Japanese Gardens and Tokyo Life: Bunkyo City Customized Tour

Off the Beaten Path

Koichiro Y.

5 / 5
(2 reviews)
Tokyo
English
7 hours
Private tour (only you and your group)
Up to 5 people

Bunkyo City is in the heart of central Tokyo, just north of Chiyoda City where the Imperial Palace and Tokyo Station are. The city is Tokyo’s typical residential and academic area where I was born, grown up and live now. We'll move around the city with a Bunkyo City Community Bus, B-guru ( “beagle”, the mascot character of the bus), and visit Edo-Tokyo Japanese gardens and other calm and pleasant sites. You'll also catch a glimpse of Tokyo citizens’ life during the tour.

Meeting Point

At your hotel in central Tokyo

8:00 to 8:30 AM: Pick up at your hotel

The tour will be designed hearing your preference and taste. The followings are candidates to visit.

Bunkyo Civic Center Sky View Lounge

Located on the 25th floor and 105 m above the ground level in Bunkyo Civic Center, the city hall building.

Koishikawa Korakuen Gardens

One of nine Japanese gardens of Tokyo Metropolis. Their strolling-style gardens have four areas representing landscapes of ocean, river, mountain, and countryside. Recently, a gorgeous wooden gate, Karamon, has been rebuilt in their inner garden. [sakura/colered leavea spot]

Rikugien Gardens

Also one of nine Japanese gardens of Tokyo Metropolis. The design of the strolling-style gardens has a fine and warm touch with images of sceneries in classical Japanese poems. The gardens have a great weeping sakura tree popular for people, and a woody area with Japanese maple trees colorful in fall. [sakura/colored leaves spot]

Nezu Jinja Shrine

One of Tokyo 10 shrines. Several colorful buildings including the main hall and the main gate were constructed in the early 18th century. Many Tokyo citizens and tourists visit the shrine to see beautiful azaleas in the season.

Hakusan Jinja Shrine

Not a large shrine, but also one of Tokyo 10 shrines popular with its beautiful hydrangeas in rainy season before hot summer.

Kodokan Judo Museum and Arena

Located adjacent to Bunkyo Civic Center, Kodokan is the most sacred place for Judo lovers. We can visit its Judo museum, and see its dojo or Judo arena. Judo training is done almost every evening from 4:30 pm in the arena.

Yanesen shopping area

A popular tourist spot with a lot of eat-out and souvenir shops, and also a daily shopping district for local citizens. It has many temples, and is a walking distance to Ueno.

Queens' Isetan Kasuga

A quality food supermarket for local people in the city. Can Do Kasuga - A shop of the third biggest one coin (100 JPY + tax) shop chain in Japan.

Gokokuji temple

Gokokuji maintains a remnant of Edo period still. There are several tombs of shogun family and other historically important people. [sakura spot]

Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo

Six high-spec restaurants and a beautiful garden. Their garden has 20 species of sakura trees, and sakura blooming is expected for a long period. [sakura spot]

The University of Tokyo [temporary closed for the public due to Covid 19]

The top national university in Japan. Its main hall and various designs of faculty buildings are picturesque. Yellow leaves of gingko trees are magnificent in autumn. A statue of Hachi with his master is in the canvas too.

Koishikawa Botanical Gardens

Originally established as Koishikawa Medical Herb Garden in Edo period in the 17th, and now, is an R&D facility of the University of Tokyo and is open as an oasis for people to relieve their daily stress. The gardens have Newton’s apple tree and Mendel’s grapevine, a small Japanese garden, and the University Museum of Architecture (the museum closed temporarily due to Covid 19). [sakura/colored leaves spot]

Toyo Bunko Oriental Library

Library and museum of oriental studies. It is located adjacent to Rikugien.

Printing Museum, Tokyo

Exhibition include technical and cultural aspects of printing.

Origami Kaikan

An origami gallery and a shop for origami kits/paper/books for the origami lovers in the world.

Kanda Myojin Shrine

A colorful shrine popular for Tokyo people. Main benefits of the shrine is business prosperity and success in life.

Ueno Ameyoko shopping street

A busy shopping street where local people buy various items in low prices. A Uniqlo tower and a Donqui Jote discount shop are nearby.

Yushima Tenjin Shrine

It is a shrine for examinees. People write their prayer for success in their entrance examination on Ema, small wood plates. The shrine is famous for its beautiful ume (Japanese apricot) blossoms in early spring.

Ending Point

JR or Tokyo Metro Komagome Station or other nearby station from the last visit place at around 15:30 PM

What to Expect

There are various sites to visit in Bunko City. You may find several places of your interest. Let’s design a nice tour for your precious day in Tokyo together.

In the Japanese Gardens, you will see elaborated arrangement of artificial nature to welcome visitors in four seasons, and know fundamental worship to the nature which Japanese people have at the bottom of our hearts. And during the tour, you will discover another face of Metropolitan Tokyo where citizens are living their daily life.


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Inclusions & Exclusions

What‘s included

Guide fee, hotel pick-up, traveling expense for your guide

B-guru one-day ticket(s) for you

What‘s not included

Traveling expenses (for you): 500 to 1000 JPY/person

Lunch (for you and your guide): 1000 to 3000 JPY/person, but at Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo, it may cost over 6000 JPY /person (see hotel HP)

Admission fees (for you and your guide): Toyo Bunko 720 JPY/person, 350 JPY/person for Printing Museum

Admission fees (for you only): 240 JPY/person for Koishikawa Korakuen, 240 JPY/person for Rikugien

Any other fees and expenses (for you and your guide) during the tour


Important Information

Inbound tour has been resumed. Wearing a mask depends on individual decision, and you can enjoy tour and cultural experience in Japan now.

- There are various sites to visit in Bunko City. You may find several places of your interest. Let’s design a nice tour for your precious day in Tokyo together.

- In the Japanese Gardens, you will see the elaborate arrangement of artificial nature to welcome visitors in four seasons and know the fundamental worship of nature which Japanese people have at the bottom of their hearts. And during the tour, you will discover another face of Metropolitan Tokyo where citizens are living their daily life.

- Sakura season in Tokyo is March to early April (the forecasted flowering date in 2023 in Tokyo is March 18), and a season of fresh green leaves follows. We expect flowers of azalea, wisteria, and iris as well as fresh young leaves that are full of hope and vitality in the gardens in May and June. And then, the rainy season, tsuyu, will start in Tokyo, and we enjoy colorful hydrangea in the rain. After the tsuyu season, hot and humid summer begins, but the forests in Japanese Gardens offer you a fresh experience of forest bathing in the middle of the metropolis.

- Autumn in Tokyo starts in October, and beautiful colored leaves greet you in November. There are not many Christians in Japan, but we celebrate and enjoy the Christmas season for shopping and dating. During the new year period, many Japanese people visit temples and/or shrines praying a new year to be delightful. Business slows down in the new year period, and Tokyo is calm. Before welcoming sakura, you can enjoy beautiful red and white ume, Japanese apricot blossoms, in February. Tokyo area is dry in the winter season, and the air is clean. We can clearly see a 100 km away from Mt. Fuji from many view points.

- The third B-guru route was introduced in September 2021. The route covers the neighboring Ochanomizu area in Chiyoda City and Ueno area in Taito City to expand the tour furthermore. Several visiting sights and an example of the course plan have been added.

- You will see the elaborated arrangement of artificial nature to welcome visitors in four seasons in the Japanese Gardens and know the fundamental worship to nature which Japanese people have at the bottom of our hearts. And during the tour, you will discover another face of Metropolitan Tokyo where citizens are living their daily lives.

- Information on other places to visit will be advised while tour planning.

- The following are several examples of course plans.

Course Plan A

Bunkyo Civic Center - Koishikawa Korakuen - Nezu Jinja shrine - Yanesen shopping area (lunch) - Rikugien - break up at JR/Tokyo Metro Komagome Station

Course Plan B

Bunkyo Civic Center - Koishikawa Korakuen - Edogawa Park - Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo (lunch) - Gokokuji temple - A local characteristic temple- break up at Tokyo Metro Korakuen Station or Toei Subway Kasuga Station

Course Plan C

Bunkyo Civic Center - Koishikawa Korakuen - Kodokan Judo Arena - Queens' Isetan supermarket/Can Do one coin shop (lunch around the area) - Nezu Jinja shrine - Yanesen shopping area - break up at JR/Keisei Nippori Station or Tokyo Metro Sendagi Station

Course Plan D

Bunkyo Civic Center - Origami Kaikan - Kanda Myojin Shrine - Ameyoko shopping street & Uniqlo (lunch in Ueno) - Yushima Tenjin Shrine - Kingyo-zaka goldfish shop - A local characteristic temple - break up at Tokyo Metro Korakuen Station or Toei Subway Kasuga Station

Course Plan SAKURA

Bunkyo Civic Center - Koishikawa Korakuen - Edogawa Park - Gokokuji Temple - Harimazaka sakura slope (lunch) - Koishikawa Botanical Garden - break up at Tokyo Metro Korakuen Station or Toei Subway Kasuga Station

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

Reviews

B

Brad J.

5 / 5
Apr 11, 2023

Shibuya April 2023

It was our first day and first time in Japan. We wanted help with the subways, visiting our first restaurant, etiquette for visiting our first Temple and a tour of Shinjuko. We asked “Yama-San” to do that and he created a tour to match our request. Great day!

Koichiro Y.

Thank you for your comment. The day was a great day for me being with you, three beautiful couples. I could feel your love throughout the tour. Hoping to see you again, Yama.

D

Darya G.

5 / 5
Apr 7, 2023

Origami experience

Yamada-San and his lovely wife Sana’e-San are perfect hosts and offer visitors an authentic view of Tokyo life, hours of fun learning the ancient art of origami and their charming hospitality. We went with our two children - ages 9 and 12 - and had a great time.

Koichiro Y.

Dear Daria san, Thank you very much for your comment. We also have a very nice and heartwarming time with your beautiful family. We were much impressed with the good manners of your sweet kids and imagined your home filled with love. It was our pleasure to show you another face of Tokyo that cannot be found in guidebooks. Hoping you find some more things impressive throughout your days in Japan. Very best regards, Yama

$238/ per group

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