Preferring not to join a big tour group on my first visit to Tokyo, I instead discovered the joys of a themed walking tour with a Showcase Tokyo Architecture tour of Ginza. My guide Yuka is passionate and extremely knowledgeable about architecture as well as Japanese history - and took me to buildings and back alleys I would never have seen or appreciated without her expert guidance. I learnt so much the history of Ginza itself, and about the background and concepts behind some of the iconic architectural gems of the area - both old and new. The Swatch building, with its individual glass elevators taking clients to niche boutiques, the stunning Hermes building, the shimmering Louis Vuitton building, Ginza 6 complex. Yuka shared her deep knowledge of these buildings - how the light is refracted off the LV facade, for example; the “curtain” of 33,000 glass tiles produced in Milan for the Hermes building to make it earthquake proof! Yuka explained the history of Tokyo’s Kabuki theatre, the families of Kabuki actors, and we admired the new high rise tower that is constructed in perfect linear harmony behind it. We also went into narrow back alleys behind Ginza, complete their own tiny Buddhist temples. Yuka is great company, an outstanding guide, a great communicator. I highly recommend Showcase Architecture Tokyo’s Ginza walking tour.

On a solo visit to Tokyo and I did two different guided tours with Showcase Tokyo Architecture Tours. Both tours - one of the fashionable and sleek design of Omotesando/Harajuku area, and the other of historically fascinating and architecturally stunning Ginza - surpassed my expectations and were the absolute highlight of my week in Tokyo. I cannot give enough praise to my guides Eriko (for Omotesando) and Yuka (for Ginza) who were both delightful company. As guides, both were both excellent - extremely knowledgable, with an enthusiasm for architecture and sharing insights into their city. They provided tours that were a great blend of architecture, history, sightseeing, food, art and (my choice) even a little shopping! Some highlights of the Omotesando tour were the Olympic stadium (1964), the beautiful Dior, Prada stores, Cat St, Gyre complex (where we ate lunch) and down a narrow building pathway, Hiroshi Sugimoto's stunning sculpture. These place were a revelation and seeing them with the benefit of Eriko's background knowledge made it all the more special. I could have spent every day doing Showcase Architecture tours with Yuka and Eriko - both are so knowledgeable and the tours were both such a revelation and so enjoyable. I highly recommend SHOWCASE TOKYO ARCHITECTURE TOURS to anyone visiting the city.

Delightful and informative tour with Mari. We are not trained in architecture but thought this would be an interesting way to experience Ginza. We were so right! Mari gave us an insightful introduction and explanation of what we were seeing, took us inside some great locations that we would likely have walked past, and indulged our particular interest in visiting the Yamaha flagship store where we had a rest at the cafe and got to explore a bit. I’m sure that Mari had much more substance to share than we were prepared to digest, but she graciously tolerated our novice level of knowledge and provided the interesting, insightful, and informative tour we were hoping for.

What an incredible experience! Our tour guide Yuka went above and beyond, she was one of the best tour guides we've ever had. We learned so much about the history and architecture of Ginza. We saw so many hidden gems that we would never have found on our own. The 3.5 hours went by so quickly, we were so sad for it to end. a

Our guide Yuki was fantastic - knowledgeable, thorough, and flexible to adapt to our interests. The tour was a great combination of old and new Tokyo - and a nice mix of art, architecture, history, and culture.

A very wholesome and thoroughly enjoyable afternoon - the pace was perfect, Taka-san was very knowledgeable and picked some great places to show us which we would have missed altogether without his expert knowledge. We also requested to visit a different place and he tailored the tour for us on the day, unfazed. He really brought the architecture and artistry of the buildings in Ginza to life for us - thank you Taka-san.

Our family’s tour guide was very knowledgeable and delightful, and brought to life the stories behind many of the beautiful facades, interesting buildings, lovely art installations that abound in Ginza. My family thoroughly enjoyed their time with her during this expansive tour of Ginza. Thoroughly recommend this tour for those more interested in exploring this neighborhood beyond just the shopping (which is also amazing, but thats a different tour.)

I had a wonderful tour. I appreciated the planning that Eriko helped with prior to my arrival, as I had a long list of architecture I wanted to see in one day. My guide Aki was knowledgable and we had a great time together. I would highly recommend Showcase Tokyo Architecture Tours.

Amazing walking tour around Ginza with the very informative Yoshiyuki who provided a wonderful insight and gave me a better appreciation of the architecture in the area. Would highly recommend.

My husband and I took a Ginza walking tour Monday morning with our exceptional guide Yuka. Yuka's knowledge about Japanese architecture, history, and design was very thorough. She also provided additional insight into Japanese culture. If was great seeing the old and new architectural gems as well as cool tucked away shrines. For anyone interested in architecture, be sure to include a tour with Yuka in your travel plans, it was a very rewarding experience.

My guide Yuki Deleon was a delightful tour guide of the contemporary architecture of the Ginza area. She was knowledgeable, the tour of the Kabuki theatre was especially interesting. At three hours and 12 kilometres it is a wonderful way to see another side of Japanese contemporary architecture. I would highly recommend this tour.

Yuka is a very experienced and knowledgeable tour guide. We went to the Reversable Destiny Loft and Yuka interpreted and translated for us. She speaks excellent English and the tour was well worth the trip here. Highly recommend.

Mari was a fantastic guide. She asked about my interests beforehand and took me to some great spots that would be hard to find on my own. I really enjoyed spending the morning with her and learning more about Japanese architecture and culture. I highly recommend.

This tour was a wonderful was to orient us to the modern architecture and development of Ginza. Don’t be turned off by the high end retail nature of many of the buildings - they were designed by some of Japan’s finest contemporary architects and are visually stunning. Our tour guide Mari was wonderful - knowledgeable, friendly and able to tailor the tour to our interests. I highly recommend Showcase Tokyo!

Yoshi gave us a very interesting and enjoyable architecture, walking tour in the Omotesando area. Yoshi is enthusiastic and informed about the innovative contributions of Japanese architecture. He took us to special viewing spots: the time flew. As first time visitors to Tokyo, we appreciated his generous help in understanding the local transport system. Thank you!