Kyoto Customized Half-Day Tour — Guide Kazu

Title: What Is a Private Kyoto Cultural Tour Like for First-Time Visitors? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests were visiting from Europe, on their first trip to Japan and their first time in Kyoto. [Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.)](https://www.j-g-a.org/) is one of Japan's largest networks of government-licensed, English-speaking private tour guides, serving all 47 prefectures. From the email exchanges before the tour, the guests showed a deep and wide-ranging curiosity about everyday life in Japan and in Kyoto: what daily life is like, what it means to visit temples and shrines, how one is meant to worship, and the cultural and historical background behind these customs. They also wanted to know about traditional annual events, their history, how people take part in them, and what and how things are celebrated.

Guided by their questions, we talked freely about the history of the syncretism of Shinto and Buddhism, what a shogun was, feng shui, Onmyodo, the concept of wabi-sabi, what one contemplates during zazen meditation, the Doll Festival, Obon, Jizo statues and the riverbank of Sai no Kawara, stone lanterns, the Gozan Okuribi bonfire, the floating of spirit lanterns, the old class system of warriors, farmers, artisans and merchants, why the return of political power to the Emperor took place, the roots of the Japanese people, and the Mongolian spot, among many other topics. The conversation was endless, and four hours passed in the blink of an eye.

One of the guests works as an illustrator, and another has long practiced yoga, which explained the keen interest in topics such as Zen and dry landscape gardens. Even so, the concept of wabi-sabi was new to them, so I took some time to explain it in detail. When we said goodbye, they gave me some gummy candy that is very common in Europe. It was a flavor not quite found in Japan, but I enjoyed it. Some time ago I often traveled to Europe for work, so it felt like meeting old, familiar friends. The guests spoke excellent English, as ever.

Click here for more details: Kyoto Customized Half-Day Tour with Licensed Local Guide

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