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
- 8:50 Meet at Kamakura Station. Take the Enoden to Hase. Hasedera Temple. Great Buddha of Kamakura. After sightseeing, Japanese food near Hasedera for lunch. Take the Enoden to Kamakura Station. From Kamakura Station, take the bus and get off at Jomyoji. Hokokuji Temple. Take the bus and get off at Hachimangu. Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine. Stroll through Komachi-dori on the way to Kamakura Station.
What Is a Private Kamakura Day Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report
The guests were visitors from North America and had a strong familiarity with Japan through past connections. This was their first time visiting Japan in person. The guests were quite tall, and as you can see in the photos, the red lanterns at Hasedera Temple appeared small, though in front of the Great Buddha everything looked normal in scale. One of the guests keeps koi at home and showed me photos, remarking that the koi and the pond at Hasedera looked very similar to their own. They were also fond of cats and were looking for cat goods, so it was fortunate that we found some along Komachi Street. One of the guests bought a hat with a picture of the Great Buddha on it. Tomorrow they plan to watch baseball at Tokyo Dome. They said they remember well the heyday of famous players and sumo wrestlers of the past, and mentioned an interest in sumo as well.
Click here for more details: Kamakura Zen Temples & Gardens Tour with Licensed Guide
Transportation cost per person
| No. | Transportation | Route | Fare |
| Section 1 | Train | Kamakura～Hase | 200JPY |
| Section 2 | Train | Hase～Kamakura | 200JPY |
| Section 3 | Bus | Kamakura～Jomyoji | 220JPY |
| Section 4 | Bus | Jomyoji～Hachimangu | 220JPY |
| Total | 840JPY | ||
I am Hiroki Morikawa :Hiro:, English guide living with my wife ,just a hop skip and jump from Hakone, Kamakura, Tokyo and the Mt. Fuji.
I am a friendly grandfather of 4 grandchildren.
I would love to help you enjoy Japan, using my 3 strong points.
First: I am used to dealing with any kind of matters. I have experienced various situations in the 40 years of my working life.
Second: I am good at making a friendly atmosphere between you and local people to help you enjoy Japan. I was raised in western Japan, studied in northern Japan and now live in central Japan. So I know various local cultures and dialects to communicate with a wide variety of people.
Third: I can explain things from a technical point of view.
For example, how the Great Buddha was constructed, because I am a master of engineering graduated from Hokkaido University.
Please enjoy Japan with me. See you soon!!
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Jun 30, 2026
G2432BLtimothyc
Tripadvisor review: Hakone Full Day Tour with Guide and Vehicle
6 hour tour of Hakone
we had a great experience with…
Jun 30, 2026
G2432BLtimothyc
Tripadvisor review: Hakone Full Day Tour with Guide and Vehicle
6 hour tour of Hakone
we had a great experience with our guide, Hiro. Despite the weather not cooperating (rain),
Hiro was great about making adjustments so that we could see as much as Hakone as
possible.
Jun 25, 2026
T7734IPbrandons
Tripadvisor review: Hakone 6 hour Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
First time in hakone
Niro was perfect for us. He was…
Jun 25, 2026
T7734IPbrandons
Tripadvisor review: Hakone 6 hour Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
First time in hakone
Niro was perfect for us. He was flexible for our first time in Hakone and the kids enjoyed it
Jun 8, 2026
JasonB6980
Tripadvisor review: Hakone 6 hour Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Hiro-san knows Hakone!
Our guide, Hiro-san, did a wonderful job introducing…
Jun 8, 2026
JasonB6980
Tripadvisor review: Hakone 6 hour Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Hiro-san knows Hakone!
Our guide, Hiro-san, did a wonderful job introducing us to the area of Hakone – leading us on a great tour of several requested destinations. We were lucky to see Mt. Fuji at the top of the ropeway, had a fun ride on a pirate ship on Lake Ashi, enjoyed a fantastic lunch at a local restaurant, and picked up some great souvenirs at a puzzle-box store which have wowed our family and friends. One of the great things that Hiro did throughout the day was to educate and amuse us with numerous pictures, stories, and lessons from his backpack. It felt like Hiro-san was part of our family that day and we can’t imagine having tried to experience Hakone’s great sites without him.
Jun 7, 2026
Tourist31988989961
Tripadvisor review: Kamakura 8 hr Private Walking Tour with Licensed Guide from Tokyo
Great Day and Tour
Kamakura was amazing. Enjoyed…
Jun 7, 2026
Tourist31988989961
Tripadvisor review: Kamakura 8 hr Private Walking Tour with Licensed Guide from Tokyo
Great Day and Tour
Kamakura was amazing. Enjoyed visiting the beautiful gardens and shrines. Hiro was a great guide. Having him guide us made the day stress free and much more enjoyable. It was interesting learning about Japan and the culture. I would definitely recommend this tour and visiting Kamakura.