We will first visit the navel of Japan, Imperial Palace. It used to be the site of the Edo castle, which is still surrounded by moats and magnificent stone walls. Next destination is a modern town, Roppongi. We will visit a unique commercial complex, Roppongi Hills. Then move to Tokyo Government Office to enjoy the view from 202 meters high. Mt. Fuji can be seen in fine weather. Lastly, let's cross one of the world's busiest intersections in Shibuya and see a statue of a faithful dog Hachi!
At your hotel
The Imperial Palace is located on the site of the former Edo Castle. Although we cannot see the residence of the emperor, the remains of the old castle, such as stone walls and guard houses can be viewed. The East Garden is open to the public, too.
Roppongi Hills is a commercial complex including more than 200 shops, a hotel, movie theaters, museums, and others. The representative building is Mori Tower, whose design symbolizes samurai armor.
Please enjoy the view from the 45th floor of the building. Anyone can play the piano designed by Yayoi Kusama.
On a busy day like Saturday and Sunday, about 3,000 people cross during one green-light for 2min. It is amazing! People rarely bump into each other because they are accustomed to crowds. Let's be one of them!
Shibuya
This is a four-hour tour. We will visit four destinations, the Imperial Palace, Tokyo Governmental Office, Roppongi, and Shibuya crossing. These are some of the most requested spots from my past guests for their second-day tour. The Imperial Palace lies in the center of busy Tokyo, but is an oasis that keeps stillness and solemnity. In sharp contrast with it, the three towns, Shinjuku, Roppongi, and Shibuya are lively around the clock. Many high rise buildings harmonizing with up-to-date culture can be seen. In this tour you will experience both aspects of Tokyo, quiet and avtiveness.
guide fee, hotel pick-up
your transportation fee and guide's・・・about￥700 per person
I can guide you in the metropolitan area including Tokyo and Kanagawa every day as long as I am available.
The Imperial Palace and Tokyo Governmental Office are closed during the period before and after New Year's.
The Imperial Palace Garden is usually closed on Mondays and Fridays. And also, the observation floor of Tokyo Governmental Office is closed on the first and the third Tuesday of every month. In that case, we will visit your favorite spot as an alternative.
Yes. You can shift the time, for example it starts at 1pm and ends at 5pm.
I really enjoyed the tour with Masako to Kamakura. She gave me a good first impression of Japanese culture and history right at the beginning of my trip. She responded very flexibly to my wishes. That was great overall. Thank you very much.
Dear Joachim, Thank you for your kind comment. I appreciate it. I am glad to hear you enjoyed Kamakura. Thank you very much for your cooperation. We started the tour earlier than planned though you had just arrived in Japan the night before. Thanks to you, things went smoothly, it was a busy Sunday though. Please enjoy the rest of your stay in Japan with Karin and Lennart. Best regards, Masako
Masako is the "Best". She is credentialed as a Guide and in English. We hired her for our three full days in Tokyo prior to heading to Hakuba to ski. A kind, thoughtful and gentle spirited person. A patient teacher. We shared with her our interests and she built a schedule which was easy to review and approve before our arrival. In addition to the cultural and historical interest, we were in search for a few items that Japan is well known for and Masako helped us successfully locate them. Her knowledge of Tokyo was impressive. So much culture, history and beauty to absorb in just three days. We will be back and pick up where we left off with Masako.
Dear J.r. and Lorie, Thank you for your lovely comment. I am glad to hear you enjoyed Tokyo. You were cooperative and patient. I very much appreciate it. It was easy for me to show you around even in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the busy streets. I was impressed you have detailed information about Japanese history and culture. I was happy you are interested in Togo Heihachiro, Japanese contemporary art, Japan's jeans and more. Your interests helped me a lot during the tour. How was Hakuba? You must have enjoyed skiing there. Hope you will return home safely. Best regards, Masako
My family of 4 booked a 4 day tour of Tokyo with Masako and we were so lucky to have her! Masako is so lovely, gentle and kind, speaks perfect English, and is very knowledgeable and informative. She is also highly organised - she kindly pre-booked tickets for us to make sure we got good times, and just made sure that everything went smoothly. We saw everything we wanted and more, eg going out of her way to help us buy certain items we wanted. We would not hesitate to highly recommend Masako.
Dear May, I'm most grateful to you for your lovely comment. I'm not sure if I deserve it, but very glad to hear you enjoyed today. Today we toured in busy places. You and your family are cooperative and cohesive. It helped me a lot to show you around. It was not difficult for me to take you from place to place or walk around in a huge crowd. And also, I was impressed you are considerate and thoughtful. I am very happy to guide "nice family." Hope you will enjoy your stay in Tokyo, Hakone and Osaka. Best regards, Masako
Masako is an excellent tour guide she made our Tokyo experience unforgettable. She is caring and very knowledgeable.
Thank you very much for your kind comment. I am glad to hear you enjoyed yesterday. All of you are friendly and kind. I very much enjoyed the tour and nice chatting. I appreciate your cooperation and patience. Please enjoy the rest of your stay in Japan.