Reviews
Visiting Meiji Jingu and Harajuku was a perfect way to experience two very different sides of Tokyo in one trip. Meiji Jingu offered a serene and spiritual escape from the city, surrounded by lush greenery that made it easy to forget you were in the middle of a bustling metropolis. Walking through the shrine grounds was peaceful, and learning about its history and Shinto traditions added meaningful depth to the visit.
We liked it very mutch. Sunny,our guide, was organized, gentle and kwonlegeble. We recomeded !
Since our group was private, we requested to visit a shop in Harajuku that our child wanted to go to, and the guide kindly took us there. The contrast between the lively streets of Harajuku and the serene atmosphere of Meiji Shrine was truly fascinating.
the tour was fantastic but most of all our guide - Hiroyuki, was fabulous and made our tour worthwhile. he was very knowledgeable and friendly and kind and humble. 5 stars for him
The guide was great. He was attentive and hardworking. But the tour didn't have much going on. There was some nice history about Meiji Jinju, but it was roughly the same as what was written on the plaques. The Harajuku tour though didn't have a lot going for it, it was mostly just shopping oriented. what I was really hoping for was like an inside look into what makes Takeshita street unique, with like special land marks or history or fun events or good photo spots. But Takeshita street is just another market with slightly specialized goods. For two locations that typically have free entry, the $30 tour didn't not add on any value to just going alone. If this was half that price it might've been worth it a bit more. Just adding in guaranteed reservations to one of the animal cafes (without covering the cost) or entry only to look around kawaii monster land (but not rides or food) would have put more value here. Its just not enough going on for the price.
This trip was a self-guided cultural tour arranged for my elders. I was hoping for a guide familiar with the local culture and geography who could introduce them to Tokyo's history and unique characteristics as they walked around. Only one of my elders participated on the day. I had expected a more flexible and attentive arrangement, but the guide was about 20 minutes late. Their knowledge of Meiji Jingu's historical background and the surrounding Harajuku area was also quite limited. They often had to rely on Google searches for information, which made them seem unprepared and lacking the professionalism expected of a local guide. While I understand that small group arrangements may offer some flexibility, the quality and professionalism of the guides should be ensured regardless of the number of participants. I hope that the platform will pay more attention to content familiarity and punctuality when working with guides in the future to improve the overall quality of the experience.
