One or two-day tour which covers best part of Tokyo with your personal guide who will give you neutral advice. Even if you are a first timer in Tokyo, you can visit locations of your choice; Asakusa, Tsukiji outer market, Kagurazaka Geisha District, Shinjuku Gyoen, Hamarikyu garden, Imperial Palace East Garden, Meiji Shrine, Harajuku / Omote-Sando , Shibuya crossing, Yanaka waking, teamLab, Ghibli Museum (advance ticket reservation by travelers required) or Tokyo National Museum.
At your hotel or JR or Subway Stations
Museum is closed on Monday.
advance on-line ticket reservation by travelers required
Studio Ghibli Museum is 15 minutes walk through Inokashira Park from Kichijyoji station.
Reasonably priced jazz live house located west side of Tokyo, 20 minutes train ride from Shinjuku or Shibuya station.
advance ticket reservation by travelers required at least one month prior to the planned visit
Gardens of former Edo Castle offer seasonal flowers and original moats, walls, entrance gates and guardhouses built by the Tokugawa shoguns. The Gardens are closed on very Monday and Friday (open on National Holiday except the Emperor's Birthday, February 23)
In the event that a National Holiday falls on a Monday, the Gardens will be closed on the Tuesday immediately following the National Holiday. Also closed from December 28 to January 3
The Stairs exist in the middle of Tokyo.
You can find Chopstic shops, food sample shops, Japanese kitchen knife shops, ceramic shops and/or everthing related with Kithen in Kappabashi.
At your hotel or JR or Subway Stations
guide fee up to seven hours, hotel pick-up within walking distance from Shibuya/ Shijuku stations
・transportaion fee (you and guide)---Tokyo Subway 24-hour Ticket – Adult: 600 yen~900 yen
・lunch,
・entrance fee (if applicable)
・overtime guide fee (if applicable) $50/hour, $30/half hour
・hotel pick-up fee $10 outside Shibuya/ Shijuku station areas
Born and raised in Niigata prefecture, visit my mother and sister who live in Niigata city every month from Tokyo. Niigata has lots of attractions for tourists, including Yahiko Shrine/suspension cable car ride to the top of Mt. Yahiko, Northern Culture Museum where you can see the richest farmer's residence and garden, sake breweries with free sake tasting, castle towns like Shibata city or Murakami city, winter ski resorts with four meters of snow, delicious local sea food from Sea of Japan or from Sado Island/ fruits and brown edamame. It takes only two hours by Shinkansen train to reach Niigata from Tokyo.
Niigata prefecture and Niigata city each has a population of 2.3 Million and 0.8 Million, good sizes but much smaller than Tokyo, the biggest city area in the world. By experiencing both Tokyo on the Pacific Ocean side and Niigata on the Sea of Japan side, you can taste both modern gigantic city life/culture and traditional city/rural life/culture in Japan.
In addition to Greater Tokyo Area where I live, I will be happy to be your guide in any cities/areas on the Sea of Japan side as well.
My tour destinations outside Greater Tokyo area include Niigata-city, Nagaoka -city, Itoigawa-city, Sado island, Nagano city, Snow Resorts in Niigata and Nagano mountain areas, Yamagata city, Tsuruoka city, Sakata city, Kanazawa city, Oono city, Echizen city, Tsuruga city, Fukui city, Gokayama and Shirakawago which are World Heritage sites famous for Gassho-zukuri and Kyoto/Nara.
By engaging a professional tour guide, you would feel that you have an old friend in Japan showing you around Tokyo.
If you have your personal interests, you do not have to follow standard attractions and I will be happy to customize tour for you.
It is best to visit and see what you are interested in and spend as much time as you want. You have a CHOICE as this is your tour.
You can also obtain useful advice on how to use public transportation, shopping, choice of restaurant.
During the tour, you can ask any qusetions which normal guide will hesitate to even talk about.
Tokyo Subway 24-hour Ticket will take you most of the places and costs 600yen to 900yen per adult, whic is a very good deal in Town.
My wife and I spent our first two days in Tokyo with Takano Yoshi. Having lived in the US, India and other countries, Yoshi is sensitive to the intimidation of being a stranger in a strange land. Spending time with Yoshi is more than a tour, it is a cultural revelation, replete with insights and suggestions that will enrich your further travels in Japan and beyond. Yoshi's guidance enhanced our entire two-weeks in Japan. We will introduce Yoshi to everyone we know going to Japan and will re-engage him when we return. Takano Yoshi surpassed our expectations. Arigato gozaimasu Yoshi!!!
It is good to hear from you, John san. You must have returned safely to your residence in Virginia Beach by now. I enjoyed walking with and eating lunch with Kim san John san who can appreciate the real Japanese food such as Sushi and Japanese eels. Please visit Japan again during cherry blossom season.
Yoshi was an excellent host for our first day in Tokyo. He met us in the lobby of our hotel, showed us how to navigate the trains so we were comfortable the next few days on our own. He showed us some hidden gems in the fish market and picked out the most perfect piece of toro tuna for us. He shared great stories along our route. We enjoyed talking Michigan Football with him! Go Blue.
I enjoyed touring with Noah san and his family in Tokyo. Just as we both hoped for, Michigan defeated Alabama in Rose Bawl and will head for the Final against Washington next week. Go blue!
Yoshi was a fabulous guide, showing us all the must-see places in Tokyo. His English was fantastic. It was very helpful to have a local helping to answer all our questions and know where the best places to go were. Thanks Yoshi for showing us around your city, we can't thank you enough.
You must have returnd to your residence in Colorado by now. It has been my pleasure to introduce major attractions in Tokyo including good Japanese restaurant for lunch to you and your husband. Please come back to Japan again during cherry blossom season in Spring.
Yoshi-san is a fantastic tour guide - highly knowledgeable about Japan history and culture, kind and patient, well-traveled, fluent in English, and great sense of humor ! We highly recommend him. Go Blue !
I have had a very valuable time talking with Ted san and his wife Rose san on various topics on Japan as well as our university graduate student days in Michigan. In Kamakura I am happy to see that his son has found a beautiful partner in life and he has a new daughter in law. Please enjoy the rest of your stay in Japan. Go Blue!