Arashiyama Bamboo Forest & Sagano Tour — Guide Nori

What's a Private Kyoto Arashiyama & Bamboo Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests this time were a group visiting Japan from North America (at the guests' request, one of the adults is not included in the photo). Pre-tour communication about the destinations was handled with the travel agency and one of the guests. Since this tour, as its title "Kyoto Arashiyama & Bamboo" suggests, is mainly aimed at fully experiencing Arashiyama, I proposed the itinerary of "Bamboo Grove ⇒ Tenryu-ji ⇒ Togetsukyo Bridge ⇒ lunch and break ⇒ Mt. Iwata / Monkey Park," which was accepted.

On the day, the previous day's rain had cleared, the temperature was around 20 degrees, and the cherry blossoms were at their peak everywhere in Kyoto — it was perfect sightseeing weather. At the Hotel we exchanged brief greetings and confirmed the itinerary, and the guests happily agreed to it. One consideration for the day was to take care not to overexert the youngest member of the group, a small child.

Regarding Arashiyama and Sagano, I gave a general explanation on the train during the ride that, because of its natural beauty, the area had been a resort (villa area) for the imperial family, nobility, and shoguns since ancient times, and that as a result it had many shrines and temples along with numerous villas, making it one of the most charming places in Kyoto. On site, we proceeded through the Bamboo Grove and Tenryu-ji, letting the guests enjoy the essence of Kyoto. Next, taking a side path from Tenryu-ji to the Oi River and Togetsukyo Bridge, the guests could not help but exclaim "Amazing!!" at the scenery spreading before them. From Togetsukyo Bridge, they could take in the magnificent views of Arashiyama with its patchwork of mountain cherry blossoms, the flow of the Oi River, and the elegant buildings on the far bank, and the guests took photo after photo. Next came a somewhat late lunch and break. Since Arashiyama has several restaurants that serve delicious udon, I recommended udon this time as well and had obtained the guests' agreement in advance. As it was a popular restaurant (Nakanoshima, Arashiyama-tei), there was about a 30-minute wait, but while I waited in line on their behalf, the guests enjoyed the cherry blossoms in full bloom on Nakanoshima. The udon here was very well received by the guests, and I was again thanked for this choice. Finally came "Mt. Iwata / Monkey Park." The entrance was very close to the lunch spot, and after climbing Mt. Iwata, about 300 meters in elevation, for 20 minutes, we reached the top. After I explained how to interact with the monkeys, I announced, "From now, you have 30 minutes of free time. Please enjoy it fully," and the guests explored as they wished. When I later asked for everyone's impressions, this experience seemed to be the most enjoyable place not only for the adults but especially for the youngest member of the group.

Blessed with fine weather and the season, the guests were able to enjoy a wonderful Kyoto tour. It was a truly rewarding tour for a guide.

Click here for more details: Arashiyama Bamboo Forest & Sagano Tour 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.