From Australia to Tokyo: Sai’s path to personal tours

Japanese international business student Sai Endo is changing the face of tourism with warm welcomes and big smiles — exactly what he received on his exchange to Australia. (image: supplied).

By Jasmyn Evans | @jasmyn.evans

As the morning crowds trickle through Tokyo’s Shibuya district, 23-year-old Sai Endo strolls alongside his guests, weaving through side streets with the calm ease of a local. He snaps photos of unforgettable moments while pointing out Shibuya’s historic sights with an unmissable warmth in his voice.

Chatting and laughing with the tourists like they’re best mates, you’d have no idea Sai is conducting a private tour through Tokyo — not catching up with an old friend. That’s his goal, after all.

“I try to make the experience very personal and memorable — more like exploring with a local friend than just a guide,” Sai says.

With his business thriving, Sai can’t help but credit his success to a high school exchange program five years prior, where he had the opportunity to study abroad in a small coastal town in Australia.

Sai’s journey to becoming an independent private tour guide didn’t start with a clear business plan — just an entrepreneurial spirit and a string of life-changing experiences.

“Ever since high school, I’ve wanted to start my own business. I tried some different things, but I couldn’t keep it up because I couldn’t find the fun in it,” Sai explains, laughing over his previous ventures in the craft of acai bowls.

In his second year of high school, Sai studied abroad in Victor Harbor, and this is when things took a turn.

“I still remember how warmly I was welcomed by people in Australia, even though I couldn’t speak English at all,” Sai says.

“It made me want to do something like that: that could help people, especially foreigners visiting Japan.”

Now in his final year of studying international business at university, Sai is bringing the warmth he experienced in Australia to Japan by conducting personal tours, but it wasn’t an easy start. With little foundation to begin his business, Sai began by approaching people in the heart of Tokyo and offering them free tours.

“When I started the business, you know, I had no experiences. I went to Shibuya, which is kind of central area of Tokyo, and I talked to, like, foreign people, and I said, ‘I can guide you fully for free,’ and I get experiences from that, and I take some photo and video and I post it on the Instagram,” Sai explains.

Sai with some of his clients. (image: supplied)

This helped build Sai’s experience as a private tour guide and allowed him to begin an Instagram page, which remains his only form of contact and promotion for the business. His page has gained traction in recent months, with one reel sitting at 23.1k likes and over 3,000 shares.

Despite the success, Sai outlines this as one of his biggest obstacles: “I think my biggest challenge is kind of promotion, since I only use Instagram to get my clients, so I think I need to start using other platforms as well.”

As the half-year mark approaches for Sai’s business, it continues to thrive with Japan becoming a more popular holiday destination.

“It’s been about six months since I started, and surprisingly, things are going well,” Sai says modestly.

“I’ve been able to host travellers from 11 different countries so far.”

Sai offers two types of tours: a pre-planned itinerary and a fully customisable experience shaped around a traveller’s interests. His collection of pre-planned tours consists of guiding guests through historical areas and explaining their significance, visiting temples and shrines, and trying some street food.

“My tour is more like, um, how do you say… casual,” he adds.

“Like, I guide them more casually, like a friend.”

Sai with some of his clients at the famous Shibuya Scramble Crossing in Tokyo. (image: supplied).

Sai’s friendly approach, paired with his warm and social nature, is what many of his clients remember most. One previous client from Greece, Thanos Houtos, said his favourite part of the tour was Sai himself.

“My favourite part was Sai’s personality. He was incredibly friendly and made the whole experience feel personal and relaxed,” Thanos says.

“It was the highlight of my trip.”

Creating these kinds of connections with his guests is an element of the business Sai finds especially meaningful.

“Once when a guest asked me to hang out, like a friend, after the tour … that was very happy,” Sai recalls with a smile.

As university graduation looms, Sai admits he’s still figuring out what the future will look like for his personal tours business and if it’s something he wants to pursue full time.

“Actually, I’m not sure yet,” Sai says thoughtfully.

“But, you know, I want to have my own business in the future, or, like, a bigger business, so I’m not sure if I want to continue this tour guide business as a full-time [job].”

For now, Sai is kept busy with his studies and his two other part-time jobs on top of running his personal tours.

“I would say I’m very busy, yeah,” Sai laughs, “but I’m very enjoying the jobs, so that’s why I can manage, I can handle it.”

Despite the uncertainty of what’s ahead, one thing Sai is sure of is the impact studying abroad had on shaping his mindset, and ultimately, his business. He reflects on his time in Australia being “life-changing” and eye-opening to how much he could achieve in his life.

“It made me much more open-minded and gave me the motivation to learn English,” Sai says.

“It helped me realise how big the world is, and it, like, really expanded my view of what’s kind of possible for my future, for my life.

“I just fell in love with Australia. I really want to go back, hopefully after graduation.”

Sai hopes his journey can inspire other young people to seek similar opportunities and foster the connection between Japan and the world.

“I hope young Japanese people will start same things like me, and I believe this can help strengthen the connection with Japan and the rest of the world.”

As the morning crowds of Shibuya continue to bustle around him, Sai remains focused on building connections with a smile and creating unforgettable experiences for his guests. His approach emulates the warm welcome and fond memories he made during his time in Australia.

Sai’s experience shapes the way he views his role as a private tour guide and the overall goal he has for each client.

“I want tourists to leave Japan with amazing memories,” Sai says warmly.

“Something that stays with them for life.”