Arashiyama Bamboo Forest & Sagano Tour — Guide Kazu

Title: What Is a Private Rainy-Day Tour of Arashiyama in Kyoto Like? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests were a group from North America visiting Japan for the first time. Their itinerary included Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and Nara, before returning to Tokyo and heading home. Since it was their last day in Kyoto, they requested Arashiyama. As a taxi from the hotel all the way to Arashiyama would have been too expensive, we tried to take a train to Arashiyama from JR Nijo Station near Nijo Castle, but that very day there happened to be a personal accident on the line and the trains were stopped. I felt sorry for the guests, but we took a taxi once again to Arashiyama. Although it had not been particularly planned, at Hiranoya, a teahouse with 300 years of history in the Toriimoto preservation district, we enjoyed shinko mochi and matcha, taking a little break before the tour had even begun. When I explained the way to enjoy matcha and the spirit behind it, it was quite well received by everyone. Today, as a gentle rain fell throughout the day, I explained the history of Saga-Arashiyama. I knew this group was not particularly seeking detailed historical explanations, but I still wanted them to sense what Saga-Arashiyama is historically, so undeterred by the rain, I explained things one by one — the Saga Imperial Villa, the Hyakunin Isshu, Fujiwara no Teika, Mukai Kyorai, Emperor Go-Daigo and Ashikaga Takauji, Suminokura Ryoi, cherry blossoms, Adashino and Toribeno, jizo statues, the Sento Kuyo ritual, Onmyodo, and Atago Shrine — without using any proper nouns at all. Everyone listened to me with surprising patience and in silence, and I only hope I did not misread the mood. The cherry blossoms were approaching full bloom, and the weeping cherry blossoms in the Tenryu-ji garden were magnificent, delighting everyone greatly. Indeed, the spring and cherry blossoms of Arashiyama, veiled in rain and mist, have a truly indescribable and distinctive quality, just as Zhou Enlai once expressed in a poem. I would be happy if they could feel that and cherish it as a good memory.

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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