Tour guide in Tokyo Yoko T.

Hi, I am Yoko. I've been with ToursByLocals since June 2018. I had a few years off from guiding during and a little while after Covid-19 until December 2023. So, about one and a half years, I garnered 59 five star reviews (hurray!) on ToursByLocals which I highly appreciate to all of my customers for that! And in January 2024, I am finally back to the marketplace which I missed so much! Before the pandemic battered the travel industry globally, I had many customers from around the world from ToursByLocals. I was lucky enough to have had wonderful customers and each tour was memorable and enjoyable. The Rugby World Cup 2019 held in Japan was phenomenal. I did tours almost every day and all of my customers shared their excitements with me. Let me talk about what you can expect from my tours. Art, design, craftwork, architecture, fashion, tea ceremony. . . if these keywords ring bell, I may be the right one. As a former art college student in London, England, I am still pretty keen on the arts. Architecture in particular, is one of my expertise that I've guided pretty often even during my hiatus period. Tokyo can offer some architectural gems, and it's heading to a more environmentally friendly direction such as increasing number of wooden high-rise buildings being planned. About anime or manga, though I respect sub-culture, I'm sorry I'm not the best guide, if these are your interests. Having been a tea ceremony practitioner for 15 years, it is also my passion. It is a quintessential Japanese culture that crystallizes all the art forms of our unique culture: tea, flower arrangement, painting, calligraphy, architecture, incense ceremony, traditional artisanal works. . . It can be felt with five senses; thus, I find the common aspects with architecture that also stimulate the five senses. Tea whisks, kimono, among other craftwork are important components of the tea ceremony; however, just like many traditional things, they're on the verge of extinction. But in recent years, works by craftspeople are catching attention worldwide and even Western luxury brands started to pay special attention to Italian or Japanese craftwork. As a guide, discovering and introducing these hidden Japanese treasures to my customers is one of my aspirations and missions to save our tradition. I am a pretty traditional-oriented person, but at the same time, my mindset is pretty business-oriented. This is because I've been in global businesses for long. Therefore, I welcome business travellers with whom I enjoy exchanging views about the world! Licensed tour guide-interpreter I'm not a driver but I can accompany you in your vehicle.