About Ken Tanaka - Licensed English Guide
Specialist in half day tours of Tokyo - a pro tour guide since 2015
Hi everyone, my name is Kentaro ("Ken") Tanaka and I am a nationally certified English tour guide based in central Tokyo. Aside from a few years of my childhood spent in the United States (State of Oregon), I have lived in the Greater Tokyo area. After graduating from Waseda University, I started out my career in the logistics industry. I entered the tourism field back in 2014 and made my debut as a tour guide the following year.
Earlier in my tour guiding career, I lead some group tours of around 20 people, but since then I have done mostly private tours for small groups of around 1-4 people. It seems this style of guiding is where I excel in the most. Prior to the pandemic, I also worked as an interpreter/MC on a program featuring former sumo wrestlers to introduce the sport to international visitors and saw it grow to one of the most popular activities in the city.
My current focus is on half day tours of Tokyo targeting independent-minded travelers who are looking for a good orientation of the city before attempting to explore this city on their own.
The tours are based on walking and use of the public transport. The trains and subways are sort of an attraction itself and you are simply missing out on too much moving around in a hired vehicle or being transported on a big tour bus.
The pandemic proved to be a challenging time for everyone in the tourism industry, and I decided to diversify my sources of income by seeking jobs in fields outside of tourism. I am no longer tour guiding on a full time basis but I've continued to set aside time for a few tours per week. Fortunately I have some flexibility in my other job, so hopefully my scheduling will work with your plans!
For communication about a potential tour, please send a message through the contact form.
I maintain this site with various topics regarding sightseeing in Tokyo, and especially content related to my interests- baseball, sumo and architecture. I hope some of the information will be helpful for your planning. While I try to keep the information as fresh as possible, always make sure to verify it with an official source.
Just like you, I also love international travel. I have been to over 40 countries, mainly in Asia and Europe. I would be delighted to connect with people from all over the world so that it will inspire my future travel plans!
Kentaro Tanaka 田中 健太郎
You can read reviews from clients who have used my services.
ToursByLocals : https://www.toursbylocals.com/tour-guides/japan/tokyo/guide-profile/ken-t-664d21c896689af34332d402