May 2010
Guide: Hiroko Kitagou, Yoko Takano
Route: Imperial Palace – Asakusa – Ueno (Tokyo National Museum); Tokyo Metropolitan Government building – Shinjuku Gyoen – Meiji Shrine

My husband, Alan, and I cannot say enough good things about Tokyo Free Guide. Both of the guides met us at our hotel each morning with a plan for the day.Hiroko made sure we understood how to use the subway system and without her I don’t know if we would have figured out we could ride JR lines free with our Japan Railpass.  She arranged for a bus tour for us in the area near the Imperial Palace which helped us get a better idea of our surroundings. We ate lunch near the Senjoji Temple where I had shabu-shabu for the first time and Alan had tempura. We had been reluctant to go into restaurants before this because we couldn’t read the menus but Hiroko showed us what to do and it made such a difference the rest of the trip. By spending time with Hiroko, we learned so much about Buddhist and Shinto shrines and temples. Read the rest of this entry »

January 2010
Guide: Senichi Nagai
Route: Ueno – Yanaka – Shinjyuku – Harajyuku – Shibuya

We had some email contact with our guide before we arrived in Japan and we were eager to get to know him further. Senichi-san met us at our hotel in the Akasaka district, a considerable distance from his home. He had carefully prepared an itinerary that included shrines, temples, gardens, some of the older part of the city and a lunch restaurant. We walked and took public transport to the various sights and the entire time Senichi-san made sure we were able to understand all of the things we saw and did. He was considerate and knowledgeable and very kind to two gaijin new to his country. We had a most enjoyable day together. A particular highlight was the Koishikawa Korakuen Gardens which we found both beautiful and peaceful, but everything about the day was a pleasure. Thanks to TokyoFreeGuide.com, which we wholeheartedly recommend, and of course our new friend Senichi Nagai, for this terrific experience.

January 2010
Guide: Ryuichiro Hayashi
Route: Ueno – Yanaka – Shinjuku – Harajuku – Shibuya

May I take this opportunity to thank you so much for such an excellent service. Our guide Ryuichiro Hayashi was the most polite, knowledgeable and pleasant person it was our fortune to meet. We have recommended not only your service but our wonderful guide Ichiro to everyone. Many many thanks, from Paula and Gordon.

September 2009
Guide: Koji Yamada
Route: September 20th: Hamarikyu Garden- Asakusa – Ameyoko street in Ueno – Akihabara (electric town) – Yakitori in Yurakucho; September 21st: Odaiba – Tsukudajima – Nezu – Yanaka

Dear Tokyo Free Guide

We want to thank Koji Yamada for being our guide in Tokyo on September 19th and 20th 2009. He was a wonderful guide and showed us popular areas like Asakusa as well the back alleys of Nezu and Yanaka. He explained about these places in clear English and really enhanced our appreciation and understanding of Tokyo’s history and culture. He also taught us a few useful phrases in Japanese. Not only did he show us and tell us about the real Tokyo but also taught us how to use the subway so that we could explore on our own. Whoever said “You will be lost in Tokyo,” didn’t have Koji for a guide. In addition, he showed us inexpensive and authentic places that we would never have found by ourselves. We highly recommend Koji as a guide.

All the best,

Don Gabor and Eileen Cowell

August 2009
Guide: Yuichiro Kaneko
Route: Akihabara – Ueno – Kappabashi – Roppongi

We have just returned from our 2-weeks trip to Japan. Our stay in Tokyo was really great thanks to Yuichiro, who was completely attentive all the time, even when we asked some strange things as buying Mazinger-Z, Minerva-X and Godzilla figures or plastic food reproductions.

He even gave us a Japanese lesson!!!. Now Kanji, Kana and Kayakana do not have secrets for us…

We would like to recommend this altruist service to any tourist spending some time in Tokio. It is really fantastic.

Thank you very much, Youchiro. We enjoyed your company a lot, and hope you to come to Spain soon, so we can guide you this time.

Aitor & Amparo. Bilbao. Spain

July 2009
Guide: Yukie Takahashi
Route: Imperial Palace – Yasukuni Shrine – Ueno

Estuvimos en Tokio un total de 10 dias alojados en el hotel Sunroute Plaza Shinjuku. El hotel formidable y muy bien situado. Durante los 10 dias visitamos los diferentes barrios de la ciudad. Todos fantasticos. El sistema de transporte publico fenomenal.Uno de los dias nos acompano una guia de habla espanola (yukie takahashi) ecantadora y con muy buen nivel de espanol. Nos llevo durante todo el dia por las zonas que previamente habiamos seleccionado via mail (palacio imperial, lugares famosos, templos, santuarios…). Al terminar el dia fuimos a la fiesta de la flor de loto.Un recuerdo inmejorable.

Al dia siguiente Yukie se ofrecio para acompanarnos por la noche a la fiesta de un templo en la zona de Idabashi acompanados por su marido. Alli cenamos y disfrutamos de su tradicion.
El resumen general es totalmente positivo, tanto el viaje a Tokio (ciudad y gente) como el servicio que nos presto la guia. Agradecemos al departamento de turismo que nos brindara esa posibilidad. Sin duda lo recomendaremos.

Rosana e Imanol Zaragoza-Spain

July 2009
Guide: Chikako
Route: Omotesando – Meiji Shrine – Harajuku – Akihabara – Asakusa – Ueno

Dear TOKYO FREE GUIDE,

Just returned to U.S. after ten days in Tokyo with my son. I would like to thank you for arranging to have Chikako take us for a tour. She was very pleasant and took us where ever we wanted. We were also able to learn how to use the subway and train lines.

Because we were on a tight budget this was very helpful to us and we were able to get around for the rest of our stay on our own. I don’t know if a service like this is offered in New York, it is so nice of your guides to give up their time.

Please thank Chikako for us I hope she enjoyed it as much as we did. Your country is fascinating , I will not forget my trip to Japan.

Thanks, Bruce Dante

May 2009
Guide: Chinami Nishizawa, Ryuichiro Hayashi
Route: Hamarikyu; Hakone – Odawara Castle; Ueno – Asakusa – Akihabara; Zojoji – Ginza – Yurakucho – Imperial Palace

Our trip to Japan was one of our best vacation experiences thanks to Ichiro and Chinami. Ichiro and Chinami are very charming professionals, speak English well, and are very knowledgeable about Japan’s history and culture. Ichiro and Chinami custom designed a tour to meet our needs. They made sure that we saw the best of Tokyo and the surrounding area without wasted time. They made all arrangements for transportation services, restaurant recommendations, as well as unique opportunities for special local experiences (night walks, shopping, handicrafts, etc.). Because of their efforts, our time in Tokyo was completely stress-free.

We were able to do and see everything on our “wish list” (and more) such as: ride the bullet train to Hakone/Mt Fuji and visit the hot spots such as: the National Museum, the Asakusa Temple, Tsukiji Fish market, Tokyo Tower, Zojyoji temple, Kabuki theater, Meiji jingu- Shrine, Imperial palace, Hamarikyu Gardens with Tea Ceremony, and Takeshita Dori street. We also “shopped till we dropped” at Omotesando, Ginza, Shibuya, Asakusa, and Akihabara.

Chinami and Ichiro arranged all of our meals and they were all fantastic! We ate at reasonably – priced , authentic restaurants such as: Ueno, Torigin restaurant, Minase Japanese restaurant, and we had the best Soba noodles at a beautiful restaurant near Mt Fuji (I can’t remember the name of the restaurant). Chinami also recommended and arranged dinner reservations at the Mango Tree restaurant in the Marunouchi building for our last evening and recommended a reflexology salon treatment (foot massage) one day when my wife reported sore feet . They even checked the weather forecasts!!

The bottom line is…… we had an exceptional and unforgettable trip!! We look forward to someday going back to Japan to visit Kyoto and of course, to hang out with Ichiro and Chinami.

Thanks for everything – Phil and D’Nyce

May 2009
Guide: Yoko Nakayama
Route: Ueno – Asakusa – Roppongi

We wanted to discover Tokyo in a different way, that the reason why we had contacted Tokyo free Guide. Yoko guided us in our choice and we made up our mind about a date, easily. Wednesday, the 20th May, Yoko was waiting for us in the front of our hotel. From the first minutes, we felt immediately at ease as she is welcoming. We went to Asakusa, we visited the famous street of Nakamise and the Temple of Senso-ji.

It was delightful to have Yoko’s observations of each place, always answering to all our questions. She explained to us the meaning of many things; she also talked about customs, traditions and life, today in Japan. We discussed a lot about differences with occidental life, and sometimes it was very fun to compare them.

In conclusion, Tokyo Free Guide is an organization which needs to be more famous. Our trip was better as we had imagined it, thank to Yoko’s kindness. She’s a very good guide, always answering to our wishes, with an open mind and curiosity.

We are decided to go again in Japan and will be pleased to take another trip with Yoko, to go further in this fascinating country.

April, 2009
Guide: Masako Shimada
Route: Imperial Palace – Ginza – Ueno

Dear Tokyo Free Guide,

On April 22, 2009 we were fortunate enough that through this service we arranged for Mrs. Masako Shimada to guide us. After about one minute with Mrs. Shimada we felt completely at ease; we were with a friend. She had much printed information for us to use and took us where we had asked: the Toyko National Museum. In addition she took us to lunch at a Ginza dept. store, to the Imperial Gardens and to Ueno park and its surroundings. She was friendly, warm, flexible, sensitive and her English was outstanding, with many colloquialisms and an ample vocabulary. Our time with her was the highlight of our visit to Tokyo. We enclose photos.

Thanks again,
Maria Acosta Cruz; Dan and Amanda Cesarano