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初日 DAY ONE · ASAKUSA · 3 HOURS
TOKYO FIRST DAY TOUR.
Everyone reads the etiquette lists on the plane and forgets all of it at the first ticket gate. So we don't read anything. On your first or second morning we walk into the station, the konbini, the temple and a small restaurant, and you do each thing once — with a Japanese teacher standing next to you.
THE FORMAT
THE STREET IS THE CLASSROOM.
Four stops, three hours, one rule: you try it, not me. Nothing is role-play — every place we practise in is a place you'll walk into again this week.
The station
Buying and topping up an IC card, which side of the escalator to stand on, and how people line up for a train that hasn't arrived yet (the written version: train etiquette). We ride one stop together.
The convenience store
Why your money goes on the little tray and not into the cashier's hand, how to ask for a bag, and why you'll be carrying your own rubbish for the rest of the day (konbini etiquette, where the bins went).
Senso-ji
Washing your hands at the water pavilion, where to walk, the coin, the bow, hands together, the bow — done properly, once, so it stops being a guess (no clapping — that's shrines, not temples; shrine & temple etiquette).
A small meal
The two things you must never do with chopsticks, how to call a member of staff without feeling rude, and how paying works when nobody brings the bill to your table (dining etiquette, why you don't tip).
WHAT YOU LEAVE WITH
THREE THINGS, PLUS THE REST OF YOUR TRIP.
Your Manners License
A printed card with your name on it, handed over at the end. Silly on purpose — but you will have earned every line on it.
The cheat sheet
A one-page PDF of the phrases and rules we practised, sent to your phone so you can check it in the queue.
A line to me
LINE or WhatsApp access for the rest of your trip. Stuck at a machine, unsure if a shop is open, need a word translated — send a photo.
What to do next
We finish with the rest of your days: what's worth your time near where you're staying, and what to skip.
WHY ME
THIS IS A LESSON, TAUGHT BY A TEACHER.
Plenty of people can tell you the rules. The difference here is that teaching is my actual profession — I do it every day, for a living, in two languages. This class is brand new, so it has no reviews of its own yet. These are the receipts from the work it grew out of.
Fair warning
This is the first season this class runs. If that bothers you, book the Akihabara anime tour instead — it has been running for years and has the ratings to show for it. If it doesn't bother you, you get the version of a new class that gets the most attention: the first one.
THE PRACTICAL BITS
WHAT YOU'RE BOOKING.
| Length | 3 hours, in the morning |
|---|---|
| When | Best on your first or second morning in Japan — that's the whole point |
| Meeting point | Asakusa, Tokyo. Exact spot sent after booking |
| Can't find each other? | I'll send my contact details along with the exact meeting spot after you book, so if it's confusing on the day you've got a direct way to reach me |
| Running late? | If you haven't arrived and I haven't heard from you within 30 minutes, I have to treat it as a no-show. If you're just a little late, we still finish at the planned time rather than running over — message me on the way so I'm not waiting in the dark |
| Group size | 6–8 people maximum |
| Group grows after booking? | Book the number of people who will actually come. If your group grows, tell me before the day so I can plan for it |
| Age | Guests under 18 are very welcome, with an adult in the group. The booking itself has to be made by an adult |
| Price | About ¥8,000 per person (roughly $55) |
| Language | English — teaching is my actual profession, for a living, in two languages |
| Included | Your guide and teacher, the Manners License card, the cheat-sheet PDF, and messaging support for the rest of your trip |
| Not included | Your IC card top-up, what you buy in the konbini, and your own meal — you pay for those yourself, on purpose. Here is how to set up Suica on iPhone before you land |
| Tipping | No, and I say that as a guide. The price you paid is the price of the tour. If you had a good day, the things that genuinely help are a review with a couple of sentences of detail, and telling a friend who is planning a trip to Japan |
| Smoking | Smoking on the street is prohibited in many wards of Tokyo, with designated smoking areas instead |
| Lost items | Please look after your own belongings — I can't be responsible for lost or stolen items |
| Insurance | Travel insurance is a good idea, as it is anywhere |
| Medical costs | Japan is safe, but medical care here is not free for visitors — two guests in the last year needed a clinic mid-trip. Buy whatever you like, just buy something. Here is my pre-trip kit |
| Conduct | If behaviour becomes unsafe or abusive toward staff, other guests or me, I may end the tour. No refund in that case |
| Governing law | These terms are governed by Japanese law |
| Allergies & dietary needs | Tell me before the day if anyone has a food allergy or other dietary restriction. Removing an ingredient from a dish is often possible in a casual restaurant and often not in a specialist one, where the dish is the chef's fixed composition — at the small restaurant stop we ask politely and accept the answer together, as part of the lesson. Allergies are worth writing down in Japanese before your trip, in case I'm not right there to translate. Here is the full dining etiquette guide |
| Shipping purchases home | Bought more than you can carry? For a few boxes, carrying them is simpler, and it keeps them with you. For a large haul, shipping frees your luggage. Here is how to ship figures from Japan |
| Bring | Comfortable shoes, some cash, a phone that can take photos, and a small bag for your own rubbish — public bins are rare in Japan. Here is why Japan has no bins, and what to do |
| Cash or card? | Card covers most of a normal day in Tokyo, but Senso-ji's offering box is cash only — you can't tap a temple donation, so keep a few coins on you. Here is cash or card in Japan |
| Walking | A relaxed pace between four stops: the train platform, a convenience store, Senso-ji's grounds, and a small restaurant. The main courtyard is paved and flat, but Nakamise-dori (the shopping street leading to it) is narrow and often crowded, and a few of the smaller shrines on the grounds are steps-only. Tell me in advance about anything that affects how far or fast you can walk, and I'll build the pace around it |
| Toilet breaks | Public toilets in Japan are free and everywhere — stations, convenience stores, department stores and parks all have them, and nobody expects you to buy anything first. Here is how public toilets work in Japan |
| Weather | Rain doesn't cancel the lesson — the convenience store and the restaurant stop are both indoors, and Senso-ji's grounds stay walkable in a drizzle. If a typhoon or a warning makes it genuinely unsafe, I'll be in touch about rescheduling |
| Rain gear | Shoes that cope with wet pavement and a small folding umbrella. Shops often have umbrella bags or stands at the entrance |
| Photos | I usually take a few photos during the day and sometimes share them on Instagram. Tell me at any point if you'd rather not appear — that's completely fine and I won't ask why |
| Cancellation | Full refund if you cancel 24 hours or more before the start |
| If I cancel | If I have to cancel — illness, a typhoon, anything on my side — you get everything back, whenever it happens |
| Need a different date? | Message me instead of cancelling. If I'm free, moving your booking is fine and costs nothing |
| Something here doesn't fit your situation? | Just ask before you book — [email protected]. Most things are easier to solve in advance than on the day |
| Your data | Only the services needed to run your booking see it — Cal.com for the calendar, Stripe for payment, Google for Calendar and Analytics. I don't sell it or hand it to advertisers. Booking and payment records are kept seven years as Japanese tax law requires; analytics data expires after about 14 months. Full details: privacy policy |
Jet-lagged and awake at 5am anyway? That's the ideal student for a morning class.
START YOUR TRIP
KNOWING WHAT TO DO.
Three hours on the first morning, and the other thirteen days stop being a test.