Kyoto in Half a Day: Hanamikoji stroll — Guide Satoko

Title: What's a Family-Friendly Private Kyoto Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Nishiki Market and Gion

At the outset, I had some concerns about how the tour would unfold, as the request was: "We cannot travel very far, and we would like places where the young ones can also enjoy themselves. One of us would like to visit Gion." (I had previously guided a tour that ended before completing the full itinerary because the guests became restless.) When I confirmed the destination at the start of the tour, the guests said, "We would like to go to a market. We are hungry." As we walked toward Nishiki Market, it began to rain a little. I had been informed in advance that one of the guests followed a vegan diet. A vegan-friendly restaurant I had researched beforehand happened to be right beside us, so I suggested having lunch there. The guests agreed, so although it was a bit early, we decided to have lunch. It was a buffet-style meal, and since we had no reservation, the staff directed us to seats on the second floor. The food was on the first floor. The group split between those getting food on the first floor and those watching over the young ones at the seats. Since it would have been a shame for the guests not to be able to enjoy their meal at ease, I took the initiative to help look after the young ones as well. I occasionally held the infant, who laughed often and was very endearing. Although dishes were meant to be returned to a designated place, even the toddler carried the dishes independently and was very capable. After the meal, we walked toward Nishiki Market. Along the way, I explained the history of Nishiki Market. There was a painting by Ito Jakuchu at the entrance, and since one of the guests admired it, I explained the relationship between Nishiki Market and Jakuchu. Some of the guests wanted a snack break, so at Sasaya Iori they each ordered daifuku mochi. The infant was asleep, but the others, including the toddler, each ordered their favorite daifuku mochi and enjoyed them. With a guest's permission, I began to cut the mochi for the toddler with a knife, but the toddler burst into tears, insisting, "I'll do it myself!" I apologized for the mistake, but the guests kindly reassured me, saying, "That happens all the time, so please don't worry." Next, one of the guests seemed interested in tea utensils, so we stopped by a shop selling tea bowls. There happened to be a tea leaf shop right in front, so I was able to explain on the spot that there are many kinds and grades of tea leaves. We then arrived at Nishiki Tenmangu Shrine, where I explained the well that was the origin of Nishiki Market and that the deity of learning is enshrined there. It turned out that the guests were students at a university, and they prayed earnestly. I also explained that stroking the head of the ox statue and then one's own head is said to bring good fortune, and they tried it. They discovered a machine where, upon inserting a coin, a lion dance performs and draws an omikuji fortune, and some of the guests tried it themselves. By this point it was already 2 o'clock, so I was somewhat unsure whether we could walk to the geisha district, but since the guests were looking forward to it, we decided to head there. Along the way, some of the guests stopped at a shop in Teramachi Kyogoku to buy postcards and other items, which added to my concern about time. During the walk, I received questions—particularly about what role geisha play in Japanese society—so although I had initially planned to take them to the nearby Shinbashi area, I decided instead to take them to Hanamikoji, where posters of geisha and maiko make it easier to visualize. Since some of the guests were caring for the young ones, it was difficult to speak to everyone at once, and I worried whether all of the guests were satisfied with the tour. However, when I spoke with each of them individually, they each had questions, which gave me a glimpse that they wished to hear the guide's deeper explanations about Japanese culture. After showing them the exterior of the Kobu Kaburenjo Theater, one of the guests asked if there was a restroom nearby, so I led them through Kenninji Temple to the public restroom beside its west gate. There, we said our farewells. As luck would have it, the infant who had been asleep woke up, and the toddler who had been napping in the stroller also woke up. For me personally, it had been 20 years since I last held an infant, and it was a wonderful experience to observe up close how a family from Europe interacts with their young ones. In the photo, the infant was napping and one of the guests was shopping, so unfortunately they are not pictured, but I took it during the break at Sasaya Iori. Since the guests did not take this photo themselves, I plan to send it to them later.

Click here for more details: Kyoto Customized Half-Day Tour with Licensed Local Guide

Tour Report by Satoko

I am a 53-year-old woman, living in Kyoto for nearly 40 years. I got the license in 2001. Since then, I worked as an interpreter or a translator in several companies, secretary at universities, and now work for a company on weekdays at the international dept.I do guiding job only weekend now. I started full swing guiding career after COVID-19 pandemic. I have gotten good review from many of my guests. I love my hometown, Kyoto which has a lot of interesting and historical sites to see. Particularly, I am native to Arashiyama which is famous for bamboo forest. So, I know a lot of places where you can relax yourself around this area. Other than that, Kyoto has many attractive sites which surely interest you.Also, I like meeting many people from different cultural background. I am very happy if I learn about your culture as well. Let’s enjoy exploring around Kyoto!