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2020年2月

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Temporary Suspension of Tours

  • 2020.02.25

(Updated Apr 7)Tokyo Free Walking Tour will suspend all of its tours until further notice, in light of the situation surrounding COVID-19. The health and safety of our guests has always been our priority. The suspension was decided observing the latest advisory from the government and health authorities. We will announce on this website on any updates on when we resume our tours. We apologize for any inconveniences, and very much appreciate your understanding. We are all in this together, and we shall overcome. Please stay safe and see you on our next tour.

UME & SAKURA HAVE SIMULTANEOUSLY STARTED BLOOMING, February 23, Asakusa and Ueno.

  • 2020.02.24

Thank you for joining our Tokyo Free Walking Tour in Asakusa and Ueno. On that day, February 23, we welcomed 18 guests on our walking tour. These people came from different corners of the world, including Australia, Canada India, Spain and U.K. Amazingly, Ume, or plum trees have started blooming in Tokyo. Ume, or Japanese Apricot trees, are flower-bearing trees in Japan that bloom nationwide from late February until the end of March. The blossoming period of Ume trees serves as a precursor of the sakura season, which normally start blooming in late March through the middle of April. In Japan, this flowering transition are associated with the relic like ” Ume wa saitaka sakurawa madakina“. It roughly means “Ume now in full bloom, but Sakura not yet”. Under this seasonal atmosphere, in Asakusa, we met fourteen people at Kaminarimon Gate and started our 90-minute tour. Going by the name as Thunder Gate, or Kaminarimon Gate, this Buddhist gate have been an instrument in symbolizing Asakusa. Actually, the image is used on the cover of Japanese guidebook or souvenir’s package designs. Built in 10 centuries, this religious building accompanying with two statues, A God of Thunder and A God of […]

Tour Report of The East Garden of the Imperial Palace on February 22.

  • 2020.02.24

Thank you for choosing our tours at The East Garden of the Imperial Palace on February 22. We welcomed 9 guests from Australia, Canada, Poland, Spain and UK. I hope all of you enjoyed our tour and shared with us an interesting conversation of history and culture for a few hours. We are so happy to have met you. As promised, group photos and snapshots are attached. Your feedback is important and helpful to us. If you enjoyed our tour, could you consider reviewing our tours? We would appreciate if you could post your review about our tours on our Facebook/TripAdvisor etc. Once again, thank you for choosing Tokyo Free Walking Tour during your precious time in Tokyo. By the way, two days ago The Japan Weather Forecast Association announced that the Cherry Blossoms in Tokyo would begin on March 15. This is the earliest first day of the Cherry Blossoms in Tokyo. For your convenience, we plan to make more tours to enjoy it. Please visit our website and check our tour calendar! We look forward to meeting you in the most beautiful season of  Japan. Posted by Yumi.H

Tour Report on 16 Februrary 2020, Enjoy the contrasts in Meiji shrine and Harajuku tour

  • 2020.02.16

Thank you for choosing our tours at Meiji Shrine and Harajuku on 16 Februrary 2020. We welcomed 4 guests from UK and France. I hope all of you enjoyed our tour and shared with us an interesting conversation of history and culture for a few hours. As promised, group photos and snapshots are attached. We always strive to improve our tours for the higher standards, your feedback is very important and useful. If you have a moment, please consider commenting about the tour on our Facebook /TripAdvisor etc. Also, please tell your family and friends about us. You might wonder what is the feature of this tour besides viewing Japan’s traditional Shinto shrine. We always suggest the contrast between such traditional atmosphere in first half of the tour and fancy Harajuku town in latter half. The two are totally different kinds but located next to each other. But there is even more interesting contrast within the Harajuku town. Our guests walk to Takeshita street in Harajuku town, which is known to be youngsters’ fun street with lineup of sweet shops, cloth shops and cafes. So the atmosphere is quite fancy and cute so that children can get easily attracted to […]

Asakusa and the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace Tour on February 15th

  • 2020.02.16

Thank you for choosing our tours at Asakusa and the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace on February 15th. We welcomed 12 guests from USA, UK, Germany, Spain and Ireland. It was cloudy but warm weather in Tokyo. I hope all of you enjoyed our tour and shared with us an interesting conversation of history and culture for a few hours. As promised, group photos and snapshots are attached. Your feedback is important and helpful to us. If you enjoyed our tour, could you consider reviewing our tours? We would appreciate if you could post your review about our tours on our Facebook/TripAdvisor etc. Once again, thank you for choosing Tokyo Free Walking Tour during your precious time in Tokyo. In case you happen to be back in Tokyo please try another one of our tours. (posted by Kuma)

February 11, Asakusa and the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace

  • 2020.02.11

Many thanks for joining us on our tours at Asakusa and the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace on February 11. We welcomed 7 visitors from Australia, UK and America. It was a bit cold but lovely weather in the middle of winter. I hope all of you enjoyed our tours and shared with us an interesting conversation for a few hours. As we mentioned, the group photos and snapshots are herewith attached. As you may have seen the Japanese flag being displayed at many places. February 11 is National Foundation Day and a public holiday to celebrate the founding of Japan. It is said that Jimmu, the first emperor of Japan ascended to the throne and started the nation on February 11, 660 BC. The national holiday began in 1966. Once again, thank you so much for joining us on our tours. Please tell your family and friends how you enjoyed our tour when you return home and I hope to see you again in another one of our tours should you come back to Tokyo. (Yoshi)

The East Gardens of the Imperial Palace Tour on February 8th

  • 2020.02.09

Thank you for choosing our tours at the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace on Feb 8th. We welcomed 13 guests from Australia, USA, UK, Spain and France. It was perfect weather for the tour. I hope all of you enjoyed our tour and shared with us an interesting conversation of history and culture for a few hours under the clear sky. As promised, group photos and snapshots are attached

Meiji Shrine and Harajuku Tour on Feb. 2, 2020

  • 2020.02.02

Many thanks for joining us on our tour at Meiji Shrine and Harajuku Tour on Feb. 2nd. We welcomed 9 guests from Italy, USA, Norway and Australia. The group was divided into 3. It was a tremendous opportunity for us to meet lots of wonderful people from all over the world and exchange the cultural information. I particularly appreciate the fact that some of you consecutively joined our 3 tours for two days.   The weather was perfectly fine. We met a wedding ceremony of young couple and saw a matured couple who prayed at the sacred trees at the same time. I like such views we can often see at Meiji Jingu Shrine.   As promised, group photos and snap shots are attached. The next day of the tour, February 3 is the SETSUBUN of this year. There is a custom in Japan that beans are scattered for evil or devils, so I also received FUKUMAME, parched beans scattered on SRTSUBUN, at Meiji Shrine. (Please refer to the previous repot of “The Imperial Palace of East Gardens Tour on Feb 1” for details on SETSUBUN). SETSUBUN is the day before the spring and the end of the winter in […]

The Imperial Palace of East Gardens Tour on February 1st

  • 2020.02.02

Thank you for choosing our tours at the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace on Feb 1st. We welcomed 21 guests from Australia, UK, Malaysia, Indonesia, and US. It was perfect weather for the tour. I hope all of you enjoyed our tour and shared with us an interesting conversation of history and culture for a few hours under the clear sky. As promised, group photos and snapshots are attached.   Your feedback is important and always helpful to us. If you enjoyed our tour, could you consider reviewing our tours? We would appreciate if you could post your review about our tours on our Facebook/TripAdvisor etc. Once again, thank you for choosing Tokyo Free Walking Tour during your precious time in Tokyo. In case you happen to be back in Tokyo please try another one of our tours.   【Japanase Culture・・・SETSUBUN】 Feb 3rd is the day of Setsubun. It literally means the division of the seasons, so Feb 3rd is the point of changing from winter to spring. And also, on the old calendar, it is starting new year at this point. Japanese believed that devils or demons come at the point of the each “division of the seasons”, […]

Tour Report in Asakusa on February 1

  • 2020.02.01

Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule and joining the tour at Sensoji Temple on February 1. We welcomed 10 people from Australia and America. It was a great opportunity to share the Japanese culture and history with you in the absolutely wonderful weather. Also, some of you kindly accompanied us in the subsequent tour which we really appreciate. Meanwhile, group pictures and snap shots are enclosed. We always make our efforts to improve the quality of our tours. If you liked the tour you would like to help us by sharing it on our Facebook/TripAdvisor etc. which will motivate our activities. You are the one who will determine the value of our tour. Please tell your family and friends how you enjoyed our tour when you return home. If you come back to Tokyo by any chance, join another one of our tours. (Yoshi)