Mie in Half a Day: Naiku guided tour — Guide Henry
September, 2025
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
- 07:30 Meet in front of the Ise Jingu Geku Omotesando entrance
- 07:30-09:00 Geku guided tour (including guidance for the Higoto Asayu Omike-sai ritual and the sacred horse viewing)
- 09:00-10:00 Visit the Sengukan Museum in front of Geku (guest pays the Sengukan admission fee)
- 10:00-10:15 Travel from Geku to Naiku (guest pays the taxi fare)
- 10:15-11:30 Naiku guided tour
What Is a Private Guided Tour of Ise Jingu Shrine Like? A Licensed Guide's Report
Although this was not the guests' first visit to Ise Jingu Shrine, they wished to learn about it in greater depth, so I guided them to the highlights while keeping an eye on the time, and I also provided information not found in guidebooks, which I believe left them satisfied. I took them to places that ordinary visitors do not go, allowing them to fully appreciate the profound depth of the shrine. On the day of the tour (the 21st), it happened to be the day when the sacred horses are presented at the shrine, making it a rare opportunity for the guests to see this. As for the daily food offering ceremony, although it is a ritual held every day at the Outer Shrine, it is not known to ordinary travelers, so I moved the tour start time up from the original 08:00 to 07:30 so that the guests could view it. I believe this made for a tour that could only be experienced with a guide and cannot be seen on a standard tour. At the Outer Shrine, I also guided the guests to the "Sengukan" museum located right near the main approach, and since it is an extremely useful facility for understanding the shrine well (the guests gave such a comment), I think it would be beneficial to add it to future tour routes. It has valuable exhibits such as a life-size model of the main sanctuary and the front doors of the main sanctuary, as well as panel explanations, video materials, and explanations by staff, allowing visitors to efficiently deepen their understanding of the shrine in about 30 minutes.
Click here for more details: Ise Jingu Shrine Half-Day Customized Tour, Licensed Guide
Hi, I am your guide Henry. Henry Kurata
I have experience of visiting more than 40 different countries in the world and stayed in USA and UK more than total of 10 years as for expats of Automotive components manufacturer. Since I have decent knowledge about Japanese culture and history. I am pretty much for sure I can be your assistant wherever you go, whatever your interest is. I would help you to have unforgettable experience either in popular place or off the beaten track throughout in Japan.
If you care about flowering cherry in Japan, I am right person you can trust since I am an enthusiast on researching and watching many different species throughout in Japan. I hope I can meet you in Japan in near future.
Your wish for wonder is my command.
Thank you very much!
Jun 23, 2026
Andrew_M
Viator review: Ise Jingu(Ise Grand Shrine) Half-Day Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Henry is a wonderful guide
We had a fantastic…
Jun 23, 2026
Andrew_M
Viator review: Ise Jingu(Ise Grand Shrine) Half-Day Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Henry is a wonderful guide
We had a fantastic half-day tour of the Ise shrines with Henry. He was very nice and knew everything about the sites. He pointed out different things that we would not have found or known about without him. He also found us an excellent place for lunch and another place for a shaved ice snack. He was patient with our kids and made sure the trip matched their moods and capabilities. He even saw us off on the train and called our hotel to check about shuttle service after. He also helped with baggage forwarding. I would certainly recommend Henry for anyone interested in touring the area. Thank you Henry!
May 6, 2026
albypoo
Tripadvisor review: Ise Jingu(Ise Grand Shrine) Half-Day Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Unforgettable day at Ise Jingu with Henry
We were…
May 6, 2026
albypoo
Tripadvisor review: Ise Jingu(Ise Grand Shrine) Half-Day Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Unforgettable day at Ise Jingu with Henry
We were so thrilled to have spent the day in Ise Jingu with Henry-san. From Geku all the way through Naiku, Henry’s knowledge of the history and cultural significance was genuinely impressive, and his observations and commentary elevated the experience far beyond any guidebook or self-guided visit. We really appreciated Henry’s deep understanding of the sites, both from a traditional and modern perspective. He made everything fun and easygoing.
Henry also kindly brought us to a great lunch spot nearby, which was no small thing during Golden Week when everything was packed. He handled it all with ease.
Thank you Henry-san, this was a highlight of our entire trip. Highly recommend!
May 6, 2026
s0ranet
Tripadvisor review: Ise Jingu(Ise Grand Shrine) Half-Day Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
充実したツアーでありがとうございました！
GW期間中で他のツアーがすべて満席だったため、こちらからプライベートガイドを申し込みました。予約サイトから英語のメールが届き、ガイドの倉田さんと直接やり取りをして進める流れでした。
プライベートツアーを利用するのは初めてだったのですが、ガイドの倉田さんが本当に「神対応」でした！GWの混雑などで私たちが2時間も遅刻してしまったのですが、スケジュールを柔軟に調整してくださり、とても親切に迎えてくださいました。
伊勢神宮の外宮から内宮をご案内いただいたのですが、知識が大変豊富で、こちらの質問にも的確に答えてくださり、とても充実した時間を過ごすことができました。ユーモアたっぷりでウィットに富んだ素晴らしいお人柄なので、一緒にお話ししていて本当に楽しいです！
日本語と英語の両方でご対応いただけるそうなので、このサイトを利用する海外の旅行者の方にも強くおすすめします。今回このツアーに申し込んで大正解でした。最高の旅行の思い出をありがとうございました。
May 1, 2026
J1543OM_
Tripadvisor review: Ise Jingu(Ise Grand Shrine) Half-Day Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
初お伊勢さん
本日は大変貴重なお時間をいただきありがとうございました。とてもわかりやすい倉田さんのガイドで4時間とても充実した時間を過ごさせていたきました。はじめての伊勢神宮をとても満喫できました。また何かの機会があったら、倉田さんよろしくお願いします。