Are you ready to explore Shitamachi in Edo, old Tokyo to experience locals' life and art?
We enjoy Asakusa,Sumida River Walk, Tokyo Sky Tree, Kyojima,and Mukojima Hyakkaen Garden from an unique perspective "Edokko Spirits".
What is "Edokko? Edokko is the social nickname of commoners in Shitamachi low town in Edo, old Tokyo, which introducse themselves with a huge proud.
Mainly "Edokko" were craftspeople.
I'll introduce “Edokko Spirit” in each destination both in historical and modern way.
This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!
at Kaminarimon in Asakusa in Taito-ku Tokyo
The red big lantern at Kaminarimon Thunder Gate in Sensouji Temple is an icon of Tokyo.
This temple was the oldest one in Tokyo but many fires, earthquakes and air raid burned the temple down. Everytime it was rebuilt many times as the important places for people's worship and their lives. In this pricinct no historic building but still has existed as an important place to share the information and fun in their everyday lives for commoners for about 250 years. Nakamise Shopping street is one of the most famous shopping streets, even just walking is a lot of fun.
Next to the main hall there is Asakusajinja Shrine where enshrine three people found Bodhisattva that was main statue of Sensouji Temple.
I'll introduce this kind of mixture of Shinto and Buddhism before Meiji restoration, also introduce various ornaments added to buildings served as a talisman against fire in those days.
We enjoy the attractions in the amusement park and also many local shopping arcades, and the small museum of traditional crafts.
The highest broadcasting tower erects with its hight 634 meters. The shape of the bottom is triangle but the top is circle.
This tras structure has the independent central pole, which makes the strictly calculated earthquake proof tower. I'll introduce the cutting edge technology adopted in Tokyo Sky Tree is connected by traditional skill for building five-story pagodas .
We have lunch here and enjoy shopping. I'll show you my favorite stores, such as authentic traditional one,and animation related one, Kawaii goods or etc.
Walking along curved narrow streets and alleys with flowers that locals take care of, must be your special experience, if you are interested in Japanese old houses "Nagaya". Nagaya is row houses for several apartments divided by thin walls under shared horizontally long roof. They are NOT national important assets designed by a great archtitect, but have been living with the local community as their important place of life.
In these days artists, architects, carpenters and researchers of city planning moved to Kyojima to revitalize this area.
They renovated old houses to the event places, offices,and shared apartments.
On the other hand, family-owned factories have still worked since 1970 as solid manufacturers supporting Japan after Word War Ⅱ.
Shall we walk slowly along the Sumidagawa River?
There are traditional entertainment areas, which have had photoshooting for shows onTV or movies. Because this area has been stages of some novels.
We will drop by the Japanese cafe to have Kototoi-dango,which is a dumpling as a specialty of Mukojima.
We will walk looking at some special restaurants, where the customer enjoys Geisya dancing with traditional music, and playing games with them.
If you would like to register to have dinner in this special restaurant to experience Japanese Geisha culture, please give me the message.
That dinner does NOT INCLUDE in the price of this tour. But I can arrange it for you.
As for it, shall we talk on the message page?
Let's take a walk in a cozy garden built by a local for commoners. Mukojima Hyakkaen garden was the cultural salon in the 18~19th C.
Where is your accommodation?
Let me show you how to get there or go to the nearest station.
on the Hoppy Street in Asakusa in Taito-ku Tokyo
This tour can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Click below to send me a message with your requests.
guide fee, lunch(guide) , tea&sweets(guide)
transportation fee (you): about ¥2500, lunch (you):about ¥1000~2000, entrance fee(you and guide): about ¥5000, tea&sweets(you):about ¥1000
Would you like to customize the itinerary? Sure! Let me know, please give me the "Message".
* You couldn't talk loudly or interrupt the locals' life in Kyojima and Mukojima.Because these places are residencial areas not a tourist destination.
* Hopefully feel a heart warming bond between old residenses and new young artists regardless of ages and nationalities.
* Please bring some cash to pay at small stores and gardens and for transportation expenses if you don't have Suica or Pasumo.
* Please wear comfortable shoes.
* Please bring the umbrella in case of rain.
You can customize the tour I published on this site. Also I can create a totally new tour for you in Tokyo or around Tokyo. Moreover, if you request through tour, which is noy only Tokyo but Kyoto, Nara, Setouchi Art Islands, Osaka, I'll create the plan with some conditions. Please contact me!
Hello, ladies and gentlemen!
The goal of my guiding is having an adventure with guests, not only explanation for places and things. I'm making a point of oppotunities of a short conversation with local peple anywhere. Let me introduce real life of the Japanese through visiting tourist destinations. Especially art and architecture in that place have strong relation with Japanese real life or culture.
Let's have an adventure with me looking for the key to Japanese culture!
“Energetic & Very Enthusiastic!”
Muchan is a great guide! She spent so much of her own time researching cool & interesting places for me & my husband to go. She was so helpful the whole time we were with her & was genuinely happy to see us. Our trip was great & we had an awesome guide to tell us about all the things & places we saw. Muchan also has EXCELLENT taste in food if that's something you're looking for in your trip. Highly recommend, especially for larger groups as she is so good with people!
Mutsuko T.
(2 reviews)Hello Maggie, Sorry for the slow reply! I appreciate you sent the great review! Spending time with you two have been a kind of my dream for about a year. The dream came true finally and now it became an unforgettable memory. Thank you so much . I will release a new tour at the end of this year on Gowithguide. If you have an opportunity, try to visit my page of Gowithguide, and think about the booking. Hope you would visit Japan again. Many thanks, Muchan
“Great day out ! ”
This tour is a mix of "touristic" spots (e.g. Asakusa Temple, Skytree) and an insight view in the day-to-day lives an the homes of the "common people and artists" in old Tokyio. We visited a female artist, two carpenters and an architect whilst we very strolling through the old streets. Make sure to wear your walking shoes...! In addition, since you will be using underground, overground and bus transportation: make sure you have coins and small banknotes for the tickets. Mutsuko has travelled the world and she knows a lot (probably everything) about her home town. Ask her any question, even off the beaten track- she will have an honest and intelligent answer. Mutsuko will guide you through this metropolis and it becomes a very pleasant and enjoyable day out. If you are, next to the tourists spots, interested in art & architecture, urban planning, people and japanese culture/ society- I highly recommend this tour.
Mutsuko T.
(2 reviews)Thank you Ms.W.Cordula! Guiding Artistic "Edokko"Tokyo local tour has been my kind of dream for these 3 years. While I couldn't work as a tour guide for foreign visitors, I was planing and carrying out this tour on line. The tour with you in person made my dream come true. Each tourist destination has a background related to people's everyday lives. You are so intelligent that you grasped what I wanted to pass along beyond the languages. I really appreciate you walked, saw and talked together with your full of curiosity, although I could drag you around due to my too much passion. I'm planing the other tours for Tokyo and suburbs from the different angle. Please check the guide "Mutsuko T." on Gowithguide. I'm looking forward to seeing you again on my tour!
$259/ per group
Reserve