Kyoto in 1 Day from Osaka: Private Car Tour — Guide Kazu

Title: What's a Private Kyoto Tour Like for Cruise Guests? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests were a group visiting Japan for the first time from North America as part of a cruise trip. Originally the itinerary was to include the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove and Nijo Castle as well, but starting the previous day one member of the accompanying group became unwell and was taken to a hospital, so only part of the group joined the tour. Throughout the tour we stayed in constant contact with the others. One of the guests had trouble with their back and carried a portable wheelchair during the tour. Perhaps because they were used to it, one of the guests did not seem overly concerned and often walked ahead, and appeared to wish for another member of the group to help look after the one with back trouble. It was raining at the meeting time, so I wondered how things would go, but fortunately it did not rain during the sightseeing itself; instead heavy rain often fell while we were traveling between places. The member of the group who had fallen ill seemed to be in fairly serious condition and reportedly ended up being hospitalized for two weeks. Having a guest hospitalized during a trip was a first for me as a guide. It made me realize that, aside from other factors, managing one's health is essential for travel. The photo was taken at a sushi restaurant near Kinkaku-ji.

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Tour Report by KAZU

I was born and grew up in Kyoto and now live near Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto. I used to be a schoolteacher of English and welcome a lot of students from foreign countries. I really enjoyed showing them around Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, Himeji, and Hiroshima. I have been a professional tour guide for about 8 years. I always try to let my guests learn Japanese traditional and modern culture. Since I was born in Kyoto, I know a lot about its culture and people. I myself enjoyed several sports, such as soccer, judo, and marathon when I was young. I’m much interested in baseball and sumo. My motto as a tour guide is to let my guests learn about our tradition and culture precisely and really enjoy themselves. I strongly hope you will enjoy the tour in Japan with me.