Okayama Customized Half-Day Tour — Guide Sam

What's a Private Tour of Okayama's Korakuen Garden and Okayama Castle Like? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guest was a visitor from Europe who has traveled to Japan on several occasions. On this visit, the guest came to Japan in connection with work and, alongside professional duties, wished to explore parts of Japan that had not previously been possible to visit. The guest speaks several languages, including their first language as well as additional European languages, and also speaks a little Japanese. During the tour, the guest occasionally spoke in more than one language.

For this tour, we visited Nishigawa Ryokudo Park, a spot not usually included on typical sightseeing routes. The park, spreading through the very center of the city, seemed to bring a fresh sense of wonder. The seasonal plants and flowers, the sculptures, and the gentle murmur of the stream that was once a canal appeared to bring a feeling of calm and peace.

That day, an event was being held at Shiroshita Park, and a torchbearer from the Tokyo Olympics, noticing us, came over and kindly let the guest hold a genuine torch, which was a moving experience.

We then finally entered the long-awaited Korakuen Garden and took our time to appreciate it fully. The guest seemed intrigued and delighted by a garden with more lawn than moss. The plum blossoms, just slightly past their peak, welcomed us, and the guest was enchanted not only by their sweet and tangy fragrance but also by the noble scent of the wintersweet.

Afterward, we moved on to Okayama Castle, where a Japanese guide, who had once guided a former U.S. ambassador to Japan, struck up a conversation and offered various explanations in Japanese. We then explored the interior of Okayama Castle thoroughly, reflecting on the Warring States and Edo periods.

Although it became a little late, we found a restaurant suitable for the guest and had lunch, before I saw the guest off to their accommodation. It was a fond farewell as we parted ways.

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Tour Report by Sam

My name is Susumu Hiramatsu. I am a national government licensed guide interpreter. I became a guide interpreter in 1992. My educational background started with a BA in law, then an MA in English language education, and completed a doctoral course without a degree in English language teaching. My occupational career began with a bank officer, then shifted to a translation and interpretation company, finally became a freelance translator, interpreter, and college teacher. I handle conference interpretation, namely simultaneous interpretation. As for the guide interpreter, my interest covers wide areas including politics and business, but I deem cultural aspects to be fundamental. I am always encouraging myself to be filled with Japanese hospitality.