Recommended for those who want to make the best of your limited days in Tokyo!
First, choose 1 or 2 places from the selection list in ‘Highlights,’ and let me know your requests.
Then I will suggest the best itinerary especially for you.
If you are thinking of touring around other areas starting from Tokyo or ending at Tokyo, I could assist your planning as a tour guide+consultant. Feel free to contact me.
This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!
Meeting Point
At your hotel or at any convenient place in central Tokyo
Your hotel lobby or any place of your convenience in metropolitan area of Tokyo
Starting time is changeable. The following list covers my recommended places in Tokyo. Let me the places you are interested in from the list below or general preferences and requests. The first 3 spots, Asakusa, Imperial Palace, or Meiji Jingu shrine would be the best choice if you have not been there.
1. Asakusa and Senso-ji temple (district with an atmosphere of old Tokyo and its oldest temple)
2. Imperial Palace and East Gardens (residence of the Imperial Family, former site of Edo castle, and a beautiful park) *admission free
3. Meiji Jingu shrine (dedicated to the spirit of Emperor Meiji, a beautiful forest in the midst of Tokyo)
4. Ueno Park (city park with multiple museums such as Tokyo National Museum, which is the oldest and considered the best. There is also a zoo, shrines, and temples on this historical site.) *admissions vary depending on facilities and exhibitions; most facilities are closed on Mondays
5. Yanaka (district with a pleasant nostalgic atmosphere of old Tokyo with lots of temples and small local shops. Asakura Museum of Sculpture, the former residence and studio of the artist with scenic beauties can also be found here.) *admission to museum: 500 yen / adult, closed on Mondays and Thursdays
6. Japanese traditional gardens, such as Rikugi-en, Hamarikyu-garden, and Kiyosumi- garden. (*admission 150 - 300 yen/adult)
7. Harajuku (center of Japan's teenage culture and fashion as well as an array of high-end adult shopping. You can enjoy Hedgehog & Otter cafe :)
8. Shinjuku (district around Japan's busiest station, featuring many large shops, countless restaurants, skyscrapers including Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office building with free observatory, nightlife areas such as Kabukicho, Omoide-yokocho, etc.)
9. Shibuya (prominent landmark of the large intersection known as the Crossing is here, popular district among younger generations, packed with shopping, dining, and nightclubs.)
10. Tsukiji Outer Market (Fun market where you can learn Japanese food culture and enjoy fresh seafood, sushi, and other delicious food.)
11. Ginza (Tokyo's largest shopping & dining district, close to traditional Kabuki-za theater.)
12. Ryogoku (town of Sumo wrestling with typical restaurants, excellent museums such as the Sumida Hokusai Museum and the Edo-Tokyo Museum) *admission to Sumida Hokusai: 400 yen / adult, to Edo-Tokyo: 600 yen / adult, both closed on Mondays
13. Fukagawa (relaxing old town in eastern Tokyo with a small, but interesting Edo Fukagawa museum where you are led and immersed into ancient lives of Tokyo commoners and Fukagawa Fudodo, an impressive Buddhist temple hall) *admission to museum: 400 yen / adult, closed on 2nd and 4th Mondays
14. Koishikawa Korakuen garden and Kagurazaka (traditional Japanese garden; wandering around a town with nostalgic but trendy narrow alleys.) *admission to garden: 300 yen / adult
15. Tokyo Skytree or Tokyo Tower - panoramic view of Tokyo from obervatory decks * admission: refer to their official website
16. Any place of your interest in Tokyo
Ending Point
At the final destination or any place of your convenience
This tour can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Click below to send me a message with your requests.
■ guide fee
■ hotel pick-up (only inside the metorpolitan area of Tokyo)
■ transportation fee (you and guide): about 1,500yen/person
■ lunch
■ admission fee if needed
Hi everyone! Hearty welcome to Japan.
I’m Tomoko.
I am an English-speaking licensed tour guide, and a registered nurse as well.
“Fun Discovering Experience Walking like a Local!” – F-D-E-W-L!
That’s what I suggest.
【Experiences】
My work history is as follows.
1) high school teacher ---12 years
2) nurse--8 years + 2 years as operational manager for Kamakura city vaccination team (during COVID period)
3) tourism related jobs such as tour conducting, guiding, and backyard supporting---10 years
As a tour conductor, I’ve visited about 20 foreign countries (possibly yours?) as well as countless number of towns and villages in Japan.
I’ve enjoyed these jobs while being a mother.
Through these experiences with lots of people from different backgrounds, I've found it a great pleasure to share the joy of learning and experiencing something new!
【Guiding Areas】
<Basic> Tokyo, Kamakura, Hakone, Fuji, Yokohama, Nikko, and other neighboring areas from Tokyo
I’m a specialist in Tokyo and Kamakura as I have lived and enjoyed walking a lot in those cities for decades. To be honest, even after all my years here, I still enjoy exploring like a tourist as Tokyo is such an enormous city with great diversity and is constantly changing.
Kamakura is a historical small city with nice beaches and hills and lots of hidden spots of beauty. Almost every time I go out, I feel I’m still making new discoveries. That’s why I cannot stop exploring.
I would take you to some neighboring areas like Hakone, Yokohama, Nikko, and Mt. Fuji area (Lake Kawaguchiko), etc.
<Based on Requests > *if my transportation & accommodation are covered
Nagoya, Kyoto, Nagano(Nagano city, Snow Monkey park, Kisoji trail, etc.), Hida (Takayama, Shirakawa-go), Kanazawa, Oita, Yamagata, Akita, etc.
My original family is from Nagoya, so I know their culture and even their language(dialect) well. Later in my life, I have lived in Oita, Kyushu(far south west of Tokyo) for nearly 10 years and traveled a lot in Kyushu. I love traveling Tohoku, the northern Japan area, too. I’ve planned and enjoyed visiting many of those local areas in the north, too. So, I could share those experiences with you even while having tours in Tokyo or online.
【Personality and others】
- I love meeting people, listening and talking to them.
- I'm friendly and caring, I hope:)
- I love nature and enjoy hiking and skiing.
- I love seasonal flowers and good local food.
- You will see a lot about Japanese culture, nature, and lifestyle with me.
What has made you decide to come to Japan, by the way? Is it its scenic beauties, exotic culture, history, food, anime, or what else? Is it your business that has brought (or will bring) you here? Let me have a clue and customize your tour. I will make the best tour suggestion for you.
Why don’t you contact me now? I’m looking forward to seeing you soon!
Thank you! Arigato-gozaimas!
“Highly recommended!”
Our guide, Tomoko, was hands down the best guide we’ve ever had. She is knowledgeable, flexible, warm annd fun. Tomoko worked with me well in advance to plan the tour and we ended our time together as friends. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her.
Tomoko H.
Debbie, thank you for your warm review. Needless to say, I too enjoyed working with you from pre-planning to the day of the tour. I am also honored that you invited me for dinner on the special day:) Best wishes to Tony, Michelle and Mark. I look forward to seeing you again. - Tomoko
“Amazing 2 days experiencing Tokyo”
Touring with Tomoko felt like visiting a friend. She listened to our requests and turned them into a casual but intentional stroll through various parts of Tokyo, sprinkling in a few surprises, including a visit to her own neighborhood. She is extremely well informed about history and culture and genuinely proud of her city and country - we learned a few Japanese phrases that increased our enjoyment interacting with shopkeepers and other locals. We recommend her wholeheartedly!
Tomoko H.
Thank you, Jami, for your very positive review. I also enjoyed the two days with you and Ann as if I was spending time with school friends after a long time. I was surprised to see that your itinerary in Japan before and after Tokyo included pilgrimage mountaineering and Edo period travel routes, but even in Tokyo we made a lot of discoveries while walking around plenty of different areas of the city, each with its own unique characteristics. When planning together in advance, the specific requests you made were very helpful in creating the route. Thank you for finding me and giving me the opportunity to have a great time with you. Hope to see you again, Jami and Ann!
“A Great Way to Experience Kamakura”
We had an amazing time with Tomoko touring and hiking through Kamakura. It was a very hot day but Tomoko helped us take a route with an abundance of shade and places to rest along the way. This is the town where she grew up so our time was filled with stories and insights from her first hand experiences. Our favorite part of the trip was finishing the hike and seeing the great Buddha statue, it was even more enjoyable after a hot hike than it would have been just taking the train or cab. Tomoko is by far the best guide for this excursion from the bigger metro area of Tokyo to a local charming seaside town. Thank you Tomoko
Tomoko H.
Thanks for sending me a separate review of the Kamakura hike. I had mentioned the hike in my previous reply! At first, I wondered if it would be safe to hike on such a hot day, but then I realized that Kamakura is a town full of greenery and shady places with rich history. Rather than visiting places full of people and scorching sun, your choice was the right one. About the same year as Bailey, my classmates and I planned to visit all the temples and shrines in Kamakura, and we walked around for a week with bentos (packed lunches). I realized that Kamakura is a walkable town and that it is fun to walk around. Other than that, over the years, Kamakura has been a place where I have walked with my family daily as my hometown, and I also have memories of my friends at Daibutsu, the small Zen temple where my mom stays asleep, and etc. As a small town, it has an overtourism problem, but I am grateful for your respectful visit to the citizens' lives. Thank you again, Josh, Bailey, and Tia.
$424/ per group