Kyoto in One Day: Transfer: Move to Gion by taxi — Guide Nori

What Is a Private Taxi Day Tour of Kyoto Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Kinkaku-ji, Nijo Castle, and Gion

The guests this time were visitors from North America who were touring Japan. Prior arrangements, such as adjusting the destinations, were made by email with one of the guests. They had a strong interest in Japanese history and culture, and it seemed they had done a fair amount of studying beforehand. During the pre-tour discussion, the final itinerary was set as: "Kinkaku-ji ⇒ Ichiwa (aburi-mochi) ⇒ lunch and rest ⇒ stroll through Gion ⇒ Ninenzaka, Sannenzaka, Kiyomizu-dera ⇒ end of tour and dismissal." As for transportation between destinations, since the first stop was Kinkaku-ji and we would then return to Gion, public transportation would have taken too long, so we decided to use taxis throughout. However, the night before (around 22:00 on May 15), I received an email from one of the guests saying, "After thinking it over carefully, I would like to visit a site related to politics (Nijo Castle) rather than a religious site (Kiyomizu-dera), so please change it." I immediately replied that "I fully understand visiting Nijo Castle instead of Kiyomizu-dera, so we can change it without any problem," and the last-minute change was made.

The day turned out to be hot, reminiscent of summer heat. After a brief greeting and confirmation of the itinerary, we quickly set off by taxi. During the ride (about 30 minutes), I gave them some general background knowledge about Japanese history, particularly the coexistence of the imperial system and samurai rule, and the relationship between Shinto and Buddhism. This background knowledge served as a foundation for the explanations at Kinkaku-ji and Nijo Castle, which we visited afterward, and seemed to help deepen their understanding. For lunch, I had reserved a Japanese restaurant on Hanamikoji Street in Gion, and the guests were satisfied with the diverse flavors of Kyoto cuisine. After lunch, since we had a little time to spare, at my suggestion we decided to visit Kennin-ji, located right in the heart of Gion. The guests thoroughly enjoyed this Zen temple, said to be the oldest in Kyoto.

Because this tour used taxis for transportation, including during lunch, we had plenty of time to talk with the guests, and the conversation flowed on a wide variety of topics. It turned out to be an enjoyable Kyoto tour with pleasant company.

Click here for more details: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide

Tour Report by Nori

Hi, everyone! I’m Norifumi Kamon, a government registered guide interpreter. Please call me “Nori”, or “Kamon-san”.
Let me introdece myself. I was born on April 17th in 1952 in Miyazaki prefecture in Kyushu island. I used to be an English teacher of Osaka Prefectural high school. When I retired from a teacher ten years ago, I decided to get a professional guide license. I wanted to play a role of the bridge between Japanese people and the people from all over the world as a second life of mine. After two years efforts, I finally got the guide license. Since then, I have guided several handreds of foreign people mainly in Kyoto and Nara for about five years except Corona Pandemic period. Almost all the tourists were deeply impressed by the beauty of nature, traditoin, culture, and art of Japan. I can surely help you enjoy and be satisfied with the sightseeing in Japan. And I’m looking forward to seeing you soon.