Kyoto in One Day: Fushimi Inari Taisha & Nijo Castle — Guide Satoko

What Is a Private One-Day Kyoto Tour Like from Fushimi Inari? A Licensed Guide's Report

Originally, the plan was to pick up the guests at the Hotel in Kyoto at 10:00, but since starting earlier helps avoid crowds and the guests wished to use travel time for guiding as well, we arranged two days in advance to meet in front of the large torii gate at Fushimi Inari Taisha, the first planned destination.

The guests had a deep interest in Japanese culture, having spent time in Japan before, and they listened attentively to my explanations. There were many questions about Japanese history and the current situation in Japan. The guests were polite and engaged, occasionally asking about Japanese history as well, and now and then checking a smartphone in a modern, natural way, but always courteous.

At Fushimi Inari Taisha, the guests were able to experience the chinowa-kuguri (passing through a ring of reeds), and a kagura dedication was also being performed, which they watched intently. When we reached the midpoint of the Senbon Torii and I asked whether they wished to continue walking, they said they would like to walk for about five more minutes, so I guided them to the Nenagari-no-Matsu (the "upturned root" pine).

After Fushimi Inari Taisha, I had originally suggested Kiyomizu-dera, but since a cycling tour they had arranged in advance had been cancelled, the guests requested visits to Nijo Castle and the Kyoto Imperial Palace instead. Since one of the guests had attended Amherst College, the same college where Joseph Hardy Neesima, the founder of Doshisha University located across from the palace, had once studied, I felt the Kyoto Imperial Palace was an absolute must-see. So rather than Kiyomizu-dera, I proposed Sanjusangendo, which has a smaller area to cover. As Sanjusangendo does not have a garden to view, it was completed rather more quickly than I had expected.

Since the guests had not eaten breakfast, we had lunch at a ramen shop near Imadegawa Station before entering the Kyoto Imperial Palace. They ordered karaage and rice and seemed very pleased.

At the Kyoto Imperial Palace and Nijo Castle, the guests were moved by the beauty of the art objects and furnishings. When I explained that Nijo Castle had once come into the possession of the Imperial family, which is why the chrysanthemum crest can be seen in various places, they showed great interest. The photo was taken in the garden of the Kyoto Imperial Palace.

After we finished viewing the garden at Nijo Castle, the tour time had just come to an end, so we said our goodbyes in front of Nijo Castle.

Click here for more details: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide

Tour Report by Satoko

I am a 53-year-old woman, living in Kyoto for nearly 40 years. I got the license in 2001. Since then, I worked as an interpreter or a translator in several companies, secretary at universities, and now work for a company on weekdays at the international dept.I do guiding job only weekend now. I started full swing guiding career after COVID-19 pandemic. I have gotten good review from many of my guests. I love my hometown, Kyoto which has a lot of interesting and historical sites to see. Particularly, I am native to Arashiyama which is famous for bamboo forest. So, I know a lot of places where you can relax yourself around this area. Other than that, Kyoto has many attractive sites which surely interest you.Also, I like meeting many people from different cultural background. I am very happy if I learn about your culture as well. Let’s enjoy exploring around Kyoto!