Kyoto in Half a Day: Sightseeing ②: Nijo Castle — Guide Nori

Can You Do a Private 4-Hour Walking Tour of Kyoto in the Rain? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests were a group visiting Japan from North America. Prior communication about adjusting the destinations was handled with one member of the group. The group planned to stay in Kyoto and to also visit Nara at the end of their trip. They had listed many places they wanted to see, including Nijo Castle, Gion, the Kyoto Imperial Palace, Tofuku-ji, Arashiyama, Katsura Imperial Villa, and Gio-ji, and their enthusiasm to fully experience the ancient capitals of Kyoto and Nara was clear. However, since the tour I guide was the shortest "4-hour course," I proposed a compact itinerary of "Kyoto Imperial Palace ⇒ Nijo Castle ⇒ Arashiyama" that captures the essence of Kyoto from the perspectives of (1) Kyoto's history and culture and (2) the beauty of Kyoto's nature, and the guests agreed.

On the day, I met the guests almost exactly on time, introduced myself, and gave a brief explanation of the itinerary, which they understood. It had been rainy since the morning, but since the earlier destinations were indoors and we traveled by subway and JR, I was able to continue guiding from start to finish without ever using an umbrella myself.

At the Kyoto Imperial Palace Gardens, I explained the long history of Japan's imperial system, including the mythological era. At the next stop, Nijo Castle, I introduced the history of how, even under the imperial system, actual political rule had been carried out by the samurai class, and I helped them understand that Nijo Castle is a historically and symbolically significant place as a building representing the Tokugawa shogunate system. The guests showed strong interest in the historical significance and unique culture of each place, and asked many questions.

The final stop, Arashiyama, was also rainy, but it was the place the guests had most looked forward to (especially the Bamboo Path). Walking through the bamboo grove in the light rain, they enjoyed the green tunnel and took many photographs.

Because one member of the group had an injured ankle and we walked a little more slowly, we were unable to visit Tenryu-ji temple, which had been planned after the bamboo grove, but all of the guests seemed satisfied. It had been a while since I had guided such a group, but with constant chatting and laughter, it turned out to be a fun and enjoyable tour.

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