I am Toru, an English-speaking guide for international tourists to Japan. Since 2017, the Japan Travel Agent of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transportation and Tourism of Japan has certified my license for the National Guide (English-speaking, Certification EN-02296). Currently, I am guiding tourists, mainly on weekends, in the Tokyo area, including Yokohama, Kamakura, and Hakone in Kanagawa prefecture.
Since you have visited my blog, you must be interested in a trip to Japan. Likewise, I am also a frequent traveler, visiting more than 20 countries and many domestic tourist destinations. So far, I have lived in nine Japanese cities, such as Tokyo, Sapporo, Kokura, Sendai, Osaka, and Imabari (my hometown), as well as two overseas cities, Singapore (Southeast Asia) and Bristol (UK). Throughout my life in many places where I have resided with various local heritages, I have grown to love eating local foods and have enjoyed immersing myself in something native to the local cultures and traditions. I also always rejoice in talking with people worldwide, which inspires me to learn more about the diversity of cultures, traditions, and customs.
I am a history buff who likes reading samurai stories and visiting historical and monumental places where I can imagine how people lived and acted then. Nobody can stop me from talking about how Edo City, former Tokyo, was constructed because I worked as a cement & concrete engineer for over twenty years. Edo was a well-designed city, and samurai lords and their bureaucrats poured in many then-innovative ideas and tremendous efforts. Oh, I cannot wait to talk about samurai with you!
As I told you, I am a local food enthusiast. So, I would be delighted to take you to Tsukiji Market and Food Street or Ameyoko Arcade, where you can taste delicious typical Japanese street foods. I can take you to excellent bars serving fruitful Japanese sake (white-wine-looking liquor brewed from rice) or local pubs called Izakaya, which serve unique Japanese alcoholic beverages you might have never tried.
Please read my blog posts about sightseeing spots, foods, beverages, and experiences and choose some sites to visit. I will organize your private tour itinerary.
Let’s enjoy Tokyo with me and make your stay here unforgettable!
For your consideration, here are two example plans for the visitors to Japan for the first time and one extra plan for the expert visitors.
1. Saturday Plan: A six-hour tour in Tokyo by public transportation (mainly subway lines)
1) Tsukiji Food Street: Enjoy breakfast with seafood and other Japanese food on the street.
2) Asakusa: Instagram-oriented site, taking photos of Tokyo Skytree, Kaminarimon (a symbolic temple gate), a five-story pagoda, and so on.
3) The Imperial Palace East Garden: Walk in the beautiful traditional garden.
4) Meiji Jugu Shrine: Immerse yourself in the calm and sacred vibes in the shrine.
2. Sunday Plan: A six-hour tour in Tokyo by public transportation (mainly subway lines)
1) Tokyo Skytree: (You need to book tickets online in advance.) The 634-meter tower’s observation deck offers a view of Tokyo.
2) Asakusa: A photogenic site where you can go shopping along the busy and bustled main street as well as enjoy street food and sweets.
3) Ameyoko Shopping Arcade: One of the famous busy shopping streets in Tokyo. Enjoy various street food at the small shops along the streets.
4) Meiji Jugu Shrine: Once you step into the shrine, you can relax and release fatigue from a busy city exploration. You will feel calm vibes and a fresh breeze from the lush forest.
If you come to Tokyo for the second or more time, you would like to visit places different from popular sites or experience something unique. Here is a list of my recommendations.
3. Extra Plan for the expert visitors
1) Fukagawa Fudo Do temple: It allows international tourists to attend the Buddhist ceremony, where they can listen to Buddhist chants, drumming, and bell rings and watch holy fire roaring on the ceremony table.
2) Ryogoku Edo Noren: This traditional sumo-wrestling-themed shopping and food mall is next to Ryogoku station on the JR Sobu Line. You can see the real Dohyo, the sumo wrestling ring, enjoy shopping for sumo-related items, and taste Tokyo’s local food, such as Chanko Nabe, a sumo wrestler’s meal.
3) Japanese Sword Museum: Here, you can view many real samurai swords on display and watch a video about how they are crafted.
4) Kyu Furukawa Garden: This is a unique Japanese garden that combines traditional Japanese tastes with Western-style features. My friend in the US said it would be fascinating to learn how Japanese gardeners interpreted the Western style.
I can arrange your tour plan based on your preference.
Please send your requests to me via the “Contact me” below.
Please click the links to get updated via my X (former Twitter) and Instagram.
X (former Twitter): https://x.com/ToruGuide
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/toruhigaki/
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