Day Cruise Shore Excursion in Tokyo Like? A Licensed Guide's Report
Due to a storm, the cruise ship arrived earlier than scheduled, so the tour started an hour ahead of the original plan. At the guests' request, we headed toward Asakusa instead of Tsukiji. The tea ceremony experience was a full course: entering an authentic tea room through the nijiriguchi (crawling entrance), watching the temae (tea preparation), enjoying a fresh wagashi sweet and matcha whisked by the instructor, tasting dry sweets, and finally whisking a bowl of matcha themselves. The guests were also very interested in the concept of ichigo ichie (a once-in-a-lifetime encounter) and were highly satisfied. Lunch in Ueno was also well received. The guests were surprised that it cost less than 5,000 yen for three people. Afterward, following some shopping in Akihabara, we visited a maid cafe. Everyone laughed heartily at the "moe moe kyun kyun!" chant. The guests said they never could have had this experience without a guide. Although we ran well over the planned time, we made our way back via Ginza and saw them off at the cruise ship, ending the tour.
Click here for more details: Tsukiji & Asakusa Local Food Tour in 1 Day, Licensed Guide
Transportation cost per person
| No. | Transportation | Route | Fare |
| Section 1 | Train | Tokyo International Cruise Terminal～Shimbashi | 388JPY |
| Section 2 | Subway | Shimbashi～Asakusa | 209JPY |
| Section 3 | Train | Ueno～Akihabara | 146JPY |
| Section 4 | Subway | Suehirocho～Ginza | 178JPY |
| Section 5 | Train | Shimbashi～Tokyo International Cruise Terminal | 388JPY |
| Total | 1,309JPY | ||
Hello. My name is Hiromi Murata. Sometimes called Minnie.
I work as an interpreter guide in Tokyo, Nikko, Nagasaki, etc.
I was born in Nagasaki, graduated from a university in Tokyo, and had overseas experience due to my husband’s work.
In the United States, I lived in Connecticut and California for a total of 10 years.
Especifically, in California, I completed a course on teaching English as a second language at UCI Extension.
My motto is to be a fun guide.
I’m interested in art, architecture, gardens, etc.
I also like Japanese culture and have experience in tea ceremony, kendo, calligraphy, and flower arrangements.
Japan is a country with beautiful nature and history. The town is clean and full of delicious food.
I would like to help guests create fun memories in Japan.
Sincerely,
Hiromi
Jul 28, 2026
Valerie_M
Viator review: Nagasaki Customized Private Tour by Car with Licensed Guide
Wonderful tour of beautiful Nagasaki
Honestly, I had no idea…
Jul 28, 2026
Valerie_M
Viator review: Nagasaki Customized Private Tour by Car with Licensed Guide
Wonderful tour of beautiful Nagasaki
Honestly, I had no idea what to expect on this Nagasaki tour but it exceeded my expectations. First off Nagasaki is absolutely beautiful. The panoramic view from the Inasayama Overview was breathtaking. We definitely lucked out with the weather.
Our tour guide Hirome was wonderful with lots of energy. She was so incredibly organized and made sure that our tour was customized to our disires. We visited the atomic bomb museum of course, went to the Peace Park, Chinatown and the Glover Garden. She recommended a fantastic Japanese restaurant for lunch as well which we really enjoyed. Overall a great experience.
Jun 14, 2026
lozzaj81
Excellent way to get your bearings after arriving
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Hiromi was exceptionally responsive…
Jun 14, 2026
lozzaj81
Excellent way to get your bearings after arriving
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Hiromi was exceptionally responsive and moved our tour due to the typhoon! It was our first day in Tokyo and she met us at our hotel train station and guided us through to Shibuya; various shops, top places to eat and because of the typhoon there weren’t as many people around! We did Shibuya crossing; Pokémon cafe, Hachiko statue, then moved to shinjinku to Meiji Jingumae shrine which also wasn’t packed and serene where we learnt about the imperial family, enjoyed a coffee after, checked out donki, Uniqlo and Nike
Shops. Our family five thoroughly enjoyed Hiromi’s kindness, guidance and capturing photo memories for us. Definitely helped us get our feet on the ground after arriving the night before from Australia. Thanks Hiromi!!
Apr 23, 2026
pbh2015
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Beautiful port day in Nagasaki
Arriving in Nagasaki on a…
Apr 23, 2026
pbh2015
Tripadvisor review: Nagasaki Full Day Tour with Licensed Guide and Vehicle
Beautiful port day in Nagasaki
Arriving in Nagasaki on a cruise we met our guide, Hiromi, and driver, Maehata, at the terminal exit. We were a group of four with one person disabled and needing a mobility scooter. This was no problem for Hiromi and Maehata and they did everything possible to ensure we had a smooth and seamless tour. We visited the Atomic Bomb Museum, Peace park, Chinatown, Urakami Cathedral, Nabekammuriyama lookout and Glover Gardens. Hiromi had organised lunch at a traditional Japanese restaurant and even bought us a special beef dish as an extra. Maehata provided us with water, snacks and a special tea drink and his Toyota Alphard was luxurious and perfect for our group. Hiromi’s passion for Nagasaki was evident and we all enjoyed our day immensely!
Mar 3, 2026
Robert_Q
More than WW2, Nagasaki has been leading changes in Japan for 500 years
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Robert_Q
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Viator review: Nagasaki Full-Day Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
This was a private tour provided by the Japan Guide Agency. Our tour guide was Hiromi, who was excellent in both knowledge and English. She took us to the less visited parts of Nagasaki. Learning the long history of Western cultures integration here in Nagasaki resulted in elevating the city to one of our “must see” recommendations to our friends when they visit Japan.