Jul 23, 2026
L9490ARrachelf
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
A tour guide that goes above and beyond!
Takeshi was an essential partner for planning our first trip to Tokyo. He made a customized itinerary for me based on my preferences – one historic sight, one place with lots of plants, and one place that would be fun for our 10 year old. He planned the perfect day for us which was fun for the whole family! He showed us how to navigate the subway system, and he also had lunch with us which was a real treat! I appreciate him sending us recommendations before our trip even started – even guiding us on how to buy tickets for the limousine bus in Narita to get to our hotel. My only regret was not booking more time – 6 hours went by so fast! You won’t regret booking Takeshi to be your guide in Tokyo 🙂

Jul 18, 2026
tlT4839UI
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Solo Layover Tour
I had a 12-hour layover in Tokyo and decided to book this tour with Takeshi. I’m so glad I did. He was a great guide and very knowledgeable about the history of Tokyo. Since I was traveling solo, I really appreciated having Takeshi’s support.
From the beginning, Takeshi was very helpful. He helped me find a place to store my luggage at the airport and made sure to ask which terminal my flight was leaving from so we could store it there, which made everything much easier at the end of my trip.
Takeshi took me all around Asakusa, where I got to see Senso-ji Temple, walk around, and buy souvenirs. He suggested a great authentic place for us to eat soba noodles and shrimp tempura, which was one of the highlights of the tour and very tasty.
We also got to walk across Shibuya Crossing at night, which was exciting. Takeshi has a very energetic walking pace, which helped us make the most of my limited time and see many places around Tokyo. He was very knowledgeable about the transit system and guided me safely to and from every location. He also brought me back to the airport at the exact place where I could pick up my luggage.
Throughout the entire experience, I felt very safe, secure, and happy. Takeshi made my long layover a wonderful experience, and I truly appreciated his help, knowledge, and guidance.

Jun 13, 2026
V2750KJjonasb
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Great experience
Takeshi san picked us up on the Hotel and we had a very nice tour of Meiji Shrine, Imperial Palace area, Tokyo National Museum and Senso-ji Temple.
Really good insight into Japanese Customs, the sites and culture. A very good guide!
Very much enjoyed it!

Jul 30, 2026
135ulrikh
Tripadvisor review: Osaka Customized Half-Day Tour with Licensed Local Guide
Osaka Customized Half-Day Tour with Licensed Local Guide
We spent half a day with Sachiko Ogura seeing the Osaka castle, the garden on 16th floor, Sumiyoshi Taisha shrine and Dotonbori. Sachiko was on time (in fact, early:-) and well prepared (we have communicated in advance) and gave us an excellent tour.
She can be highly recommended!

Jul 12, 2026
angiegI1120DY
Tripadvisor review: Osaka Customized Half-Day Tour with Licensed Local Guide
Great tour! Great guide!
Sachi was a great guide. She customized our tour for us and even made a last minute adjustment due to the rain and switched us to an indoor activity to visit the Japanese museum of living which was gave us a very nice insight on how the Japanese lived way back when. She’s very knowledgeable and was able to answer any questions we had. She also went out of her way to make sure our kids also enjoyed the tour. What really impressed me was that she never sat down or rested during the whole tour. Even on the train, she didn’t sit down!

Jul 8, 2026
surferbikerdude1
We Miss Osaka Already
Tripadvisor review: Osaka Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Sachiko O. was our guide for the day around Osaka, and what a wonderful experience we had in this amazing city. Even with a rainy day she provided an itinerary that included history and culture with shopping and, of course, food. It provides us with a taste of a city that we hope to return to in the near future.

Jun 23, 2026
Relax64382499520
Tripadvisor review: Osaka 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
A memorable experience!
Wonderful experience with an amazing guide! Ms. Sachiko Ogura, a kind, respectful, and knowledgeable guide made our 4-hour tour efficient and interesting. We visited several places including the Osaka castle. She provided detailed information on the places we visited in addition to attractions along the way.
I highly recommend her to everyone who desires the best exposure to Osaka.

Jul 8, 2026
Maria H
Tokyo an amazing city
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
First time in this amazing city of Tokyo, our guide Shigeru was more than excellent in providing a wealth knowledge on so many fronts from history, culture, food and more. Went to some touristy places but well worth it. We walked and caught subway/trains was great. Highly recommend this tour.

Jul 4, 2026
davidsM6670MT
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Excellent professional and attentive Tokyo Tour
Shigeru was extremely professional, knowledgeable and attentive. We had a great tour of Tokyo with a local touch. Enjoyed our cultural and historical exchange. Would 100 recommend him!…

Jun 14, 2026
Q3961PBsaraf
History, Culture and Local Insight
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
We had a wonderful half-day tour of Tokyo with Shigeru and would thoroughly recommend him.

From our first communication, Shigeru was friendly, approachable and helpful. He listened carefully to our interests and suggested an itinerary that suited us perfectly, including Asakusa, Yanaka and Nezu. Rather than simply showing us the sights, he helped us understand the history, culture and atmosphere of each area, and was able to answer the many questions we had throughout the day.

What we particularly appreciated was that Shigeru was happy to talk not only about the places we visited, but also about everyday life in Japan, which was exactly what we were interested in learning more about. His knowledge added so much to the experience.

We were travelling to Japan partly to research our family history and to learn more about my great-grandfather, who was born in Tokyo. Shigeru took a genuine interest in our search and was very helpful in suggesting places and ideas that might assist our research, which we greatly appreciated.

His English was excellent and communication was easy throughout. He was patient, professional, knowledgeable and very good company.

The tour was one of the highlights of our time in Tokyo and we would not hesitate to recommend Shigeru to anyone looking for a guide who is both informative and personable.

Jun 7, 2026
abhinavg948
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Shigeru is an outstanding guide for an outstanding Tokyo tour
Shigeru is an outstanding guide. We did a private tour as a couple. He was in touch a few days before our tour, and he customized our Tokyo tour according to our prior visit and our interests. He was knowledgeable, patient, and flexible. Would highly recommend. Arigato gozaimasu, Shigeru-San! Sincerely, Shilpa and Abhi

Jul 24, 2026
Trail65429092687
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Full-Day Private Tour with Licensed Guide
Kyoto Tour
Kazua Sumi is a very accomplished guide.He has deep knowledge about the history and culture of Japan. He is flexible and accommodates changes if you so desire. He is also very empathetic. I had a sprained back and he ensured we took elevators everywhere. You will be lucky if he is assigned as your guide .

Jul 23, 2026
489caelinp
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Full-Day Private Tour with Licensed Guide
Kyoto Guided Tour
My friend and I had a great experience on the tour. We travelled all around Kyoto with our guide Kazuo Sumi. He is a sweet older gentleman who had a great depth of knowledge about each place we went to. We told him places we wanted to go and he made the itinerary for us. There is no one better to have as your guide!!

Jul 9, 2026
Sandra_B
Kazuo was great and…
Viator review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Kazuo was great and provided some excellent recommendations. There’s a lot of walking so make sure you are prepared.

Apr 4, 2026
Giovanni_M
Viator review: Port Pick-Up: Kagoshima Private Tour Licensed Guide ＆ Vehicle
Fantastic
Our experience was great and our guide Tachi was very good, well prepared knew his
material and adapted to our needs and requests

Apr 3, 2026
V2097LInickd
Tripadvisor review: Kagoshima Full-Day Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Enjoyable Guide around Kagoshima
Tachi is an experienced, helpful and well organised guide. He met us at our hotel bearing day use transport cards meaning cheap transport for the day and no messing around with change for the bus, train and ferry. He organised a bright sunny day to view Sakurashima volcano which had been obscured by clouds the day before. At least he said he did. And he timed the boarding onto the ferry to the island to the second.
We toured the highlights of the island before returning to the mainland for a visit to Sengan-en and more views of Sakurashima. The history and gardens at Sengan-en are well worth a visit and a guide just adds to the experience.

Mar 28, 2026
James_M
Viator review: Port Pick-Up: Kagoshima Private Tour Licensed Guide ＆ Vehicle
Great tour guide
Great tour guide. Friendly and went out of his way to accommodate all are requests. Also
was very knowledgeable

May 8, 2025
Louann710
Great day in Kagoshima!
Tripadvisor review: Port Pick-Up: Kagoshima Private Tour Licensed Guide ＆ Vehicle
Tachi was very responsive during the planning of our excursion. He tailored our day to what we wanted to do.
The morning of the tour he was waiting for us! He is such a nice man! Very funny wonderful personality. Our driver was very nice as well, and the van was very roomy!
We visted the Yunohira observatory and the geo park at Sakurajima. The volcano was smoking, it was a clear day so we had great views. We also saw the Saigo Takamori Statue and had a Quick Look at the Kagoshima Castle ruins.
He arranged a private room for us at lunch for a Wagu Beef experience. Delicious !!
We also saw where Satsuma glass was made! Really beautiful!
We then went to SENGAN-EN gardens and spent time there walking around and visited the House of the Lord. A very nice way to end the day!
We were back on board the ship in plenty of time.

Jul 27, 2026
zyarisa
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Fumiko tour good vibes only
Mrs. fumiko was very kind, calm and lovely person. She give us a introduction before entering to the different places. She also help us to get the suica card and translate at specifics times around the city. We really enjoy the peaceful energy of mrs. fumiko. Me and my son are grateful for this tour around tokyo. ❤️ thank yiuuu fumiko

Jul 23, 2026
734mortenp
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo Customized Half-Day Tour with Licensed Local Guide
Nice tour of Tokyo
Don’t visit Tokyo without a guide! You’ll need help to find the good restaurants and interesting spots.

We had a tour with Ms. Fumiko. She was a both knowledgeable and nice guide. She even contacted us days beforehand to design the tour to meet our specific needs and wishes. Much appreciated!

Jul 10, 2026
Jessica_A
Viator review: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Fumiko was wonderful. …
Fumiko was wonderful. You can customize your day and see whatever you want. Very informative and having the local guide and knowledge was priceless.

Jun 28, 2026
alistairn2016
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Fumiko is a great tour guide – informative, friendly and very well prepared.
Fumiko was a great tour guide given she was very knowledgeable about the key tourist sites that we visited and history of Japan. Fumiko was a great communicator who reached out very early to design our six-hour tour of Tokyo. Unfortunately we spent a lot of time on the underground to get to the sites that we wanted to visit. My advice is to test with Fumiko early the likely time that you will spend on transport over the course of the day so you do not spend unnecessary time on public transport. Probably do ot need a tour guide to go to the markets. Highly recommend Fumiko.

Jul 21, 2026
Christelle_G
Viator review: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Excellent tour guide
Masa san is extremely knowledgeable and lovely company. My 13-yr-old daughter and I had a great day walking around the sites we had picked with him. He tooks his time to explain all the history and then kindly walked us to the spot of our next booking as it was quite confusing. I would very highly recommend him. Of all the tours we did in Tokyo Masa Sam was my favourite tour guide.

Jul 1, 2026
97TexAg
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 8hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Amazing day in Tokyo
Masa was our tour guide. Masa was an amazing tour guide that communicated extremely well ahead of time about the sites we would like to see in Tokyo, picked us up and dropped us off at our hotel, was very friendly and well prepared and finally but most importantly made our day in Tokyo very memorable.

We went to the Buddhist temple in Asakusa, Meiji Shinto Temple, imperial Palace, Shinjuku Gyoen National Gatden, and Shibuya Crossing. All were great and amazing suggestions by Masa.

Would highly recommend this tour as it was a private tour guide for a full day and provided discretion on which 5-6 sites you want to see. Also highly recommend our tour guide Masa who was a wealth of knowledge and very friendly and charming.

15/10 would do again.

Jun 2, 2026
Tagare S
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Great tour and guide!
This is a great tour, and our guide, Masa was really great. Although it was raining, he had no
hesitations in completing his tour and showing us great places around Tokyo. If you are still
on the fence about this, please don’t, you won’t regret it. Thank you, Masa!

Jun 1, 2026
Lisa_A
Viator review: Private Tokyo Tour with Licensed Guide & Vehicle (Max 15 persons)
Adler Family Tour
Our tour with Masa was incredible and filled with interesting facts and history, he gave us incredible insight on each location. We loved that we were able to choose 3-4 sites from a large selection and really spend enough time at each spot. Masa was kind and knowledgable and even helped us with a restaurant reservation for later in the evening when were unable to find one.

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 26, 2026
Kevin_B
Viator review: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Tokyo Tour
Highly recommend this tour for first time visit to Tokyo. Our guide Atsushi took great care to acclimate us with navigating through busy train stations efficiently with a group of eight family members. Along the way and at each site he explained various cultural practices and associated histories that made the tour very immersive and enjoyable. We will highly recommend Atsushi and Viator to our family and friends for future tours.

Jun 22, 2026
Ashish_L
Viator review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Best Tour for a Short Visit
Atsushi-san was an incredibly well-researched and friendly tour guide. His knowledge allowed us to explore and get to the historical significance of the various locations we visited. His explanations were simple but comprehensive. The six hours flew by and included some off-the-beaten opportunities including coffee at a very austere but memorable location near the fish market. I would highly recommend him as well as this tour for anyone with limited time in Tokyo wanting see as much as possible

May 27, 2026
jackie m
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Walking tour of Tokyo
Our guide was really interesting and had an amazing knowledge of culture and attractions!
We thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon walk! We also navigated through the Shinjuku station
which was no walk in the park! Thank you to Atsushi!

Apr 9, 2026
Lindsey_W
Viator review: Hakone 6 hour Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Our guide, Atsushi, was…
Our guide, Atsushi, was great! He met us at our hotel in Hakone and took us clockwise to tour all the sites. He was informative and taught us a lot. Our group was two adults and a 14 year old. We saw Mt Fuji from the rope way, but unfortunately the pirate ship was canceled because of high wind. We would absolutely use Atsushi again for this tour, or any other tour he provides.

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….