LVC tour guide service
LVC (Language Volunteer Co-talk), is a non-profit volunteer association which provides goodwill and guide services for the following 7 guided courses. If you can’t find the destination you want here, then please submit an application selecting the course name “(10) other” below.
(1) Toyosu Fish Market (2.0 hours) and/or Tsukiji Fish Market(1.5 hours)
In the early morning guests can enjoy the vivid auction of tuna fish caught in the global oceans. Usually over one thousand fish are sold every morning except Wednesday and Sunday. Toyosu Fish Market is the largest market in the world in terms of the amount of sales. The average amount of sales of fish is about JPY15 million per day. The guide will explain to guests how the auction is done in the market. If you submit an application 45 days before the tour, then we will tell you how to apply for the lottery for the daily mezzanine deck tour in the market.
b. Tsukiji
Tsukiji Fish Market is in the short distance from Ginza. You can enjoy a lot of shops, sushi restaurants and dismantling show of tuna in the Tsukiji market. It takes about 1.5 hours. Let’s enjoy these with us. This tour can be an additional one to a. Toyosu fish market tour.
(2) Rainbow Bridge and Odaiba (2.5 hours)
This includes a walk across the bridge to see the spectacular Tokyo bay area.
Walking on the bridge, the guide will tell guests the history of Tokyo port and its beautiful suspension bridge, the reason why the previously-closed Japan opened itself in the 19th century, and the new anime subculture, including the huge Gundam monument, and the reason why the replica of the Statue of Liberty is in Odaiba.
(3) Ueno Park (2.5 hours)
This tour shows the place where ordinary Japanese people come to spend a pleasurable day strolling in the wide park, which includes a zoo, traditional temples, museums, a pond, and restaurants.
We recommend visiting the national museum that houses many valuable treasures of Japanese culture inherited from over 500 to 1,000 years.
(4) Asakusa Senso-ji temple (2 hours)
In this area, there are the oldest temple and the oldest shrine in Tokyo. They have been worshipped at by ordinary people for over 1,400 years. The guide will explain why this temple and shrine are so popular and why people in each era have loved this area.
(5) Tokyo Station and Marunouchi (2 hours)
The renovated Tokyo Station has brought back the original symmetric grand building that was completed by Tatsuno Kingo in 1914. Tokyo Station has a 100-year history as the main gateway to the imperial palace. Today foreign ambassador can start by carriage from Tokyo Station to the Imperial Palace to hand over their credentials to the emperor. The guide will explain the long history of the station and the Marunouchi area that has been Japan’s central business district and has developed into a new shopping and entertainment district.
(6) Imperial Palace and East Garden (2.5 hours)
The Imperial Palace is to be the home of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, but is currently the home of the former Emperor Akihito and former Empress Michiko until their new imperial palace house has been built. It is closed to the public except on special days, such as general congratulatory palace visits at the new year or on the birthday of the emperor. The guide will take guests to the East Imperial Garden which is open during the daytime and explain to guests about the buildings remaining from the Edo era and why the Meiji Emperor left his home palace in Kyoto to live in this palace.
(7) Mitaka Inokashira Park and Ghibli Museum (2.5 hours)
Mitaka Inokashira Park is one of the best parks in Tokyo. It has a big lake in the middle where guests can enjoy renting a rowboat or swan-shaped pedal boat. The guide will tell guests why an ancient shrine stands on the small island, enshrining the goddess Benten. Guests can also enjoy eating yakitori (grilled chicken on skewers) and hotdogs.
In the nearby Ghibli Museum, guests can enjoy the atmosphere of the fairy tales of Miyazaki Hayao, such as Spirited Away (2001), Princess Mononoke (1997), Castle in the Sky (1986) and Howl’s Moving Castle (2004).
Please read the terms and the conditions below and press the agree button.
Terms and conditions
We, the non-profit volunteer association LVC (Language Volunteer Co-talk), will provide goodwill and guide services to groups of people up to 16.There is no charge except for JPY 3,000 per group for each guide’s traffic expenses from home to the meeting place and roundtrip transportation fares. (In the case of one of destinations is outside of 23 wards or guiding time is over 3.5 hours, JPY 4,000 per group)
If there are any entrance fees to facilities, transportation fares and lunch, these should be paid by the guests for our guide.
Loss or injury during the tour is the full responsibility of the guests.
The age of the at least one of guests should be18 years or more.
Guests are supposed to submit an application five days *before the tour, otherwise it may not be possible to assign a guide to the guest due to short notice.
*Except for (1) Toyosu Fish Market AGREE