I am an experienced tour guide mainly for FIT tours.
I have also guided several tours on this website.
Aizu, Sendai, and Matsushima are very popular sightseeing spots for foreign travelers.
They have different charms from other areas, such as Tokyo, Kyoto.
I hope to help you enjoy the scenic beauty away from the hustle and bustle of the city, historical sights, unique samurai culture, local delicacies and wonderful traditional art craft.
I will customize the best plan for you according to your requests and make your trip a special and memorable one.
This is a private guided tour report by Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.), a network of 1,000+ government-licensed, English-speaking local guides across all 47 prefectures of Japan. Not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association.
Tour Itinerary
- 10:00 Meet at Sendai Station
- 11:00 Visit Zuiganji Temple
- 12:30 Lunch at Senshintei
- 13:30 Visit Godaido
- 14:15 Shopping
- 14:45 Visit Kanrantei
- 15:15 Visit Oshima Island
- 17:00 Tour ends at Sendai Station
Tour Itinerary in Detail
This private tour of Miyagi began at 10:00, when the guide met the guests at Sendai Station, and finished at 17:00. The day ran to 7 hours from start to finish. It included lunch at Senshintei at 12:30.
From there the group visited Zuiganji Temple at 11:00, Godaido at 13:30, Shopping at 14:15, Kanrantei at 14:45 and Oshima Island at 15:15.
The guests were visiting Japan for the first time, and to avoid the intense heat and crowds of the Kansai region, they came to Matsushima, a famous scenic spot in the Tohoku region. On the train, I made a point of talking about various other tourist destinations as well. At Zuiganji Temple, I explained about Matsushima as a whole, including the situation after the Great East Japan Earthquake, and when I explained the history and architecture of Zuiganji, especially the details of each room inside, the guests listened with great interest while asking questions. For lunch, I had planned for them to enjoy eel, but unfortunately it was not being served that day, so they tried beef tongue instead. They did not seem to care for it very much, which I felt sorry about, though they kindly said that this too was part of the experience of traveling. At Godaido, they enjoyed the architecture, the ocean views, and drawing omikuji fortunes. At Kanrantei as well, they relaxed while cooling off in the sea breeze that shielded them from the heat and taking in the scenery. At Oshima, they were moved by the mysterious atmosphere of the site as a sacred place, and told me that this was the best spot in Matsushima.
They were very kind, considerate, and wonderful guests, and I am truly grateful.
Click here for more details: Sendai & Matsushima Customized Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
I am an experienced tour guide mainly for FIT tours.
I have also guided several tours on this website.
Aizu, Sendai, and Matsushima are very popular sightseeing spots for foreign travelers.
They have different charms from other areas, such as Tokyo, Kyoto.
I hope to help you enjoy the scenic beauty away from the hustle and bustle of the city, historical sights, unique samurai culture, local delicacies and wonderful traditional art craft.
I will customize the best plan for you according to your requests and make your trip a special and memorable one.
May 31, 2026
M8743JTgaryl
Tripadvisor review: Aizu 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Great value and flexibility
We had a great tour with Nobuko of…
May 31, 2026
M8743JTgaryl
Tripadvisor review: Aizu 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Great value and flexibility
We had a great tour with Nobuko of Aizuwakamatsu. We learned how sake was made and tasted some great samples, ate some local specialties for lunch, and visited cultural and historical landmarks. Nobuko took our experience to the next level by suggesting options that we would have missed as we are English-only. She even recommended a dinner location for after our tour, so it felt like we had her guidance for the entire day! I’d easily recommend this tour to anyone looking for a great day in Aizu.
Apr 22, 2026
LuizFilipe_M
Great day great guide
Viator review: Ouchijuku 6hr Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide
We had a lovely day with our…
Apr 22, 2026
LuizFilipe_M
Great day great guide
Viator review: Ouchijuku 6hr Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide
We had a lovely day with our guide Nobuko. She shared lots of interesting stories about the life in old Japan and explained everything to us. She also had many trivia to keep us engaged and answered all our questions.
We went to Ouchi-juku first and had lunch there (the local buckwheat noodles). Because we chose to do it all by taxi instead of public transportation we had some extra time so we visited Tsuruga Castle and the Samurai House in Aizuwakamatsu. Finally she left us at Sazaedo Temple.
Oct 29, 2025
K
KC357
Great history and culture
Viator review: Aizu 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Wonderful way to explore the history of…
Oct 29, 2025
K
KC357
Great history and culture
Viator review: Aizu 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Wonderful way to explore the history of Aizu-Wakamatsu! Our guide No uso was so helpful. She communicated with us weeks before our trout to make sure we had the itinerary best suited for us. We learned so much about the history of the area and so many fascinating stories.
Sep 7, 2024
Sergio_O
My Amazing trip
Viator review: Aizu Full-Day Private Trip with Government-Licensed Guide
The cemetery of samurais was the best experience to…
Sep 7, 2024
Sergio_O
My Amazing trip
Viator review: Aizu Full-Day Private Trip with Government-Licensed Guide
The cemetery of samurais was the best experience to see how can people follow the honor, the samurais house was interesting, the design for castle showing how can make a secure defense and the hexagonal temple is the best design that I never saw before.
The guide is very polite and explained everything about the history for each location with perfect English language