Meet Your Guide to Japan
Hi, I’m Marky and I want you to love Japan as much as I do.
Tōkyō comprises hundreds of unique neighborhoods, each with their own character and history. I’ve spent nearly 20 years walking these streets and learning their stories. This city speaks to me like few places in the world do.
As soon as I got off the plane in 2002, I was fascinated by the capital. In particular, I loved how a handful of tiny fishing villages transformed into the center of Japan’s greatest samurai government. Yet even now, memories of pre-war highs and post-war lows linger around every corner. Edo-Tōkyō is a lot to wrap your head around.
All of this is yours, if you know where to look and what you’re looking at.
Explore Japan With Passion
I remember picking up my luggage for the first time in Japan and heading to the subway wondering “what’s this adventure going look like?” I was lucky because I had Japanese friends who could show me around, deal with the language barrier, and guide me through menus and this sprawling metropolis. It’s my friends who inspired me give tours. I want you to have that same experience that I was lucky to have. Relax, you have a cool friend in Japan.
Five years ago, I started giving tours as a passion project to share my love of Japan with others. If you’re going to make the effort to come all the way here (and I know it’s an effort!), then I want to be the one who shows you around. Simply put, I want you to love it here as much as I do. On top of that, I want you to come away with great photos, great memories, and hopefully a desire to come back.
You can read about my tours in this 2018 Associated Press review, and here is a 2013 interview with Metropolis Magazine. In addition to writing about Japanese culture, traditional art, and niche tourism for both print and online media, I’ve consulted or appeared in a number of cultural and historical documentaries produced for North America, Europe, and Australia. I’ve also been a recurring guest on the Samurai Archives Podcast.
Go Deeper
I have Day Tours[i], Day Trips[ii], and Excursions[iii] focused in and around Tōkyō – all specialized for inquisitive travelers who come with curiosity and questions. If you really want to take things to the next level, I’d love to customize a special day for you or even design a cross-country private group tour. I’ve only been to 35 of 47 prefectures, so I’m up for challenges.
Get to Know Japan This
- Follow my latest photos on Instagram
- Here are my latest musings on Twitter
- And, see where it all began – my original website, JapanThis!
Still the number one online resource in English for my geeky takes on Japanese history and the etymology of Edo-Tōkyō place names. - Or, after browsing my tours, feel free to make an inquiry
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My Latest on instagram
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[i] A Day Tour is a one-day tour within the 23 Special Wards of Tōkyō; includes hotel pick up and drop off.
[ii] A Day Trip is a one-day tour outside the 23 Special Wards of Tōkyō; you can add hotel pick up and drop off, if you like.
[iii] An Excursion is any tour that stays overnight.