About Tour Guide Etsu I.

“Waste of time and money”

Not a great way to spend your time. Too many more interesting ways to see Tokyo. We liked the free observation deck in the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building much better. Beautiful panoramic views in a pleasant lounge 40+ stories up. Look it up.

Etsu I.

(19 reviews)

Thank you for your feedback. I’m sorry that your overall experience did not meet your expectations. During our tour, I did my best to accommodate your requests within the scheduled time. Some additional locations you mentioned were outside our agreed itinerary, so I provided recommendations and directions for you to visit them independently after our tour. I always strive to accommodate additional requests whenever time and logistics allow, and I regret that I was unable to meet all your expectations.

“Very Disappointed ”

Etsu did not prepare to show us the kind of sites and activities we itemized in detail to her weeks before our tour. We asked her to not duplicate the sights we were scheduled to visit on a coming 20 day tour. We asked her in writing to avoid common " over touristy " locations and come up with some more culturally revealing activities. This was disregarded. She walked ahead of us most of the time not explaining our surroundings. She couldn't even readily identify a large famous forest of Lotus Plants. There were no insights about Japanese culture shared with us. We paid over $400 for two four hour sessions, mostly touring the metro system.This was a waste of a lot of money and our precious travel time. After departing, Etsu sent us an itinerary of the kinds of things we were expecting to do but never got to do while in her presence. We had to follow it without her guidance. On the other hand, we had another Japanese tour guide for several days who educated us very much about Japanese customs and explained things to us in great detail as we toured other areas. What a difference ! Etsu is very pleasant but our overall experience with her was disappointing. If you ever get to read this review, dont waste your money and time with this guide !!!

Etsu I.

(19 reviews)

​Thank you for taking the time to share your detailed feedback. I am so sorry to hear that your experience did not fit your expectations. ​Prior to our tour, I carefully reviewed your request to avoid overlapping with your schedule and to focus on unique, non-touristy experiences. Based on these specific desires such as visiting unique eyeglass shops and TeamLab, I designed a custom itinerary to fit those requests within our limited time together. Moving efficiently via the metro system was intended to help us cover these distinct locations across Tokyo, but I regret that this felt overwhelming and reduced the time for relaxed cultural commentary. ​My intention was to ensure you had a helpful roadmap for the remainder of your stay in Tokyo so you wouldn't miss out on other wonderful spots. ​I sincerely appreciate your kind word about my personality, and I take your constructive comments very seriously to continuously improve my guiding style for the next. ​I am glad to know that you enjoyed Borderless and your subsequent travels in Japan. I wish you and your family all the best. ​Warm regards, Etsu

“Today get acquainted with Tokyo”

Etsu customized our two days with her to meet our needs. She picked us up from Yokohama cruise ship terminal and got to our Airbnb. She taught us how to use the subway system and the Shinkansen as well showing us where to buy groceries. We learned how to use the restaurants and she showed us several of the highlights of Tokyo. All in all a good two days getting grounded for our three week stay using Tokyo as our base to explore Japan.

Etsu I.

(19 reviews)

Thank you for your warm and thoughtful message. You were so active and curious, so I guess you are still visiting various places. I enjoyed meeting you at your hotel after the cruise and showing you the garden, sushi restaurant, ramen shop, grocery stores, and so on. Thank you again for your kindness. Please enjoy the rest of your trip. Take care.