Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day — Guide Kazu

Title: What's a Private Kyoto Day Tour of Quiet Temples and Gardens Like? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests were visiting Japan and Kyoto for the first time. They were both full of humor, laughing and chatting a great deal, which made spending time together truly enjoyable. We had a wonderful time talking about the Beatles — humming "Let It Be" and discussing Abbey Road and Penny Lane at length. Originally the plan had been to visit Gion and Kiyomizu-dera, but after talking more, it turned out that the list of places I had assumed were the guests' own requests had actually been chosen by a travel agency, and they did not really know what those spots were like, having left it entirely up to the agency. They said what they truly wanted was to see quiet, tranquil temples, gardens, and beautiful scenery, so I suggested changing the itinerary. I guided them to temples and shrines with wonderful gardens and dry landscape (karesansui) gardens where there were as few people as possible, adding the Philosopher's Path as well. When I explained the concept of wabi-sabi while looking at a karesansui garden at a Zen temple, they listened very earnestly, but then they said something I had never quite thought of before — "wabi-sabi sounds a bit like wasabi, I'll remember it through wasabi" — which made me laugh in turn. For lunch they tried okonomiyaki for the first time, and while waiting for it to cook, I taught them the little battle over the bonito flakes flying off on the hot iron plate and the small pieces of cabbage — "that one's mine, no it's mine!" The time passed pleasantly in this way throughout, and before long it was time to say goodbye.

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Tour Report by Kazu

Hello, this is Kazu Akiyama, your tour guide. Nice to meet you and welcome to Japan. Thank you for joining me on the tour. Now I am a retired salaried worker, living in Osaka. I have been very much interested in not only learning Japanese history, culture, religion myself, but also talking about them (sometimes going off topics) in English with tourists from all over the world as well. I am so excited being with you as your guide on coming day! I am very much looking forward to you enjoying with me visiting the must-see places and some of the hidden gems. See you soon. Thank you – Kazu Akiyama