Tokyo Private Tours

“Highly avoidable and impolite guide”

I left a review for another tour “ Edo Tokyo Tour: East Gardens & Ueno Park or Asakusa” and got a response also, where Yoko stated a member of our group had seriously mental issues and we had English communication skill issues. Yoko’s written response itself shows whose communication skills need improvement and characterizing people as having mental issues is highly unfortunate. Yoko explained a lot of details and asked fun quiz questions throughout the trip, and we all shared a few laughs. She also took group pictures for us that was nice. She took us to various places and was flexible in terms of meal timing, etc.. What bothered all of us and left a very bad taste was a series of Yoko’s. behaviors which prompted an assertive (and justified) response from one of us. 1. She claimed to be from the neighborhood but still could not locate our hotel. Simple search in Google Maps shows clearly where the hotel is. 2. She joked about one of us trying to hurt a cab driver and laughed, while the truth was the person was trying to save him from being hit by the closing trunk. 3. She went on to keep giving suggestions to have ice cream, juices as available options when it was made clear that we wanted to have real food for lunch that was vegetarian and that we can figure it ourselves. She also asked one of us to go back and stand in the line while the other members were about to order their food (disrespectful). 4. She gave a 15 min estimate to walk through a park which took 25 minutes by walk just to get to the entrance. We asked because elderly people were with us and they were quite exhausted. 5. She started dictating how we should get a cab while we did not ask any help. 6. One of us asked about incense sticks in a temple from a distance, and Yoko snapped with an answer along the lines of “One step at a time please, we will talk about it when we get there” - which was rude. Many more instances like above. I hope Yoko understands. Bad experience overall.

Yoko T.

(165 reviews)

Narcisitic Personality Disorder.

“Best Choice”

It’s taken me awhile to recover from our whirlwind trip to Japan and the jetlag. I am just now to taking the time to thank Taka for being so kind and thoughtful as he put together the private tour four our first day in Tokyo. I highly recommend Taka! Don’t hesitate. I have no doubt the care he put into our tour he will do for all of his guest. He was also so very personable, kind and easy from the start. Our day with him was 100% the highlight of my thirteen year old son’s trip. A trip he will never forget. I mentioned to Taka from the start Tokyo was for my son, he wanted to shop, eat, see Akihabara, I wanted him to have some history, see cherry blossoms and Kappabashi St to buy knives another time. Taka accomplished all that and more! Once he found out my son played soccer, he altered his plan to surprise him with a soccer stop, so thoughtful. He was also very patient with him as he perused the shops on Takeshita St. at the end of our day and delighted in my son’s excitement. Less I forget, he also found the perfect spot for my son’s first sushi experience, another moment he will never forget. I was beyond thrilled to hit so many spots, and to come away with an understanding of the transit system and with plans for our next two days in Tokyo. To tour with Taka and on our first day was the best decision ever! I know I also saved hours of searching for knives on Kappabashi St, thanks to his recommendation. As well of hours of planning our next two days. My son and I will treasure our time in Japan always, Thank you Taka for a wonderful first day in Tokyo! Also, thanks for your knife shop recommendation! We all are thrilled with our knives and will cherish them for years to come. Bonus, they have a shop in NYC so my stepson and son can get their knives engraved for free at a later date. Arigotō! Tour with Taka you too will be so happy your choice!

“Unprofessional, Non Collaborative and Disregard for Safety”

Avoid this tour if you expect a professional or collaborative experience. While Yoko was knowledgeable and responsive before we booked, her demeanor during the tour was unacceptable. She behaved like a principal dictating to students rather than a guide for a group of experienced international travelers. Our group of 5 adults from the United States included 2 seniors in their mid 70s. Key Issues: Total Lack of Communication: Despite this being a "customizable" tour, Yoko refused to give clarity on how far the next destination is, and the order of sights. Even when we explicitly asked for a roadmap of the day, she provided little to no information and simply demanded we "follow her." Disregard for Seniors: Our group included two seniors (70+). Yoko showed zero empathy or consideration for their physical needs, never checking on their pace. She was never with us and kept walking at a faster pace. Safety Incident: The breaking point was when Yoko rushed into a train and pressured the rest of us to hurry in behind her. This reckless haste nearly caused a fall for one of the seniors in our group with the door closing and hitting a senior in our group. We felt disrespected, unheard for much of the day. We paid for a high-quality, flexible tour but received a dictatorial experience that was a frustrating waste of money. While Yoko looked out for lockers, helped with finding vegan food options, told us where to get souvenirs, is knowledgeable as a tour guide, her demeanor, behavior towards us, and the negative experience far outweighed the positives. I would not recommend Yoko’s services.

Yoko T.

(165 reviews)

Sorry about the train incident. Because I saw Pat I thought everybody was there but actually nobody told me till the very last minute that one was quite behind the group. Sorry the chemistry didn’t work with your group. It was really hard to deal with whom didn't have enough English communication skills. I didn't feel enough communication was even done among the group itself. Because the weather forecast we left many things quite flexible and I asked everyone's opinions before going somewhere. One of the members had seriously mental issues being short tempered and keep on doing customer harassment in a totally bossy way without expressing what she requires well enough, grumpy because she couldn't have meals that matched her picky needs.