Nara Day Trip from Kyoto by Private Car — Guide Nori

**Title:** Can You Do a Private Day Trip from Kyoto to Nara by Car? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests were a group visiting Japan from Oceania on a sightseeing trip. Prior communication and arrangements were handled through one of the guests. It was their first visit to Japan, but they had a strong interest in Japanese history, culture, and religion. This private full-day tour with [Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.)](https://www.j-g-a.org/) lasted eight hours, of which two hours were spent traveling between Kyoto and Nara, leaving roughly six hours of actual sightseeing time. Since it was the guests' first visit to Japan, the itinerary covered the essential course of Kofuku-ji Temple, Todai-ji Temple, and Kasuga Taisha Shrine, and, taking advantage of the private vehicle, also included Yakushi-ji Temple and Toshodai-ji Temple, which are rarely visited on walking tours.

On the day of the tour, the weather was excellent — mostly cloudy but with occasional sunshine and not too cold — making for a very comfortable experience. On the way to Nara, after self-introductions in the car, I explained Japanese religion, culture, and history, including topics related to Nara, and answered many questions. Upon arriving in Nara, the autumn foliage was still showing vivid colors in many places, which delighted the guests, who took many photographs. At Kofuku-ji Temple, we viewed numerous Buddhist statues conveying the spirit of ancient Nara; at Todai-ji Temple, the guests were amazed by the majesty of the Great Buddha; at Kasuga Taisha Shrine, they encountered the distinctive view of nature found in Shinto; and in Nara Park, they enjoyed interacting with the deer. One of the guests was a great animal lover and enthusiastically took photos of the deer. Yakushi-ji Temple and Toshodai-ji Temple, located slightly away from central Nara, had relatively few visitors, so we were able to explore them calmly and at a leisurely pace.

The plan had originally included a final rest of about 30 minutes over tea, but at the guests' request we set off on the return journey to Kyoto about 30 minutes earlier than scheduled. We arrived in Kyoto at exactly 4:30. We parted ways with a sense of fond farewell.

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Tour Report by Nori

Hi, everyone! I’m Norifumi Kamon, a government registered guide interpreter. Please call me “Nori”, or “Kamon-san”.
Let me introdece myself. I was born on April 17th in 1952 in Miyazaki prefecture in Kyushu island. I used to be an English teacher of Osaka Prefectural high school. When I retired from a teacher ten years ago, I decided to get a professional guide license. I wanted to play a role of the bridge between Japanese people and the people from all over the world as a second life of mine. After two years efforts, I finally got the guide license. Since then, I have guided several handreds of foreign people mainly in Kyoto and Nara for about five years except Corona Pandemic period. Almost all the tourists were deeply impressed by the beauty of nature, traditoin, culture, and art of Japan. I can surely help you enjoy and be satisfied with the sightseeing in Japan. And I’m looking forward to seeing you soon.