Nara Customized Private Tour in 1 Day — Guide Kazu

What's a Private Guided Tour of Nara and Kyoto Like? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests were visitors from North America, traveling from Tokyo to Kamakura, Kyoto, and Nara, with a plan to head to Hiroshima the next day. They mentioned they would return from Hiroshima to Tokyo to take part in the Tokyo International Marathon and complete the full 42 km. They had run marathons in more than a dozen places around the world and had finally won the lottery for the Tokyo Marathon this time. The guests were cheerful and wonderful listeners. Starting from Japanese roots, we covered the history of Nara, the stories of ancient clans, the history of relocating the capital, the difference between emperors and shoguns, why Tokugawa Yoshinobu returned political power, Buddhism and Shinto, the difference between visiting a temple and visiting a shrine, Pure Land Buddhism and its schools, the difference between Pure Land and Zen, feng shui, Nyorai and Bosatsu, Jizo Bosatsu, Onmyodo, what Zen is, wabi-sabi, Hina dolls, Obon, ikebana, and stone lanterns. They were all classic questions, but before I knew it I was talking through every one of them, and related questions kept coming one after another. Over lunch, the conversation moved from kaiseki cuisine to the gut microbiome and Blue Zones, and while eating persimmon-leaf sushi we talked about Japan as a country of longevity. They were truly attentive listeners. As usual, I taught them "ookini," and they were delighted, trying it out everywhere. When they asked whether "doumo ookini" was a correct way to use it, I said it sounded a bit odd and that they did not need to add "doumo," and they laughed heartily again, saying "I see!" — that was the kind of lively mood we had. They were genuinely cheerful and thoroughly enjoying their trip. It made me think that this is truly how travel should be. I heard they run a short-term rental business, and today a message arrived from a customer, which was giving them some trouble. We had actually planned to visit Kasuga Taisha as well, but the conversation went on and on, and in the end we could not make it there, which I felt sorry about. Still, I said, "My head is completely empty now," and we all laughed together as we parted ways. They said they abstain from alcohol the day before a marathon, so right about now they must be somewhere in Hiroshima happily gulping down the beer they love.

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Tour Report by Kazu

Hello, this is Kazu Akiyama, your tour guide. Nice to meet you and welcome to Japan. Thank you for joining me on the tour. Now I am a retired salaried worker, living in Osaka. I have been very much interested in not only learning Japanese history, culture, religion myself, but also talking about them (sometimes going off topics) in English with tourists from all over the world as well. I am so excited being with you as your guide on coming day! I am very much looking forward to you enjoying with me visiting the must-see places and some of the hidden gems. See you soon. Thank you – Kazu Akiyama