Tokyo Free Walking Tour has tours in 5 locations. Each tour is special and interesting, but my long-time favorite is the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace tour. I like it because it is a great tour to understand the city of Tokyo.
The tour starts from Tokyo station, which itself happens to be the building that has witnessed the rise, fall, and revival of 20th century Japan.
We stroll through modern skyscrapers until we come to a point where we see the Imperial Palace and the Edo Castle side by side. From here the tour shifts its focus from the Meiji Emperor’s government that pushed forth Tokyo’s rapid modernization to the Tokugawa Shogunate that created the foundation for such drastic transformation.
We then go on to explore the castle ruins and expand our imagination on what Tokyo was like in the days of the Samurai government (=Edo era) more than 200 years ago. In the end we pass through the Hirakawamon-gate to be suddenly popped back into modern day Tokyo to conclude the tour. The essence of how Tokyo came to be what it is today is condensed in the 2 hour tour.
My focus as a guide is on weaving a coherent story together with my team members. It needs to be a team effort (we have multiple guides), and while we have so many interesting stories to tell, we need to be aware of the different interests of our guests. My greatest reward would be that our guests take away some new knowledge about Japan that will make the rest of their stay more interesting and enjoyable. If you think we did a good job or there are ways we can improve, your feedback is very much welcome.
I’m sure the guides of the other 4 tours have their stories on why they think their tour is the best. Join them and find out for yourselves!
(Post by Yohei)
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