Tokyo in Half a Day: Harajuku Takeshita Street — Guide Youko

Title: What Is a Private Tour of Tsukiji, Ginza, and Harajuku Like? A Licensed Guide's Report

Because it was a market holiday, I focused the tour on shops that were open. Entering the Tsukiji Outer Market from Namiyoke Street, the guests first spotted and enjoyed wagyu skewers and fatty tuna sushi, quickly fulfilling one of their main goals for visiting Japan. After that, they enjoyed shine muscat grapes and candied fruit, stamped a Tsukiji stamp onto a paper they had brought, purchased personalized chopsticks on Nishi Street, and then moved on to Ginza. I also explained the origins of Tsukiji as well as Tsukiji Hongwanji Temple and Namiyoke Shrine, but they did not seem particularly interested.

At Kyukyodo in Ginza, the guests purchased a stamp book and a goshuin book, and right away stamped the metro stamp at Ginza Station. One of the guests seemed very pleased at being able to press three types at once, though what they had stamped was actually the goshuin book. Since the group gave off an atmosphere of not minding, I chose not to insist and left it as it was.

Since the guests wanted to eat crepes without fail while traveling, I changed the originally planned Asakusa to Harajuku. Along the way, the main focus of their interest seemed to be where to go next rather than historical explanations. The liveliness of Takeshita Street was just as they had hoped. As we walked, I pointed out a dog cafe, and one of the guests said, "That's right, we also wanted to go to a hedgehog cafe and an otter cafe." The guests were also satisfied with a Nutella-only crepe that one of them particularly wanted.

Click here for more details: Tsukiji Local Food & Culture Half-Day Tour, Licensed Guide

Tour Report by Youko

I’m Youko, a female guide. I saw your request for a guied tour on the notice board of JGA. It’s my great pleasure to show you around the city of Tokyo on the day your requested.

I live in Saitama, about an hour north of Tokyo. My two children are grown up and are mother and father now. I enjoy grandma life here.

Tokyo has so many wonderful sightseeing spots and attractions, art facilities, and parks. Please let me know your interests and what you would like to visit/ see/ do/ eat/ try this time. I’m so excited to start planning our itinerary and love to know your expectations.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

with best regards,