Get to Know Tokyo: Asakusa, Ryogoku & Beyond
Explore old Tokyo through Asakusa's iconic Kaminarimon Gate, Nakamise shopping street, Senso-ji Temple and Asakusa Shrine. Discover how deeply Shinto is rooted in Japanese culture, from performing arts to sumo traditions. Continue to Ryogoku, sumo's heartland, and a Japanese garden. On this eight-hour private tour, we'll explore further according to your interests and time available. Along the way, gain confidence using Tokyo's public transport and ideas for the rest of your stay.
Itinerary
This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!
Meeting Point
At your hotel.
- Hotel lobby or reception area.
Asakusa
Begin at Kaminarimon, Tokyo's iconic Thunder Gate, and browse Nakamise shopping street for traditional snacks and souvenirs. Explore Senso-ji Temple and neighbouring Asakusa Shrine, discovering the differences and connections between Buddhism and Shinto.
At Asakusa Shrine, learn about Japan's indigenous religious tradition through its torii gate, sacred ropes and historic buildings. I'll explain how Shinto remains deeply rooted in Japanese culture and everyday life.
Enjoy time for questions, photographs and shopping, with opportunities to explore Asakusa's quieter streets according to your interests.
Ryogoku
Visit Yasuda Gardens for a stroll through a traditional Japanese garden. Learn about different types of Japanese gardens and what to look for when visiting them.
At a small shrine in a corner of the garden, recognize features of Shinto shrines introduced in Asakusa. Continue to the Ryogoku tourist information center to see a full-size sumo ring and discover how Shinto traditions are reflected in its features and rituals.
Next place
Select the next places to visit from various options depending on your interest. This could be a shopping district such as historic Yanaka, Tsukiji Outer Market, Ameyoko, or another Japanese garden such as Koishikawa Korakuen, Kiyosumi Gardens, or Hamarikyuu, Meiji Shrine, or even the scramble crossing in Shibuya, completely depending on your interest.
Ending Point
Back to your hotel.
Want to personalize this tour?
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This tour can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Click below to send me a message with your requests.
Inclusions & Exclusions
Guide fee, guide's transport costs and meals.
Guide's admission fees (if any)
Tour Important Information
This tour involves a lot of walking, so make sure to wear comfortable shoes.
Important message from the supplier
I do not do coach tours.
Cancellation Policy
- Free cancellation - 8 days prior to meeting time
- 50% Refund - 3 to 7 days prior to meeting time
- No Refund - Within 2 day(s) prior to meeting time
About Tour Guide Takahiro I.
I grew up in the UK, and have lived more than ten years in the UK and USA on overseas assignments.
While I lived abroad, I started to realize how shallow my knowledge on Japanese culture, beliefs, history and food was for a Japanese resident, whenever I tried to respond to the questions my foreign friends had about Japan. For the last 20 years I’ve been doing a lot of domestic travel visiting areas that I’ve never been before, and studying history and culture, as well as enjoying Sake from all parts of Japan.
From 2015, I intensified my studies of Japan, and in 2017, successfully received government certification as a qualified guide on Japan.
Thinking it would help my studies as well as be beneficial for visitors to Japan, I opened a website titled “Rediscovering Japan” in 2016 to record my travels and share my experience with travelers to Japan. To date I have covered 25 of the 47 prefectures in Japan.
I have found that rather than just visiting tourist spots at random, it is much more interesting if you have a clear theme of the places you are going to. I hope you'll enjoy the visits with me to rediscover Japan!
Reviews
Linda H.
“Great Full Day ”
We throughly enjoyed our day with Takahiro while visiting Tokyo. I think it’s so helpful to get a guide when you first get to Tokyo to get you started on all the rich history and sites. He was easy to talk to and had a full knowledge of the area. We would recommend him to anybody. Thank you again for a wonderful day.
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Takahiro I.
Thank you so much, Linda, for your wonderful review and for sharing the photos. It was a pleasure showing you and Greg around Tokyo. I'm especially glad that you found the tour helpful as an introduction to Japan and its history and culture. I hope the experience will enrich the rest of your travels in Japan. Wishing you both a wonderful journey, and thank you again for choosing me as your guide!
Michael M.
“The best day I have ever had in Japan.”
I was in Tokyo for business and had a free day. I hired Takahiro to show me the city. I had an amazing time and would probably have only seen 10-20% of what I did, had I done it on my own. Takahiro speaks perfect English, having worked for some time in the UK and US. He will meet you at your hotel and drop you back there at the end of the trip. We used the trains and Metro, which are really efficient. Takahiro is incredibly flexible and will show you whatever you wish to see, if you have any requests. We had a great lunch at a local restaurant which I would never have gone to on my own. This was the best day I had ever had in Japan (this was my 5th visit), and by the end of the trip, talking to Takahiro felt like talking to a friend I had known for some time.
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Takahiro I.
Dear Michael, Thank you very much for your generous review. I am delighted to hear that you enjoyed your day in Tokyo and that the tour helped you see much more than you could have managed on your own. It was a real pleasure to guide you, from the older Edo atmosphere of Asakusa and Ryogoku to the modern Meiji Shrine and Shibuya area, with many conversations along the way. I also very much enjoyed our lunch and the chance to exchange views throughout the day. I am especially grateful for your kind words about the tour feeling like time spent with a friend. That is one of the things I most hope to achieve as a guide. With best wishes, Takahiro
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Simon W.
“Excellent taste of Japan on my first trip, thank you Tom.”
I had Takahiro as a guide for my first trip to Tokyo and I thoroughly enjoyed the day. We visited Asakusa and explored the Temple and Shinto shrine with Tom (as he asked me to call him) explaining the fascinating details as we went. He was very knowledgable in all areas and his English is impeccable, having worked and lived in UK in his younger years. I never felt rushed and Tom's flexibility and patience was appreciated as I browsed the stalls to find souvenirs to take home. We took the river boat to Yasuda Park and the Sumo Arena and had a peaceful walk through the beautiful gardens. Tom helped with every aspect of the trip (subway navigation especially) and it was a lovely first taste of the history of Tokyo and it has definitely made me want to come back again. Thanks so much Tom, we will see you again on our next visit.
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Takahiro I.
Thank you Simon for your kind review. I'm glad that you enjoyed your first and short trip to Japan. Japan has so much to offer to visitors to Japan. History starting from the Jomon people from 14000 B.C. to modern times, religious and cultural heritage, architecture, gardens to name a few. I look forward to welcoming you back to Japan in the near future. Thanks again for having me as your guide.
$313/ per group
More tours by Takahiro I.
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The unbeaten tracks of Sumida and Koto Wards (5 hour excursion)
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