Yoyogi 1st National Gymnasium tours

We had a group of 15 people. I thought this was a little much as not everyone can easily hear the banter in between the information spots and not everyone has the same walking pace. Our guide Giulia did amazing though. She spoke loud enough for everyone to hear and patiently waited for everyone to gather around. It was clear she was very knowledgeable on the edo period, the palace grounds, shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu and emperor Meji. The palace grounds are grand, but I think not as easy to manoeuvre for someone less able bodied. Be wary that you will have some steep inclines inside the walls. I particularly found the checkpoints, the edo castle ruins and the Japanese garden (which we could explore ourself after the tour) impressive. Giulia had a beautiful way of making me feel immersed and able to imagine what it would be like to enter the palace in the edo period. If you'd like more information about the imperial palace or the rulers of the time, I recommend taking the tour yourself!

We hebben de beste tijd gehad! Ze gaven ons aan het einde een gratis shot sake en wat gratis thee/mochi. Het personeel was vriendelijk en de entertainers hebben geweldig werk geleverd. We raden het zeker aan!

Joe, onze gids, was zeer deskundig en erg vriendelijk. Ik raad een tour met Joe aan als een geweldige start voor toeristen die voor het eerst in Japan zijn. Joe maakte alles gemakkelijk, wat onze marktervaring leuk maakte. Geen stress. Bedankt Joe!

Yoda was erg vriendelijk en zat vol fantastische informatie die onze ervaring verrijkte. Hij liet ons veel geweldige eetplekjes zien en we hebben alle belangrijke bezienswaardigheden van Shinjuku verkend. Ik raad deze tour met Yoda ten zeerste aan!

This was our first trip to Japan, and we wanted to do something special on our very first day in Tokyo. This tour was the perfect choice, and our guide, Hiro, was absolutely wonderful! He met us right at the designated meeting spot and was incredibly knowledgeable about the history of the Imperial Palace. He made sure everyone was comfortable throughout the tour and was always happy to allow time for breaks and rest stops when needed. The gardens are absolutely beautiful, and we especially enjoyed getting to see some of the original historic buildings. It was a wonderful way to start our trip and learn more about Japan’s history and culture. If you’re visiting Tokyo, we highly recommend this tour. And if you’re lucky enough to have Hiro as your guide, you’re in for an extra-special experience!

Het was onze eerste volledige dag in Japan en we zijn erg dankbaar dat onze gids Frankie ons rondleidde en een informatieve tour gaf over het Meiji Jingu-heiligdom. We hebben zoveel geleerd dat we anders nooit hadden ontdekt: de geschiedenis van shinto-heiligdommen, de geschiedenis van *dat* specifieke heiligdom, hoe belangrijk ze tot op de dag van vandaag zijn en nog veel meer. Het was een geweldige besteding van onze tijd en absoluut de moeite waard.

we had a group of 7 people, were felt like the perfect amount of people. I was solo on this tour, but never felt left out. Part because of the other nice people taking the tour, but also because of our lovely guide Manny. Manny told us about Harajuku before we headed to the Meji Jinku shrine grounds. Manny was very knowledgeable about the shinto religion, customs and rituals. The history and customs were presented in a fun and informative way. Overal, the tour felt very in line with the connections and knowledge emperor Meji is known for. Definitely take the tour if you are thinking about it. The grounds are very impressive. We were lucky to be here on a beautifully sunny day, which meant we were able to witness a few weddings happen on the shrine grounds as well as live Gagaku in the centre of the shrine grounds. I am very glad I decided to take this tour. Thank you fellow travelers and our guide Many for the beautiful experience.

Midori was an amazing guide! 5/5 stars and is a definite must for anyone visiting Tokyo. One of my favourite experiences so far. She was very informative and made the experience very enjoyable. It was great to meet a real life Geisha and learn all about her life and see traditional dances and play traditional games. Midori also took photos for us so we didn’t have to worry about that and could enjoy the whole experience in real time!

Mai-san is een geweldige gids! Ze is erg behulpzaam en informatief, vriendelijk en ook erg grappig! Ze maakte de hele ervaring de moeite waard, en haar geschiedenis, kennis en ervaring hebben de hele tour gevormd tot iets wat we nooit zullen vergeten! Bedankt, Mai-san!