Kanagawa in One Day: Owakudani & Chokoku-no-Mori — Guide Masa

Title: What's a Private Hakone Day Tour Like for a Family Reunion Group? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests were a group visiting from North America, made up of relatives who had emigrated from Kurashiki City, Tottori Prefecture, in the 1900s. This visit to Japan was described as an important trip for a family reunion. Each part of the group had come to Japan separately, and some had visited Kurashiki City to meet with distant relatives. The night before, everyone had gathered in Hakone, and they planned to hold a banquet together that evening.

Originally the plan was to split into two groups and sightsee separately in two taxis, but at the strong request of the guests, both groups followed the same itinerary and proceeded together at the same time. I was in charge of one part of the group, staying at a nearby B&B rather than at the Hotel. A [Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.)](https://www.j-g-a.org/) guide was in charge of the other part of the group.

For everyone, the top request was a view of Mount Fuji. Some of the guests had difficulty walking, so we proceeded slowly and at a gentle pace. It was a clear day (Hakone had reportedly been rainy the day before), and the tour took place in weather that was almost a little cold.

First, we went directly from in front of the Hotel to Owakudani. I explained the formation of Hakone and gave an overview of the history of Owakudani. There were questions such as "When were the volcanic mountains of Hakone formed?", "Is Owakudani an active volcano? Has it ever erupted?", and "Is Mount Fuji also an active volcano?" Everyone purchased the famous black eggs and also bought various souvenirs at the shop. Each person moved around at their own pace, so it was difficult to keep the whole group together, and I had some trouble controlling the flow of the itinerary.

We took the ropeway to Togendai. After a short wait, we boarded the "pirate ship," which was packed with tourists. Despite the cold wind, some of the guests stayed on the upper deck the whole time, taking commemorative photos again and again. There were questions such as "How deep is Lake Ashi? What is the water temperature?", "Can you swim in it?", and "Can you fish here?"

We disembarked at Hakone Motomachi Port and went to Hakone Shrine. I explained the history of Hakone Shrine. After visiting the main hall, we went to the torii gate on the lake. Regarding the torii, there was a question: "Why are so many people lined up to take photos?"

We took a taxi to a soba restaurant in front of Chokoku-no-Mori Station. Despite the large number of people, we managed to secure seats, but each family ordered separately. Some also ordered an additional dish after everyone had finished eating, so it took more time than expected.

After this, we went to the Hakone Open-Air Museum. I explained the origins of the museum. However, only two of the guests entered the grounds, while the others waited at the entrance.

After this, everyone returned to their accommodation. There were comments such as "Everywhere in Japan, the towns are so orderly," "There's no litter on the ground," and "Everyone is so polite." We parted ways in front of the Hotel.

Click here for more details: Hakone in 1 Day by Private Car with Licensed Guide

Tour Report by Masa

Guiding career:
Guide work started in July 2022. A guide focused on FIT compliance.
FY2022 results: 17 cases, FY2023 results: 97
Destinations: Various places in Tokyo, Hakone, Kamakura and Nikko
As a recent group travel record, in October 2023, we have a track record of guiding a group of 33 people from Singapore to Narita Airport transfer plus sightseeing in Tokyo.
Self-introduction:
In the past, I was stationed in Canada, the United States, and Mexico as an expatriate of a Japanese bank for over 11 years.
Since I have been mainly involved in the financing business in the United States for a long time, I think I am able to provide interpretation and translation services related to business and finance.
I am a certified CPA in the United States.
In addition, for three years from April 2016, I will be engaged in Japanese-English translation work (part-time), and I can also handle translation work.
Although I don’t have a qualification in Spanish, but I think I can handle day to day conversation in Spanish without any problems.
My hobby is trekking and from time to time, take a walk around mountains near Tokyo like Mt. Takao, Tanzawa, etc. I think it is possible to provide tourist information here as well.
Since April 2015, I have been working as a Tokyo Metropolitan Tourism Volunteer and Tokyo Metropolitan Disaster Prevention Volunteer.
One more, I have a separate house near Asuka Village, Nara prefecture, and I stay there for a total of about 30 days every year and have been enjoying sightseeing personally in the vicinity. Therefore, I think in the Kansai region, especially in Nara, Asuka, Yoshino, Koyasan, Kumano Kodo, etc., where I think I will be able to tour guide with confidence.