Tomoko H.
Available Areas
Kanagawa, Saitama, Tokyo (Living), Kamakura, Hakone, Nikko, Yokohama, Mount Fuji
Languages
English, Japanese (Native)
Response Time
4 hours on average
Availability Updated
1 day ago
About Tour Guide Tomoko H.
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!
Important
★ Travel insurance is not included in our tours. I would recommend you take out your own travel insurance just in case of any unexpected accident, loss, or damaging others' property. You can find the counter of a few insurance companies at the airport when you arrive.
★ Free pick-up service to your hotel is only in Tokyo metropolitan area, in 23 wards. For other places, the extra charge will be added depending on the distance and the time necessary.
★ For the evening tour, some extra charge(25%) might be added depending on the time.
☆I could start our tour from early in the morning like 7 or 7:30 if you prefer. For details, please contact me before booking.
※The pictures of my previous guests on my web-page are posted only after securing their consent.
Tours
One Day Customized Tour in Tokyo
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.
Hakone Highlights - One Day Excursion from Tokyo
One-day fun excursion to Hakone from Tokyo. Hakone is a part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, less than one hundred kilometers from Tokyo. This tour covers the highlights of Hakone. You will enjoy its natural beauties, spectacular views of volcanic activity, a lovely museum with great masterpieces, historical sites, and fun vehicle rides. If weather permits, the view of Mt. Fuji is gorgeous! Fun excursion for both adults and children.
Kamakura Highlights with Local Expert - from Tokyo
One day fun excursion to Kamakura, a small, coastal city just one hour south of Tokyo. Sometimes called the Kyoto of Eastern Japan, Kamakura offers numerous temples, shrines and other historical monuments as well as beautiful beach and forestry hills. Refer to this model plan, and I will customize your tour based on your tastes and requests. Count on me, Kamakura specialist!
Historical Exploring in Ueno (half day)
Concise Japanese history tour. Recommended especially for those who like to overview Japan’s history and art at the start and the end of your trip. Focusing on the early modern era in Ueno Park, we survey the entire history at Japanese Gallery in Tokyo National Museum. It’s not in a lecture style, but in relaxed, interactive way. Why don’t you share its real treasures with me, an Ueno local?
Kamakura Day Hike with Local Expert
Kamakura is a small, quiet, lovely town, one hour south of Tokyo. It was Japan's political center around the 13th century. This tour is especially recommended for nature lovers who seek a day-escape from busy Tokyo. It covers many hidden spots never visited in a large group tour. You will visit some famous spots like the Great Buddha as well. Kamakura is my hometown when I spent half of my life and I still often visitt to see my family. I'm sure you can enjoy the area just like locals do.
Asakusa (half day)
A half-day tour to Tokyo’s must-visit area, Asakuksa. Asakusa is not just the iconic Kaminarimon gate with the huge red lantern, but it's also full of interesting spots and cultural attractions. You will be amazed to see so many things packed into one place. Short, but fully enjoyable tour.
Tomoko H. Japan Tour Reviews
“Professional, Knowledgeable, & Accommodating ”
Tomoko is professional, knowledgeable, and accommodating. She was a pleasure to spend the day with. We had so much fun, she connected with my family right from the start. There was a hiccup with one of our reservations, she straightened things out, and we made it into our Team Labs digital art experience. Tomoko also gave us a little history of all the places we visited and took our pictures as well. We had no problems communicating with her; via text, email, and in person. She always responded and we are fortunate to have found her. Thank you Tomoko!
Tomoko H.
(160 reviews)Thank you for your heartwarming and positive review. When you found out while shopping for knives in Kappabashi that tickets for TeamLab had not been purchased properly, we both thought, "Oh my God!" I must confess that I wasn't sure if I could sort it out, but I was so glad that the fact that you had been looking forward to trying to get tickets for over a month was well explained and documented so that we could enjoy the experience together. I think our vibes were passed on to them, don't you think so? Thank you for the beautiful day. I really enjoyed the time with all your family, Lyn and Larry:)
“Tour in Tokyo with Tomoko”
Tomoko was an excellent tour guide! She was efficient in planning our itinerary and was accommodating when we requested to make changes. We were very fortunate to have her show us around Tokyo. She is so pleasant, personable, knowledgeable and helpful. We learned a lot about the city as well as it's past history. My wife and I could not have asked for a better guide. We really enjoyed ourselves and highly recommend her. Thanks so much Tomoko, you have provided us with great memories! Joyce and Steve
Tomoko H.
(160 reviews)I too feel very fortunate to be able to share this truly enjoyable day today with you, Joyce and Steve. After cold, rainy and windy weather yesterday, it was a truly spring-like day today, and the long-awaited cherry blossoms have started to bloom little by little. I am sure there will be more blooms during the few days you are in Tokyo. Please enjoy them and take good pictures to share with your family and friends. I hope to see you again next time you plan to visit Hiroshima, the islands of the Seto Inland Sea, or Kyushu.
“Tomoko felt like a friend by the end of the day”
We came on a family holiday to Japan and only had a few days to spend there. The culture is so different to what we are used to and we were somewhat trepidatious about hiring a guide. We need not have worried for a second. Tomoko has her own family and really paid attention in making sure everyone had a good time. For the kids she helped us find the best toy shops and cat cafe's and for the adults she brought us to a really cool sushi place. Tomoko has travelled a lot herself and our shared passion for seeing new things meant we finished the day swapping stories of places had we had gone to over a beer together. Even though we only had a day together, I felt as though we had made a new friend by the end of it. Such a wonderful person. I really can't recommend her enough. Whatever your preferences, I believe Tomoko will help you get the most from your trip.
Tomoko H.
(160 reviews)Hi James, I know you had a busy time during your trip and for a few weeks after you returned home. So, thank you for taking the time to write such a heartwarming review. It has been almost a month since then, but I clearly remember that fun Sunday with you all. Starting from a cafe with cute cats and cat lovers to a special toy store in Akihabara, I feel like Max and Zoe took me to a whole new world. Please tell them I thank them. It was quite helpful at the first planning stage that you and Priscilla told me what would make the kids happy. They knew that their parents thought of their joy and satisfaction first, so they too enjoyed watching the adults have fun at the sushi restaurant. I really enjoyed our talks in that evening. Thank you again:)