Meiji Shrine

Tokyo’s boutique ward has a great deal for those who want to experience Japan’s coexistence between tradition and futurism. Visiting the main sights in the company of your private guide will leave you with an appreciation of how this great city is facing the future. 

 

Entering the Meiji Shrine with your guide, you will find this Shinto temple set within extensive gardens. Built to honor the divine spirit (or kami) of Emperor Meiji and his wife, your guide will take you around its buildings. Rebuilt after heavy bombing damage during the Second World War, it remains a working shrine which is popular with locals.

You will then transfer to Tsukiji  Market, to explore the sights, smells, and tastes of one of the largest fish markets in the world. Next, you will venture towards Tokyo's old downtown, where the Sensoji Temple is. As the oldest Buddhist temple in Tokyo, it is full of cultural importance. Just in front of the temple, is the Nakamise shopping street. Here, you will have the chance to explore unique souvenir shops and purchase gifts to take home.

Tokyo’s Imperial past and neon present are shown in this immersive full-day highlights of the city. Seeing all the highlights on a personal tour with your private guide, it will leave you with an inspiring glimpse of a global city with a unique feel. 

Starting early in the Tsukiji Fish Market, you will experience the high-octane energy of this huge wholesale market where every move has a purpose. With a personal guide to tell you all about the site, from the sign language used by vendors and buyers to agree a purchase, to the three-wheel delivery vehicles hurtling through, it is a great place to appreciate the Japanese approach to food and business.

Going to Asakusa the north of the city, your guide will show you around the Senso-ji Shrine. This popular Buddhist temple has a past reportedly going back to the 7th century and, although much of it has been rebuilt at different stages of its history, it retains a certain aged mystique. Entering through the Thunder Gate, you will go through a shopping alley selling traditional Japanese products to the main temple where, to name a few highlights, you will  see the five-storied pagoda and Asakusa Shrine.




Moving on to the Meiji Shrine, your guide will explain the Japanese custom of dedicating shrines to dead emperors. Commemorating Emperor Meiji (and his wife), the ruler who oversaw Japan’s lightning-speed transition to industrial power in the 19th century, it is entered through an enormous torii gate. A bucolic retreat from the city, it holds around 10,000 trees within the premises as well as a small museum about the Emperor and a special Inner Garden. 

Delving into the electric heart of modern Tokyo, your guide will take you to the city’s Western side. Walking along the shopping districts of Harajyuku and the spacious tree-lined Omotesando avenue, you will see the consumerist side of modern Japan as you make your way to the famous Shibuya Crossing. Here hundreds, and occasionally thousands, of people regularly cross at the same time. Watch then join them before being accompanied by your guide back to your hotel.  

Touriocity Tip: Try to coordinate your trip during the sakura season (cherry blossom). Cherry blossoms are seen as symbols of serenity, vitality, and beauty, with the Japanese philosophy of mono no aware originating from this concept. The perfect chance to see cherry blossom is set to be March - April in Tokyo.

This 4 hour walking tour gives travellers a taste of both traditional and modern Japan. Visit Meiji Shrine, before walking through the Harajuki district.  Explore the depths of Akihabara, be introduced to the parades of arcades, browse some of the wackiest technology, and conclude with a local drink at a 'maid cafe'.
 




Begin your tour at the Meiji Shrine, where your guide will explain the Japanese custom of dedicating shrines to dead emperors. This shrine commemorates Emperor Meiji and his wife, who oversaw Japan’s lightning-speed transition to industrial power in the 19th century. Enter through an enormous torii gate, as you enjoy a bucolic retreat from the city. The shrine holds around 10,000 trees, as well as a small museum about the Emperor and a special inner garden. 

From here, you will walk through the popular shopping districts of the Harajuku district and Takeshita dori to soak in an entirely different neighbourhood, made distinct by their endless rows of independent shops for local fashionistas. 

 Enjoy a visit to the buzzing Akihabara neighbourhood, renowned for its mega-electronic stores and Japanese subculture. Be dazzled by the hundreds of tech department stores and arcades that stretch up and down several kilometers of the city. Meet the local population, known fondly as ‘otaku’—geeks. In fact, Akibahara throngs with ‘otaku’ from the video game ‘king of things’ to the anime obsessed.

Wander with your local guide through the main streets and backstreets, where you will pop in and out of electronic shops, each selling the world’s newest and wackiest technology. Spend time understanding the culture that surrounds anime and cosplay (‘costume play’ where adults dress up as characters from films, popular video games, comics and books).

The tour finishes at one of the dozens of ‘maid cafes’ where the employees have taken cosplay into commercialism. Be served your local drink by a Japanese French maid. If you’re there at the right time, you may even catch one of their song and dance routines. No trip to Akihabara is complete without venturing a visit to one of these establishments. 

 

Once you finish your tour of Akihabara, you too will be a local Otaku!