Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day — Guide Kazu

Title: What's a Private Family Day Tour of Kyoto Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Gion and Nishiki Market

The guests were a group from North America. It was their first visit to both Japan and Kyoto, and their itinerary included traveling from Tokyo to Osaka and Kyoto before returning to Tokyo and heading home. The meeting time was set at 10:30 because the guests got lost at Kyoto Station and arrived late. This was the first time I guided a group of this size. The guests wished to stroll through Gion in traditional kimono and take many commemorative photos, so we spent much of our time at Gion (Yasaka Shrine). Even before changing at the kimono rental shop, it was a lively, chaotic scene. The guests looked lovely in their kimono, and I took many photos for them. Some of the guests said they were interested in Japanese history, but wherever we went, the crowds made it hard to move forward, the rain grew heavier, and there were many things to attend to along the way, so it was difficult to find time for conversation. The meal at Nishiki Market looked very enjoyable. According to the original plan, we were to visit Kinkaku-ji after Nishiki Market, but as the rain intensified and we were running behind schedule, we decided to cancel that part. At Shijo, the guests discovered a dog cafe and wanted to go in, and that is where our time ran out. Finally, I introduced them to the Nintendo store at Takashimaya in Gion-Shijo before saying goodbye. It was the end of a very eventful day.

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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