Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day — Guide Kazu

What Can You See on a Private One-Day Kyoto Tour of Daitoku-ji and Sanjusangendo? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests were visitors from North America who had been to Japan several times before. They decided on the day's destinations casually at the Hotel that morning. They had visited Nijo Castle and Kinkaku-ji before, but wanted very much to see them once more. By the time they reached Kyoto after traveling from Tokyo through Hakone during their trip, they were a little worn out by the intense humidity, so they wished to visit somewhere quiet by taxi, and we settled on a Zen temple's dry landscape garden and Sanjusangendo. They were deeply moved by the dry landscape and gardens of Daitoku-ji and the quiet atmosphere of its moss garden. When I explained that Daitoku-ji is like the birthplace of wabi-cha tea culture, they savored the moment with a "this is truly Kyoto!" feeling. Though they came across as cheerful, lively sightseers, they were in fact intelligent and thoughtful people. While chatting over a meal, the conversation turned to politics. I was able to hear their thoughts on political division within North America and the sense of distance between it and its allies, including Japan. It was interesting to hear how people from North America view their own country's leadership. That said, the conversation grew more and more heated on this topic, and it began to feel a bit like talking with my own family, so I swiftly shifted the subject to history and food culture. Even so, it was very hot and humid today. As they were studying Japanese, they asked if there was a single word combining "humid" and "hot," and when I explained that there is the word "mushi-atsui," they kept repeating "mushi-atsui, mushi-atsui." We spent the whole day at a good pace and enjoyed ourselves. Have a good trip!

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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