Naoshima Art Island in 1 Day Tour — Guide Sam

Title: What Is a Private Naoshima Art Island Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests were from Oceania. The moment I met them at the hotel for pickup, I could tell they were warm and kind, which put me at ease. A relative of one of the guests runs a travel agency in Oceania and had carefully planned this tour. Since the ferry port and the hotel were a little far apart, I expected we would be a ferry behind schedule, but fortunately the hotel arranged a car to take us to the port. Thanks to that, we were able to board a ferry an hour earlier than planned, giving the tour a promising start. We began at the Benesse House Museum and everything went smoothly. However, at the Chichu Art Museum there were many people, so it took some time to view the exhibits. Since the guests planned to visit the neighboring island of Teshima on their own the following day, I helped a little with arranging their itinerary. Also, when I struck up a conversation with a couple at a bus stop on Naoshima who turned out to be from Oceania, they not only hit it off with my guests but also discovered they lived very close to one another back home. It struck me how small the world is, that neighbors could meet in Japan, so far away in the Northern Hemisphere. Perhaps it was fate, because I happened to run into them again when I went to Teshima the next day, in April. It was unfortunately rainy that day, but I am sure they continued to enjoy their journey.

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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.