Osaka Customized Full-Day Private Tour — Guide Kazu
December, 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
- 9:00 Hotel meet 9:45 Osaka Castle 11:10 Dotonbori 11:30 Lunch (Okonomiyaki) 12:30 Hozenji Yokocho 13:20 Sumiyoshi Taisha 15:00 Tsutenkaku・Shinsekai
- 16:00 Umeda Drop off at Daimaru Department Store and tour ends
Title: What Is a Private Osaka Castle and Okonomiyaki Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report
The guests were visiting Japan from Europe in connection with an academic conference held in Shizuoka. They came down from Osaka Castle much earlier than we had planned. They had already visited Himeji Castle, and I think they may have been a little disappointed by the difference inside. Osaka Castle is a magnificent castle on the outside, but inside it is essentially a museum. There are many exhibits on display, but it seemed to be different from what they had expected. However, thanks to leaving Osaka Castle early, we were able to enter the okonomiyaki restaurant for lunch before noon, and it was good that the seats were still open. One of the guests was quite athletic and enjoyed playing tennis, and rather than using the escalator, they ran up the stairs. English was a little difficult to follow at times, but I could sense their genuine interest in Japanese culture and history. The photo was taken at Osaka Castle.
Click here for more details: Osaka Customized Full-Day Private Tour with Licensed Guide
Transportation cost per person
| No. | Transportation | Route | Fare |
| Section 1 | Subway | Namba (Subway)～Temmabashi | 240JPY |
| Section 2 | Subway | Tanimachi 4-chome～Namba (Subway) | 240JPY |
| Section 3 | Other | Namba (Nankai Line)～Sumiyoshi Taisha | 240JPY |
| Section 4 | Other | Sumiyoshi Taisha～Shin-Imamiya | 240JPY |
| Section 5 | Subway | Ebisucho～Umeda (Subway) | 240JPY |
| Total | 1,200JPY | ||
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.
Jul 24, 2026
Trail65429092687
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Full-Day Private Tour with Licensed Guide
Kyoto Tour
Kazua Sumi is a very accomplished guide.He has deep…
Jul 24, 2026
Trail65429092687
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Full-Day Private Tour with Licensed Guide
Kyoto Tour
Kazua Sumi is a very accomplished guide.He has deep knowledge about the history and culture of Japan. He is flexible and accommodates changes if you so desire. He is also very empathetic. I had a sprained back and he ensured we took elevators everywhere. You will be lucky if he is assigned as your guide .
Jul 23, 2026
489caelinp
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Full-Day Private Tour with Licensed Guide
Kyoto Guided Tour
My friend and I had a great experience…
Jul 23, 2026
489caelinp
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Full-Day Private Tour with Licensed Guide
Kyoto Guided Tour
My friend and I had a great experience on the tour. We travelled all around Kyoto with our guide Kazuo Sumi. He is a sweet older gentleman who had a great depth of knowledge about each place we went to. We told him places we wanted to go and he made the itinerary for us. There is no one better to have as your guide!!
Jul 16, 2026
margaretsM7923ON
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour by Car with Licensed Guide
Great way to see Kyoto
Wonderful tour and exceptional guide.
Jul 9, 2026
Sandra_B
Kazuo was great and…
Viator review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Kazuo was great and provided…
Jul 9, 2026
Sandra_B
Kazuo was great and…
Viator review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Kazuo was great and provided some excellent recommendations. There’s a lot of walking so make sure you are prepared.