Kanagawa in One Day: Sounzan Station & Gora Station — Guide Masa

Can You Do a Private Rainy-Day Tour of Hakone? A Licensed Guide's Report on Owakudani, Lake Ashi, and the Open-Air Museum

The guests were a group visiting Japan from North America. One of the guests had been to Japan several times before in connection with work, while it was a first visit for the other.

This visit was part of a two-week trip to Japan. The group arrived at Narita Airport a few days earlier. After sightseeing in the city, they traveled by Shinkansen the previous evening via Odawara Station to reach Hakone. Tomorrow they plan to head from Odawara Station to Kyoto, where they will stay for four days while also visiting Nara, Hiroshima, and Osaka. After that, they plan to return home from Kansai Airport.

"Last night was the first time I slept on tatami and a futon. It was relaxing and I slept well," they said. They also mentioned, "In Hakone, I wanted to see Mount Fuji."

The tour took place in rainy weather throughout the day, and unfortunately we were not able to see Mount Fuji.

First, we took a shuttle bus from the Hotel to Sounzan Station. From there, we took the ropeway to Owakudani. I explained "the formation of Hakone," "its history as a hot spring and summer retreat," and "an overview and history of Owakudani." There were questions such as "Is Owakudani an active volcano? Has it ever erupted?" and "Is Mount Fuji also an active volcano? When did it last erupt?"

We bought and tasted the famous "black eggs." "The smell of sulfur is amazing," they commented.

Next, we took the ropeway to Togendai Port and boarded the Hakone sightseeing cruise. I explained "the history and current state of Lake Ashi." It was a bit chilly with light rain falling, but we went up to the top observation deck.

We arrived at Motohakone Port. At the group's request for lunch, we went to a bakery and restaurant. After that, we walked to Hakone Shrine.

The group also said, "We would like to see the Open-Air Museum," so we transferred by bus and the Hakone Tozan Railway to get there. I explained "the origins and current state of the Open-Air Museum." One of the guests said they loved Picasso, and viewed the sculptures enthusiastically and took many photographs.

They also commented, "Everywhere in Japan the streets are so clean. There is no litter," "There are no trash cans around," and "The trains are so quiet." They added, "In Tokyo we stayed in Akasaka, but it was rather noisy."

I saw the group off at Gora Station, where the tour ended. A notable stop on the tour was the Hakone Open-Air Museum. Opened in 1969, it was Japan's first open-air art museum, set against the natural scenery of the Hakone mountains. The museum displays a wide collection of modern and contemporary sculptures throughout its spacious grounds, and also houses a dedicated gallery featuring works by Pablo Picasso, making it a popular destination for art lovers visiting Hakone.

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

Tour Report by Masa

Guiding career:
Guide work started in July 2022. A guide focused on FIT compliance.
FY2022 results: 17 cases, FY2023 results: 97
Destinations: Various places in Tokyo, Hakone, Kamakura and Nikko
As a recent group travel record, in October 2023, we have a track record of guiding a group of 33 people from Singapore to Narita Airport transfer plus sightseeing in Tokyo.
Self-introduction:
In the past, I was stationed in Canada, the United States, and Mexico as an expatriate of a Japanese bank for over 11 years.
Since I have been mainly involved in the financing business in the United States for a long time, I think I am able to provide interpretation and translation services related to business and finance.
I am a certified CPA in the United States.
In addition, for three years from April 2016, I will be engaged in Japanese-English translation work (part-time), and I can also handle translation work.
Although I don’t have a qualification in Spanish, but I think I can handle day to day conversation in Spanish without any problems.
My hobby is trekking and from time to time, take a walk around mountains near Tokyo like Mt. Takao, Tanzawa, etc. I think it is possible to provide tourist information here as well.
Since April 2015, I have been working as a Tokyo Metropolitan Tourism Volunteer and Tokyo Metropolitan Disaster Prevention Volunteer.
One more, I have a separate house near Asuka Village, Nara prefecture, and I stay there for a total of about 30 days every year and have been enjoying sightseeing personally in the vicinity. Therefore, I think in the Kansai region, especially in Nara, Asuka, Yoshino, Koyasan, Kumano Kodo, etc., where I think I will be able to tour guide with confidence.