Kyoto in One Day: Daitoku-ji Temple & Sanjusangendo — Guide Kazu

What Is a Private Day Tour of Kyoto Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Zen Gardens and Sanjusangendo

The guests were visitors from Europe, visiting Japan and Kyoto for the first time. They spent a few days in Tokyo before coming to Kyoto. After enjoying three days in Kyoto, they planned to travel to Hida-Takayama, return to Tokyo, spend a few more days there, and then head home. Since there had been almost no prior communication by email, we decided on the day's destinations first thing in the morning at the hotel. When I asked whether they preferred popular spots or quiet places to relax, the answer was "both!", and so today's itinerary came together in a lively way. They were impressed by the dry landscape garden of a Zen temple, but they said that Sanjusangendo, which we visited last, was very memorable, and on the way out they bought various Sanjusangendo-related goods at the shop. In particular, one of the guests stood still for a while in front of the Kannon Bodhisattva and the twenty-eight guardian deity statues, gazing at them. Since photography was not allowed, they seemed to find that disappointing.

Today's guests were, if anything, a bit reserved. Their reactions were subtle even as I gave explanations. At times like this, I don't mind, and in fact I continue explaining calmly all the more with this type of guest. I try to clearly repeat what I want them to take away from my explanations. While quietly observing how they respond, I draw out even more stories from my repertoire than usual. There are moments when anyone might think, "This story is taking time and I'm getting tired, maybe I'll skip it," but guests subtly sense that. So this is where I push on. As I keep at it, at some point during the day, perhaps something gets through — a sense that I am responding earnestly and sincerely — and at a certain moment the guests' atmosphere suddenly changes. Sometimes there are more smiles, sometimes suddenly more questions, sometimes they start telling me all about themselves; it varies, but there is a moment when something shifts. As I like to put it, "Ah, the switch just turned on now." I can hear the sound of the switch clicking on. From there, the atmosphere becomes warm and friendly. Today too, there was such a moment. There is no moment more rewarding for a guide than this. It is not about logic or technique, but rather about one's posture in facing the guests — I face them with all my attention. Today I clearly heard that "click," and it made me happy. It rained, and we skipped lunch. After we said goodbye, they messaged me to say it had been a very interesting day, which made it an even happier day for me.

A notable stop on the tour was Sanjusangendo Temple in Kyoto. Sanjusangendo is a Buddhist temple famous for its main hall, the longest wooden structure in Japan, which houses 1,001 statues of the Thousand-Armed Kannon. The name refers to the thirty-three spaces between the pillars of the hall, and the rows of gilded statues, along with the twenty-eight guardian deities, make it one of Kyoto's most striking cultural sites.

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

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