About Tour Guide Tomoko H.

“The Perfect Guide for Our Family!”

Where do we even begin with Tomoko? We spent a full day exploring Tokyo with her and she was absolutely fantastic. Warm, funny, patient, knowledgeable and incredibly engaging, she quickly felt less like a tour guide and more like someone who had become part of our family’s day. We were travelling with two boys aged 15 and 12, and Tomoko was brilliant at engaging them and bringing Japanese culture and history to life in a fun and relatable way. At Meiji Jingu she taught us about the torii gates, sake barrels and shrine traditions, including how to bow, clap, pray and receive a fortune. Our 12-year-old loved this so much that he continued doing fortunes throughout our trip! At Tsukiji Market, Tomoko introduced us to different foods and flavors and helped us order and try things we may never have discovered ourselves. We also loved visiting the Imperial Palace area and Fukazawa Edo Museum, where her explanations made old Japan come alive. Kappabashi was another highlight. As a family who loves food and cooking, we loved exploring the kitchenware, plastic food displays and knife shops. A favorite memory was our 12-year-old trying to master a traditional cup-and-ball toy, then Tomoko stepping in and getting it almost immediately! She had us all laughing. We finished in Asakusa at beautiful Sensō-ji, the perfect end to our day. What made Tomoko truly special, though, was how she looked after us. She adapted completely to our pace, accommodated rest and drink stops, communicated wonderfully with our driver and locals, translated, helped us order and made sure everyone felt included. Tomoko shared stories about her own life too, and by the end of the day it genuinely felt like we were saying goodbye to a friend. We cannot recommend Tomoko highly enough. Thank you for such a memorable introduction to Tokyo and Japanese culture. We absolutely loved our day with you!

Tomoko H.

(202 reviews)

Mark, I’m sure you’ve just returned from a wonderful trip with your family to the other side of the equator and are back to your busy routine, so I’m truly grateful that you took the time to write such a heartwarming and detailed review.　From the very first time you contacted me, I was impressed by how thoroughly you had researched and planned this trip to ensure that your sister, your wife, and your two teenage sons would all enjoy it. I was inspired by your passion, and I’m so happy that we were able to create a fun day together. I was inspired by Zac's various questions and Toby's genuine reactions. I also really appreciated your wife's cheerfulness and your sister's warmth. What I enjoy most about being a tour guide is helping guests experience daily life firsthand together with the people of the town they’re visiting—including the way of life, the history and traditions behind it, and perhaps even some slightly quirky superstitions and customs. I felt like I was part of your wonderful family, too. Thank you again! Please give my regards to your family. I look forward to seeing you again someday.‐　Tomoko

“Tokomo was wonderful”

Tomoko was a fabulous introduction to Tokyo and how to get around in this big complicated city. She met me at my hotel and we traveled by train to the Imperial Garden in the morning and then in the afternoon she introduced me to Sumo! Sumo was totally new to me and I had wanted to learn more. She arranged tickets to see an afternoon of matches leading to a national championship. She knows all about Sumo and the matches were a perfect introduction to this lesser known aspect of Japanese culture. I should have had more days with her.

Tomoko H.

(202 reviews)

Thank you for taking the time to write a review while travelling, David.　I love sumo as you noticed, and I go to even Osaka and Nagoya when I get tickets; although this time I ended up involving you for nearly the half of the day’s tour, I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Thank you very much for sending me so many photographs of ukiyo-e depicting sumo. I was also delighted that you visited the Tokyo National Museum the following day and were able to rediscover and gain a deeper understanding of the traditions and joys of sumo. Tomorrow is the tournament's final day. Well, I wonder which of the two wrestlers with three losses will win the title. I'm planning to cheer them on on the telly. If the timing’s right, why don’t you have a look at NHK’s sumo broadcasts too?　Thank you again！- Tomoko

“Tomoko - 10/10 Experience in Tokyo”

I hired Tomoko to lead my parents on a guided day tour of Tokyo. From the start, Tomoko was very easy to communicate with and made sure that the day trip itinerary was perfectly suited to my parents physical abilities and general interests. After spending two weeks in Japan, my parents still say that their day with Tomoko was their favourite part of the trip. I would definitely hire Tomoko again!

Tomoko H.

(202 reviews)

Adam, thank you for the wonderful review. This is the 200th review I’ve received on this site—a real milestone! I’m so glad your parents enjoyed their two-week cruise and returned home safely. Since you love Japan and have visited several times yourself, I could tell from your very first inquiry how much you wanted your parents to enjoy Japan too. At first, I suggested a standard itinerary, but since you took the time to carefully explain each of your parents’ hobbies, interests, and their plans afterward—and considering it’s the hot season—I thought about how to plan the first day so they could really enjoy themselves. Anat’s idea to end the day by seeing the beautiful goldfish exhibition in Ginza was brilliant, and all three of us really enjoyed it. It would be nice if we could have coffee or tea together the next time you visit Japan. Please give my regards to your parents. - Tomoko