・Date/Time : Wed. Dec. 20, 2017 ( 10:00―12:00 ) ・Meeting Place : Tokyo Station Marunouchi Central Gate (ground floor) ・We leave at 10:00. Please take care to arrive on time ! ・Participation Fee : Free ・Reservation : Not required ・Participants : Foreign tourists and residents, and their accompanying Japanese friends, families, etc. For more information on our tour please visit our website, facebook, And TripAdvisor page. We are looking forward to seeing you soon!
Thank you for joining our tour on this day. We welcomed over 25 guests from UK, Malaysia, Canada, USA, Germany, Argentina, Australia, Taiwan and Singapore. We divided into 5 groups. The weather was cold but very clear so the sunshine was strong. It was a historic tour since it was the first time in 10 years of our guide history that the square in front of Tokyo Station became fully open. So no more fences and no construction yards that blocks straight-forward tour route to get out of the station. When we launched this volunteer tour, renovation construction was already underway. Guides and guests had to gather in a narrow space surrounded by fences. We now have bigger spaces to gather after the completion of renovation. On one corner of the station square, a statue was placed. It is the statue of INOUE Masaru, which had been displaced for years due to the renovation construction. This man is called “Father of Japan’s railways”, who was a minister of railway and contributed to establishment of Japan’s railway network from late 19th to early 20 th century. That was a time Tokyo Station building was established. He studied railway management in England […]
We thank all guests joining our East Gardens of Imperial Palace tour on Dec. 2. Number of guests counted 23 from 13 countries all over the world. It was a lovely warm day and our guests enjoyed the tour under blue sky. Autumn foliage around the tour route were still on season. Red and yellow colored leaves and falling leaves were shining. If you stay in Tokyo this week, recommend you to visit the limited time only events at the Imperial Palace. The Imperial Palace opens Inui Street to the public for the first time in a year and a half to let people view its autumn leaves. Visitors can walk along the 750-meter road, which runs from the entrance, Sakashita Gate, to the Inui Gate between 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. from Dec. 2 until Dec. 10. The Imperial Household stated the visitor count on the first day reached approx. 21,000 people. Following the street, you can see a part of Imperial Palace where the royal family greet to public twice a year (Emperor’s birthday and new year on Jan. 2. In addition to that, there are lots of view point, e.g. classic wood and stone walls, authentic gate, […]
Thank you very much to all the guests joining the tour. We had lovely sunny morning and we welcomed 18 guests from US, Australia, Spain, Philippines, Singapore, Canada, Malaysia and India. We divided into 3 groups. It was very sunny and warm day as at this time of the year, and while walking we had to remove the jacket by the end of the tour!! The East Garden is very beautiful with autumn leaves with multiple colors, -green, yellow, orange and red. Although we don’t see flowers in Ninomaru Garden, which is famous for various flowers, still it is one of the best seasons with autumn leaves. It’s now December!, probably the busiest time of the year. We enjoy Christmas, but more important for Japanese is cerebrating New Year. Before welcoming new year, people may have many opportunities to have “forget the year” party with friends, colleagues and community, and so on. We have drink together to forget all the past (and bad) things and wish and commit for coming year, but for some people, this is just excuse for drinking!?? and some people may have party consecutive nights! We also prepare Christmas presents for family and friends, at the same time prepare […]
We thank many guests who participated in the tour. On that day we welcomed over 42 people from Australia, USA, Norway, Austria, UK, Indonesia, Germany, Israel, Malaysia, Mexico, and Nederland. We divided into 5 groups. The weather was very clear. It was a best autumn day. The East Garden turned autumn colors already so we could enjoy beautiful scenes with red and yellow leaves. Not only in Tokyo but in Japan’s old capital, Kyoto was in autumn leaf viewing season. The middle age temples and gardens were crowded with tourists viewing the leaves. Some temples held light-up of the leaves at night. Light-up was magnificent. Hotels were already packed so no reservation for a room was available. In Japan people enjoy viewing these leaves as one of autumn events, which we call “Momiji-gari.” It literally means hunting autumn leaves. But we do not hunt them but just view and enjoy the scenaries. Unlike cherry blossoms season, we do not do picnic under the trees because temperature is low. But some enjoy tea ceremony under the trees. One of the guides attended tea ceremony hosted by a Canadian tea ceremony master, Randy Channell Soei at Chionji Temple last Thursday. Having […]
・Date/Time : Wed. Nov. 29 , 2017 ( 10:00―12:00 ) ・Meeting Place : Tokyo Station Marunouchi Central Gate (ground floor) [more on where to find us] ・We leave at 10:00. Please take care to arrive on time ! ・Participation Fee : Free ・Reservation : Not required ・Participants : Foreign tourists and residents, and their accompanying Japanese friends, families, etc. For more information on our tour please visit our website, facebook, And TripAdvisor page !
We thank all guests joining our East garden of the Imperial Palace tour on Nov.18. We welcomed 34 guests from 15 countries all over the world. Unfortunately it was rain, a little bit cold and windy. In this condition, we always worried about the way of tour because our tour is all outside. Now Gingko trees along the Gyoko Street colored yellow. We enjoyed it. Speaking of Gingko trees, do you know Meiji Jingu Gaien? Meiji Jingu Gaien is one of the park in Tokyo and was made in 1923. It is known as the street lined with Gingko trees. Gingko trees of Meiji Jingu Gaien are planted in perspective. So we can see the beautiful landscape like paintings. Especially in autumn, Gingko leaves change color from green to yellow. After that yellow Gingko leaves fall down and cover the ground. It looks like the golden carpet. Around Meiji Jingu Gaien, there are a lot of nice café restaurants. I think it is the best place to stroll and eat out in autumn. I went there last week and enjoyed beautiful landscape. It was so nice! (posted by Y. Hino)
This afternoon was a little bit windy, but rather warm during the daylight. What a great day it was to stroll around in the last term of autumn. The ginko trees along the Gyoko Street was expecially colorful enough to let us know that winter is much close. Every people walking around seemed to be relaxing and feeling at ease of the comfortable season before getting heavy coats, mufflers, mittons to put on. We would like to appreciate all of our guests to find us from multiple choices of sightseeing places, attractive activities in Tokyo. All of our guides really appreciate the occasion meeting every of you and sometimes it even makes us become enthusiastic!! This day, we could met around 20 people from U.S.A., Canada, Australia, Israel, Spain, Singapore, Cyprus, Argentina, New Zealand. We made five groups so every group was like a private tour. We always look forward enjoying to walk in both small and big groups that depends on that day. At the end of our tour, instant kimonos are also waiting for our guests to be put on. We were happy that our kimonos were quite busy on this day also. For example, like a person for me, I am almost a beginner and it […]
Thank you all the guests who joined Tokyo Free Walking Tour in the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace!! We welcomed 51 guests from 17 countries all over the world. A comfortable sunny weekend finally came back – after four consecutive rainy saturdays. Many people were enjoying the first nice saturday in a long while in the gardens. Due to the scheduled visit of U.S. president Mr. Trump in the following day, the security around the Imperial Palace was tight and people were making up a long queue for their baggage checks at the entrance. We later heard that his daughter Ivanka had also been at the Imperial Palace in the morning. At the ending point of the tour, we were welcomed by a large spread of national flags of countries all over the world lined up on the front of a building. The display was to celebrate 1,000 days to the opening of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. The countdown has started! The street leading from Tokyo Station to the Imperial Palace was beautifully lined with ginkgo trees that have turned vivid yellow. Maple trees in the Imperial Gardens will soon turn red. You see the “autumnal color […]
Today we welcomed 26 guests from U.S.A., Canada, Israel, U.K., Mexico, Germany, Brazil, South Africa, Australia, China, Taiwan. It was a rainy day but our guests enjoyed beautiful scenery and taking pictures a lot !! In Japan when it comes to autumn. We say autumn is the best season for arts and entertainment in Japan. This is probably because it’s the time of year when art galleries and exhibits are organized. Have you ever heard of “Hasui Kawase” ? From the Taisho period to the Showa period, Hasui Kawase intended to restore Ukiyo-e with new woodblock prints (Shin-hanga) and left behind many works that utilized the woodblock multicolor printing technique of Ukiyo-e. These postcards are my favorite Hasui’s Shin-hanga prints. Hasui’s works are as popular as ” Hokusai”and “Hiroshige ” abroad. Steve Jobs was one of fervent collector for Hasui. If you have a time, please go to his exhibition! Autumn is one of the best season of the year for a walk in the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace. Our next tour will be on November 4th. Come meet us at the Marunouchi Central Gate at Tokyo station by 13:00. We hope to see you next tour […]
