Kyoto: Sightseeing ①: Nijo Castle — Guide Nori

Title: What Is a Private 6-Hour Kyoto Tour with a Chartered Car Like? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests this time were a group visiting Japan from North America. Prior communication and itinerary planning were handled between one of the guests and myself. The guests had arrived in Tokyo three days earlier, and on the day of the tour they traveled from Tokyo to Kyoto by bullet train, meeting me at noon for a planned 6-hour course lasting until 6:00 in the evening. The itinerary included a chartered private car and was: "Kyoto Station ⇒ Nijo Castle ⇒ Kyoto Imperial Palace ⇒ Arashiyama ⇒ Fushimi Inari Taisha ⇒ Kyoto Station."

On the day, after consulting with the driver, we were on standby at Kyoto Station 30 minutes early. I waited at the meeting point I had confirmed with the guests (a fast-food restaurant near the Hachijo Exit of Kyoto Station) while staying in contact with them. During this time, I was told that "the bullet train was significantly delayed," and in the end I was able to meet the guests at around 12:20. We exchanged greetings right away, boarded the chartered private car waiting in the parking area, and set off. In the car, the guests enjoyed their takeout hamburgers while listening to my explanation of the overall itinerary so they could get a clear picture of the day.

As the tour progressed, it became clear that the level of interest in each destination varied among the group, and at some places some of the guests engaged in semi-independent activity. Some of the guests were keen on photography and focused more on taking pictures than on listening to explanations, while others prioritized shopping over sightseeing, which made things a little challenging as a guide at times. Even so, one of the guests always followed the guide's lead faithfully and listened carefully to the explanations. Despite these varied interests, the guests seemed genuinely curious and were enjoying themselves wherever we went.

Although the plan was originally to end at Kyoto Station, at the guests' request I saw them off at their accommodation, a Hotel in Kyoto, and the tour concluded exactly at 6:00 in the evening as scheduled.

Click here for more details: Kyoto Customized Private Tour by Car with Licensed Guide

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.