Sep 9, 2025
salanicolas
Superb Tokyo guide
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Kyoko was great! Super knowledgeable, a lot of fun, and very friendly. She was a great guide
to Tokyo and Japanese culture

Jun 19, 2025
josephk547
A definite must-do when visiting Tokyo!
Tripadvisor review: Nikko Full-Day Private Walking Tour with Government-Licensed Guide (Tokyo DEP.)
Absolutely amazing tour in Nikko. We wanted to see something other than the city, someplace rich with history. Nikko did not disappoint. The architecture was breathtaking. Kyoko, our tour guide, was very knowledgeable regarding the shrine and the entire historical site. What a great experience! I highly recommend the Nikko tour along with our guide, Kyoko.

May 24, 2025
sandrashachar
Terrific Tokyo Tour!
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
We had a fantastic tour of the Asakusa Shrine, Imperial Palace and Nezu neighborhood in
Tokyo with our guide Kyoko! She was very personable and knowledgeable and tailored the
tour to our interests. We highly recommend any tour with her!

May 22, 2025
andywP8147WV
Private Guided Tour in Tokyo
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Our wonderful guide Kyoko prepared an excellent tour for my family and me.

I had given Kyoko some rough ideas of the sorts of things that we might like to see but left her to use he expertise to show us what she thought was best.

We certainly were not disappointed. We loved everything on our itinerary. Kyoko had a lot of interesting knowledge to share and her English was perfect.

Kyoko was also very caring towards my parents, who have some mobility issues.

At the end of the tour Kyoko made sure that we got to the correct underground platform.

I would highly recommend

Jul 21, 2026
Sandra_U
Viator review: Tokyo Customized Half-Day Tour with Licensed Local Guide
Great Individualized Tour!
Our tour guide, Masa, was wonderful. The tour was individually crafted to the sites and activities that we wanted to see. We really enjoyed that we used public transportation. He had great insight and was very helpful. I highly recommend.

Apr 3, 2026
Celal_S
Viator review: Tokyo 8hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
We had a great tour even…
We had a great tour even it was full day rainy and a bad day for walking. Masa san was a
great guide, he was very helpful and guided us very nicely.

Mar 30, 2026
Johanna H
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo Early Morning Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
6 hour Guided Tour of Tokyo
We booked the 6 hour tour of Tokyo with a Government Guide for our first day, to help us ‘acclimatise’ to Tokyo….learn the trains/metro, get tips and ideas etc, plus obviously visit a few highlights. Masa our guide was brilliant, contacting us in advance to find out what we would like to see, then he produced a detailed itinerary for us to review (it was spot on). He kept in touch leading up to the day and led us through a great day. The tour (& Masa) exceeded our expectations

Mar 26, 2026
Chica717
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Amazing private tour with Masa!
We had the absolute pleasure of spending two days with Masa san (a 6-hr tour and an 8-hour tour). If you are able to specifically request him as your guide, I highly recommend you do. He went above and beyond to make sure our visit to Tokyo was unforgettable. We corresponded well in advance, and Masa san provided invaluable insight into planning two days’ worth of sightseeing. On the days of our tours, he arrived on time and well prepared, and answered all our questions throughout the tours, whether they were about the sites, local customs, history, or etiquette. He researched alternatives when it rained and called venues on our behalf. He was a tour guide, travel agent, interpreter, and fixer – all in one! Most importantly, Masa san is a delight to spend time with – he’s a great conversationalist, and is extremely thoughtful, kind, and funny!

Sep 26, 2024
L9503LEstephenr
Amazing experience and best guide ever ✨️
Tripadvisor review: Takayama Half-Day Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide
We did the tour for our honeymoon and we had a really great experience!

Mitsu was such a great and very much kind guide, we had such an amazing time with her!

She gave us a lot of great informations about the cultural aspect of the places that she shown us.

She was also very fun and very thoughtful, you will definitely have a great time with her.

I totally recommend her to book as guide, she will make your experience into great memories.

Aug 29, 2024
Stay19758434714
Takayama tour with Mitsu!
Tripadvisor review: Takayama Local Cuisine, Food & Sake Cultural Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Mitsu was an amazing tour guide! She was very courteous, inviting and knowledgeable. My family and I felt very comfortable with her. It was especially great to learn about the town of Takayama from a local person. Mitsu is like a historian there and she is very passionate about her town! The tour was very well planned with our thoughts and wishes considered. Thank you Mitsu!

Aug 24, 2024
Joy L
Mitsu introduces us to the heritage of Takayama
Tripadvisor review: Takayama Local Cuisine, Food & Sake Cultural Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Mitsu made our visit very special with her preparation and presentation. She is a wonderful ambassador for Takayama and her country. She was extremely tolerant of our changes to the initial itinerary due to the heat. Her relationship with the local crafts people introduced us to a beautiful aspect of Takayama that we wouldn’t have been able to engage with by ourselves.

Aug 13, 2024
sall450
Mitsu the BEST tourist guide in Takayama
Tripadvisor review: Takayama Local Cuisine, Food & Sake Cultural Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Mitsu is the best of the best. She is more than a tourist guide, the true embassador of Takayama. She knows every corner and hidden gems of the city, with all the gratitude and kindness she will explain to you every detail. 100% recommended if you want to visit the town with the eyes of a local

Aug 13, 2024
Exploration487130
Takayama tour
Tripadvisor review: Takayama Local Cuisine, Food & Sake Cultural Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Mitsu guide was very patient, she loves her job. We had a great time with her. She got us
to historical and local places. ♥️

Jun 14, 2026
tiffany_w
Viator review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Phenomenal experiance
Hideki san was an amazing guide. He was incredibly knowledgable and easy to understand. While planning our time together he helped me understand the various areas things I wanted to see were in. He designed a great tour for us. We had a delicious fresh seafood lunch, and yummy Japanese treat. He even helped me interpret with shopkeepers and my fortunes from the temples. I cannot recommend him enough!

Jun 13, 2026
Joshua_A
Viator review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
The Best Guide I Had in Japan
Hideki was, without question, my favorite guide during my month-long trip in Japan.
He is an amazing, kind, and genuinely thoughtful gentleman. Before guiding, he had a successful career at a major conglomerate in Tokyo, with experience in business development and marketing, and you can immediately tell that he brings a level of professionalism, perspective, and depth that goes far beyond a standard tour.
What makes Hideki special is that he does this because he truly enjoys it. He told me, “You can use ChatGPT to get all the history, but it’s my job to explain what it can’t.” That perfectly sums up the experience. He did not just point things out or recite facts. He added context, judgment, personality, and a real human understanding of Japan that you simply would not get from a guidebook or online search.
The morning of our tour, I told him I wanted to completely change the plan. Not only did he accept it, he took it as a challenge and immediately sprung into action. A few hours later, I was completely off the beaten path in a place that would never show up in travel guides or magazines. We ate locally, and it ended up being the best lunch I had in Tokyo. We walked around, bantered, explored, and had an amazing time.
Being with Hideki felt less like being on a tour and more like spending the day with an old friend or a fun uncle who happens to know Tokyo incredibly well. His knowledge, friendliness, calm demeanor, and willingness to go above and beyond made the day unforgettable.
I could not recommend Hideki more highly. If you book with him, you are lucky to have his time. Treat him well.

May 2, 2026
Bruce G
Our guide (Hideki san) was a master. It was a rainy day and he suggested a new plan in anticipation that worked well.
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Using the subway and minimizing time in the rain we saw many of the most important sites and experienced a variety of interesting and fun neighborhood cultures. We had lunch at a local gem for a fun meal of tempura and rice. Some of the sites were spectacular, all were worthwhile. Time and money well spent.

Apr 30, 2026
johnbD9596UO
Lovely Private tour of Tokyo
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
My wife and I had a great time being shown around the sights of Tokyo by our guide Hideki, walking and travelling on the transport network. We were able to learn about some of the history and culture of Japan. The whole day was thoroughly enjoyable and was a great experience. We can highly recommend the private tour with Hideki who was very knowledgeable and helpful and can tailor the tour to meet your interests.

Jul 13, 2026
webstere2025
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Half-Day Tour with Licensed Local Guide
Excellent
Andy(Atsushi) was great and communicated with us beforehand about our itinerary. He was flexible with changes we requested. Andy was very informative during the tour. He also was willing to take our family’s pictures. We were able to stop and check out shops as we pleased along the way. He also accommodated lunch requests(as our daughter has food allergies).
One thing I wish we realized was that there is quite a bit of walking. We were fine but for people who are perhaps older or with young children you may want to consider taking a cab between different sites.

Jun 21, 2026
Catherine_D
Viator review: Osaka 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
First time in Osaka
Andy was great . On time and patience with our walking tour since we had a 14 yr old with
us. Very informative and picked us up and dropped us off our hotel. Thank you Andy for
showing us Osaka

Jun 6, 2026
eyeessess
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Early Morning Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Great tour!
Andy Murao was an amazing and wonderful tour guide. He reached out to us with some ideas for our private tour. He worked with us as we made the tour perfectly suited to our needs. He met us on time. He navigated the crowds and the sites perfectly. He was very knowledgeable and we learned a lot. He even put together a nice photo collection of photos he emailed us after. Highly recommend.

Jun 5, 2026
Janice_W
Viator review: Kyoto 9hr Private Tour (Kobe Dep. ) with Licensed Guide
Great tour of Kyoto
It was a good tour & Andy looked after us well. He managed to change things to suite our
walking limitations & we had a good day.

Jul 25, 2026
Hdixjdixj
Tripadvisor review: Osaka Local Food & Culture Tour in 1 Day, Licensed Guide
Amazing Food Tour through Osaka
We were taken care of by Yama-San. We had an amazing time and probably ate the best Tuna ever in our lives. Yama-san really knew where to take us and also gave us some historical backgrounds in general. We can only recommend this Tour as a 5 Star tour. All the places he took us too where amazing and the food so super delicious.

Jul 20, 2026
Eric_W
Viator review: Himeji Castle & Koko-en in 1 Day Tour with Licensed Guide
Castle journey worth your time!
Our tour with Mr. Yamashita was absolutely wonderful from start to finish! He was incredibly knowledgeable, friendly and engaging and he shared so much fascinating history and information throughout the tour. His passion for Himeji Castle and the gardens really showed and he made the experience both educational and fun while taking the time to answer all of our questions. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with Mr. Yamashita and would highly recommend his tour to anyone looking for a memorable and informative experience.

Jul 13, 2026
Diane_B
Viator review: Kobe Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Our tour guide Yama was amazing!!
Our tour guide Yama was simply fantastic – knowledgeable, friendly, and provided impeccable service. Many weeks before our tour, Yama reached out to help us plan and customize our itinerary with him. He was easy to find at our agreed upon meeting location and seamlessly coordinated our transportation around Kobe. We had wonderful visits to Mt Rokko via the cable car, Nunobiki Herb Gardens (Shin-Kobe, using the ropeway), Kitano Ijinkan Street, and the Sannomiya area. At the end of the tour, we felt as if we were saying goodbye to a dear friend. I cannot recommend him highly enough!

Jul 4, 2026
Navigator661725
Tripadvisor review: Osaka 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
A wonderful time!
We absolutely loved this tour. Yama was attentive, was filled with interesting facts, and he also took us a few areas that were not as full of tourists. He seemed to enjoy his work which made it really fun for us. Absolutely a kind and knowledgeable guide, I would highly recommend him to anyone visiting Osaka for the first time….

Jul 7, 2026
77guye
The best way to experience Himeji Castle
Tripadvisor review: Himeji Half-Day Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
What a great way to visit and see Himeji Castle and the Kokoen Gardens. Our private guide
Norio was so knowledgeable and accommodating. He made our visit to Himeji such a
memorable and awesome experience. Arigato gozaimasu Norio-san.

May 30, 2026
karenpG5549XU
Loved our tour
Tripadvisor review: Kobe 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
We had a great tour with Norio, would highly recommend him! He was very friendly and knowledgeable!

May 28, 2026
TrailBlazer741528
Kobe Variety.
Tripadvisor review: Kobe 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Our delightful guide, Norio, was knowledgeable and a master at train negotiation! A highlight of the tour was the Herb Garden and Ropeway visit. The Sake Brewery and Museum was interesting with fabulous explanation from Norio combined with outstanding exhibits and tastings! He then left us to wander at our leisure in Chinatown.

May 23, 2026
sarahpR5911DJ
Himeji castle with Norio
Tripadvisor review: Himeji Half-Day Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
We learnt lots about Himeji castle and it was very interesting. The gardens were beautiful and it was great to see all the Koi fish. Norio made sure to take us to the best places and even took us to a great local sake place we asked for 🙂
Would recommend this tour

Oct 25, 2025
Carla_G
Our 4-hour Tokyo walking…
Viator review: Tokyo 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Our 4-hour Tokyo walking tour was fantastic! Michio was informative, delightful, and incredibly accommodating. We had our four-year-old with us, and he thoughtfully adapted the tour to suit our family’s needs. Using public transportation to get around was seamless thanks to his guidance. We highly recommend booking this tour—and definitely request Michio!

Oct 24, 2025
410trishab
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 10/10 — Outstanding Tour with Michio and Nobuhiko!
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo Full Day Tour with Licensed Guide and Vehicle from Yokohama
We had an amazing day exploring Tokyo with Michio as our guide. He was incredibly knowledgeable, providing great historical background on each site and using his personal tablet to visually enhance our understanding. His English was excellent, and he clearly explained the cultural differences between temples and shrines, making the experience even more meaningful.

Our driver, Nobuhiko, was equally impressive—always finding safe and convenient drop-off and pick-up points close to each attraction. Together, they made the day flow seamlessly.

Michio thoughtfully adjusted our itinerary to avoid traffic and kindly delayed our lunch at our request to miss the noon rush. Every detail was handled with care and professionalism.

Highly recommend Michio and Nobuhiko for anyone looking for a well-organized, informative, and enjoyable tour in Tokyo!

Oct 11, 2025
GoPlaces52694049181
We enjoyed our time in Tokyo with Michio our tour guide.
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 8hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
We enjoyed our time with Michio tour guide. He was very friendly helpful, and
knowledgeable answering all our questions. He provided insightful information about
history and culture of Japan!

Oct 10, 2025
PiscesV
Sushi for breakfast at 630am? Yes please!!
Tripadvisor review: Toyosu Market Morning Tuna Auction and Tsukiji Food Tour with Licensed Guide
What a wonderful morning witnessing and learning about the Tuna Auction and learning about the history of the Tokyo fish markets. Michio was an amazing guide and very well informed. He took us to the auction and explained what was happening, taught us some fascinating history, and found us a wonderful “breakfast” at the intermediate market. Once we were satiated he guided us to the Tsukiji market via a wonderful driverless train ride. Everything you could ever imagine could be found at the markets. This was a great tour and we learned things we would never have found out on our own. Thank you Michio!

Jun 3, 2026
Nikki G
Wonderful experience with a great guide!
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Masaki was our guide through Kyoto the day after we arrived. It was a wonderful experience, learning both about the culture and the hidden gems. He shared the details of each temple that he took us to, as well as took us through streets that showed the different styles of the Japanese culture the best part was that he was very communicative prior to and after our tour. He was so on top of everything that he made reservations at a specific restaurant during our tour, based on our interests, so that we do not waste time. It was an area that we would not be able to find on our own, obviously. He also changed some of the areas we were going to tour, based on our sons interest. That was actually the best part for our son, as he was able to experience archery.

The best part is that Masaki is so kind and considerate that there was a typhoon coming through Tokyo during our stay. He knew we were going to be traveling there after Kyoto and he made sure to update us with the train schedules and the storm details. We could not have asked for a better guide through Kyoto. I wish we could utilize his expertise in Tokyo…

May 24, 2026
Pamela_C
Viator review: Private Kyoto Tour with Licensed Guide & Vehicle (Max 15 persons)
Perfect day in Kyoto with the best guide!
Absolutely perfect for getting the most out of a single day in Kyoto. Masaki-san is an excellent tour guide. He communicated well by WhatsApp to set up our plans so we could see everything we wanted. He kindly adjusted our start time after our travel plans were delayed. He figured out the best way to adjust our tour when we spent too long admiring a few places! And he took us to the most amazing local type place for lunch. Overall it was beyond our expectations and we truly are grateful and thankful to Masaki-San for our truly perfect day!

May 4, 2026
TravelersHigh77
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Excellent English speaking guide for Kyoto
Masaki was s wonderful and patient guide for our first visit to Kyoto. He explained the significance of the castle and temples we visited, pointing out parts he felt were most interesting. He also went out of his way to help us figure out our bullet train tickets for our return.

Nov 29, 2025
vsairamkumar
Kyoto guided tour
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
We had great fun exploring Kyoto with Masaki San. Masaki San helped us plan the itinerary
and customized it for us. We had a good mix of temples and sights and shopping. Kyoto has
amazing history and sights and temples. We will definitely be back to spend more time.

Jul 2, 2026
jamespmccormick
Tripadvisor review: The Best Family-Friendly Tokyo Tour with Government Licensed Guide
Great Tokyo tour with Bruce!
We booked a 6 hour Tokyo tour with Bruce Sugano and had a great experience! Bruce’s English is very good and he was flexible with us setting and changing the itinerary when we saw things we wanted to experience. We took the tour on our 2nd day in Japan and It was helpful to introduce us to the culture and help us gain an understanding of the city and some of its important sites. At the end of our tour, Bruce took us to one of his favorite sushi restaurants and introduced us to Japanese sushi! I would definitely recommend this tour!

Jun 12, 2026
716suzannab
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Amazing experience
Bruce was an amazing guide. He taught us some essential Japanese that we have been using ever since. We visited a wide range of locations in Tokyo and our guide gave us lots of information and history. We would recommend this tour.
Suzanna and Nicholas

May 27, 2026
beaufordtjustice
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Great tour of Tokyo with Bruce!
My son and I had a great tour of Tokyo with Bruce Sangano. We gave him several places we would like to visit and he turned those into our itinerary for the day. We learned a lot about Japanese culture, Shinto and Buddhism and many customs, etc. Near the end of our tour, he booked a great sushi restaurant that is more likely known to locals than tourist. It was wonderful. We would highly recommend Bruce for future tours of Tokyo!

May 24, 2026
A2151KImelissab
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Day out in Tokyo
I enjoyed a solo guided tour of Tokyo with Bruce who met me at my hotel and spent some time collaborating to create a bespoke itinery for the day to match my interests and his local knowledge of the kind of places I would not have thought to go to on my first visit to Japan.
We visited the old neighbourhood of Yanaka and walked along Snake Road where I met a shiba dog out for his Sunday morning walk & saw the Nezu shrine and its extrordinary topiary azalea gardens . Then we set off by metro to exprerience the buzz of Harajuku Street shopping district and visit a ridiculously cute hedgehog cafe. I experienced the iconic Shibuya Crossing and learned the story behind the famous mural by artist Taro Okomoto in the station. After all this we arrived mid afternoon at the Tokyo fish markets in Tsukiju where we enjoyed a late lunch at a local sushi bar- the best sushi I have ever tried- a highlight being zuke (tuna infused with yuzu). Our final stop was the local shrine near the market to honour the fish and the seaweed before heading back to my hotel. Along the way we had many interesting conversations about history, politics and art. It was a terrifc day. Highly recommended.