Hyogo: @ Nunobiki Herb Garden & @ Nankinmachi Chinatown — Guide Yama

What Is a Private Cruise Port Tour of Kobe Like? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests were a group visiting from Oceania. One member used a walking frame, so we proceeded at a slow pace throughout the day. This member was also uncomfortable with heights, so at our first stop, the Nunobiki Herb Garden, they waited near the entrance. The others enjoyed the corner at the Herb Garden where you can create your own perfume from a favorite scent. The next stop was originally planned to be the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, but as I advised that it might not be suitable for someone uncomfortable with heights, we changed it to the Hakutsuru Sake Brewery Museum. Here too we skipped the second-floor exhibition area, but the guests enjoyed taking photos and sampling sake. Afterward, as they were hungry and wished to have a "bento" rather than dining at a restaurant, I guided them to the basement food and prepared-foods floor of a department store, where they purchased various boxed lunches, side dishes, and sweet breads, and enjoyed them at the resting space in front of the department store, expressing great satisfaction. For the final stop, the Nankinmachi Chinatown, some of the guests went while the others returned to the private vehicle as they were tired. Those who went lined up to buy pork buns at a shop said to be the birthplace of the "butaman," Roshoki. I presented some of the guests with handmade drawstring pouches made by my sister, which they were delighted to receive. After that, as they were a little tired, we returned to the cruise passenger terminal and parted ways with about 45 minutes to spare. Today's driver was courteous in both driving and manner, and left a good impression.

Special note) The cruise ship the guests were aboard was listed as arriving at "Kobe Port Terminal" both in the original confirmation and in the guest's contact the day before, but the day before, an urgent notice from Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.) revealed that it was actually the "Naka Pier Cruise Terminal." (I also checked the local port authority's arrival/departure schedule and confirmed this was the correct information.) This was the ship's third call, and on the previous two occasions it had docked at "Kobe Port Terminal," so I had mistakenly assumed the same, which I deeply regret. I checked again on-site today, but there did not seem to be any clear rule or regulation (perhaps very large ships use "Kobe Port Terminal"?), and I was told it should be confirmed each time. This time, due to my insufficient confirmation, I caused unnecessary trouble and inconvenience to the staff at Japan Guide Agency, for which I sincerely apologize.

Click here for more details: Kobe Customized Private Tour by Car with Licensed Guide

Tour Report by Yama

Dear my guests,

This is (Mr.) Yama, greeting from Kobe, Japan.
I would like to warmly welcome you to Japan this time. I am from the city of Kobe, which is of course, well-known for very tasty Kobe Beef . You can taste
real genuine Kobe Beef here. Kobe is also called “Home of Japanese Sake” with lots of Sake breweries, and I recommend you would visit those breweries
if you have any interest in Japanese Sake as well as one aspect of Japanese cultures. Of course, you can have tastings of various kinds of Sake there.

Whenever during the tour, I always try to make it safe, pleasant and comfortable for all of the guests, which is my first priority. I am very much confident
that you can have a pleasant and unforgettable experience in Japan. Just tell me about your preference; what you would like to like to see, have, know
and eat and so on. Particularly, I hold the license for cooking qualified by the government here and maybe, I can reply you for questions related to the
foods here. In this respect, I strongly recommend you would try not only famous Japanese cuisine such as Sushi, Tempura or Suki-yaki but some
Japanese traditional local foods, like Tako-yaki, Okonomi-yaki and Kushkatsu. They are sometimes called the soul foods of Japan. Here is the brief
explanation for these three foods.

1) Tako-yaki
Tako-yaki is a snack filled with pieces of octopus in a batter of flour , egg and soup stock. You can call them octopus dumplings or balls. “Tako” means
octopus and “yaki” means grilled or broiled.
2) Okonomi-yaki
This word Okonomi-yaki means “cook just as you like” and you can use whatever you like as toppings, such as beef, pork, shrimp, squid and octopus.
Okonomi-yaki is round shape and just like pancakes or pizza in shape mainly made from egg, flour and water.
3) Kushi-katsu
Kushi-katsu is skewered cutlet or deep-fried foods on a stick. “Kushi” means skewer and “katsu” means cutlet. Various kinds of foods are used for
ingredients such as beef, pork, chicken, shrimp, squid, octopus and lots of kinds of vegetables.

Actually, the western Japan including Osaka, Kobe and Himeji is called as “Home of such local soul foods”. You should give it a try and I am sure
that you like them very much.

I sincerely hope that I can be your tour guide this time in Kobe, Osaka and Himeji. If my guests said to me after the tour, “I have had a very good
and pleasant time with you today. I hope I can come here again and name you as our guide”, which is my great pleasure. Moreover, I would be
great honored if they say “I like Japan now thanks to you”.

Looking forward to meeting you soon here.
Doomo Arigato Gozaimasu!
Yama