What Can You See on a Private Tokyo Day Tour? A Licensed Guide's Report on Asakusa, Skytree, and Shibuya The guests were a family visiting from Oceania. We met on time and first purchased a one-day subway pass at Roppongi Station. I guided them around Asakusa, where they enjoyed the cherry blossoms along the Sumida River, and then we walked to Tokyo Skytree. However, although reservation slots for Skytree had been available in the morning, they became fully booked as the time approached, so we had to give up on going up to the observation deck. Instead, since they mentioned they would be going to Shinjuku that evening, I suggested the observation deck at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. After that, the guests enjoyed Takeshita Street and the Shibuya Scramble Crossing, which concluded the tour. On Takeshita Street, they had a great time at a micro pig café.

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Tour Report by Takeshi

Welcome to Japan!
My name is Takeshi Yamada, a National Government Licensed Guide Interpreter based in the vibrant city of Yokohama, Kanagawa.
Born and raised in Minamiuonuma City, Niigata Prefecture, renowned for its exquisite rice and sake, I deeply appreciate Japan’s culinary delights. I love sharing laughs, exploring diverse cultures and histories, and playing tennis.
I specialize in guiding tours around Yokohama, Kamakura, Fuji-Hakone, Tokyo, and the surrounding Kanto areas. With years of experience in multinational corporations, I excel in English communication and making foreign visitors feel at home.
Whether you’re interested in historical landmarks, authentic cultural experiences, savoring Japanese cuisine, enjoying lively Izakaya spots, or soaking in urban energy, my tours are tailored to your interests. I am committed to providing exceptional service, ensuring each guest receives personalized attention and creates unforgettable memories.
My greatest joy is seeing my guests fall in love with Japan, taking home cherished memories and a deeper understanding of this beautiful country.
I look forward to meeting you and being your friendly, knowledgeable guide.

See you soon!

Title: What's a Full-Day Private Hakone Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Kuzuryu Shrine and the Hakone Open-Air Museum At the guests' request, the tour started early in the morning and was scheduled to end with a 19:30 Shinkansen back to Tokyo. Since visiting Kuzuryu Shrine and the Komagatake Ropeway were essential, and public transportation on Sundays is difficult, I reserved a taxi one month in advance. Unfortunately, the weather was poor, with strong winds and thick fog, so the Komagatake Ropeway was suspended and we were unable to reach the summit of Mount Komagatake, which was a shame. We were able to visit Kuzuryu Shrine by motorboat, and also visited Hakone Shrine. Furthermore, the Great Torii Gate has recently become popular as a power spot, and the photo spot in front of the torii had a one-hour wait. The guests understood this and were satisfied to take their photos. We had planned to take a boat from Moto-Hakone to Togendai Port, but gave up due to the strong winds. As a result, we used a taxi to go to the Hakone Open-Air Museum, where we were able to take our time and fully enjoy the museum, which pleased the guests. I saw them off at the Shinkansen platform at Odawara Station, and they were very happy. They told me it had been a wonderful Hakone trip and that they were a lovely group to guide.

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Tour Report by Kenji

I am Mr. Hotta Kenji from Yokohama. I am pleased to introduce myself as a Government Licensed Guide registered in Kanagawa Prefecture, having an ample exeperience as a English speaking guide in Tokyo, Yokohama, Kamakura, and Hakone areas for last 4 years. I would be happy to introduce Japanese culture, social activities and history, etc. I have had a rich business experience for over 40 years visiting more than 40 countries in Asia, Middle East, USA, Europe and others in the field of business development, international taxation, invester relations, corporate management, etc. I enjoy playing Japanese classical musical instrument (Shakuhachi or bamboo flute) and performing martial art (Aikido) .
I will be happy to share happy moments with our important guests in Japan.

What's a Private Osaka Tour Like with Osaka Castle and Shitennoji Temple? A Licensed Guide's Report The guests were visiting from North America on a trip that had taken them through Tokyo and Kyoto before arriving in Osaka. When I explained the tour route at the start, they mentioned that one of the guests was not in the best physical condition for walking. We set off with the plan to walk as slowly as possible and to take breaks whenever needed. At Osaka Castle Park, the cherry blossoms were in full bloom, and the area was lively with people enjoying hanami and events such as an entrance ceremony at Osaka-jo Hall. Walking at a relaxed pace, we explored the outer moat, inner moat, and the outer defensive perimeter, then climbed the main keep, discussing the history of Osaka. The guests were deeply moved by the story of the Summer Siege of Osaka and took many photos. At the Honbo Garden of Shitennoji Temple, the atmosphere was very tranquil and the cherry blossoms were in full bloom, which they found very moving. After that, walking became difficult, and around 16:10 there was a request to return to the hotel by taxi, and the tour came to an end.

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Tour Report by shige

Hello, This is Shige. I was born and brought up in Osaka. I have been enjoying working as a tour guide since 2016 after retired from a manufacturing company in which I worked at the overseas department. So I experienced a lot of business with customers in Europe, Asia, Australia, and USA where my three years of living and working at the subsidiary company with my family was the most amazing experience of my life. Well, Japan has a long history including ancient remains, historic buildings and cultures at each period over 2000 years. I hope you will enjoy exploring Japan in this tour. I look forward to seeing you soon.
Shige.

What Can You See on a Private Nagoya Day Tour? A Licensed Guide's Report on Nagoya Castle and a Sword Museum The guests were a group visiting from North America. The original itinerary included Nagoya Castle, Atsuta Shrine, and Oasis 21. On the day of the tour, I learned that the Nagoya Touken World sword museum was open specially on a Monday, which is usually its closing day, so I recommended it to the guests, and they agreed to visit the sword museum instead of Atsuta Shrine. At Nagoya Castle, although the peak season had passed, they enjoyed the cherry blossoms that were still blooming in abundance. At the sword museum, they viewed with great interest the enormous collection of swords, armor, and firearms, along with a special exhibition of nationally designated masterpiece swords. The younger members of the group also enjoyed the corner where they could try on samurai costumes and take photos inside the museum. I guided them to a dining area near their accommodation, then returned to the Hotel and concluded the tour.

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Tour Report by Todd

Hello, guests of JGA tours, I’m Takao (Todd) Miura, a national licensed guide of Japan.
I have experiences as a professional guide over 5 years. The themes in which I’m well versed include castles, Japaneses landscape gardens, museums, festivals, and traditinal Japanese arts and crafts.
Nagoya City and Aichi Prefecture, where I live, have many attractive sites to visit. I would like to introduce you to the most popular sites and spots in this area.
I really wish to have a very nice time with you as a guide of your tour in Nagoya and Aichi Prefecture.

What Is a Private Kyoto Walking Tour Like with Young Guests? A Licensed Guide's Report The guests were a family visiting from Europe. The parents spoke fluent English, and it was interesting that when they spoke to the child at natural speed in their native language, the child understood everything and replied entirely in British English, which created a curious dynamic. The child's British English was genuinely hard for me to follow, especially when the names of toy characters were mixed in. Explaining things like the local superstition that stumbling on Sannenzaka slope means you will die within three years was tricky, since wordplay did not come across. When I improvised and said that a god had decided it that way, the child responded with remarkable sensitivity, asking, "So if I fall here, the god will kill me? He's a god, won't he help me?" Today the parents had no interest at all in the historical explanations of each spot, and whenever the story grew a little long, they would wander off, tend to the child, or become somewhat distant in their manner. They also wanted to take many photos with an SLR camera, so I kept my explanations as brief as possible. Anyone can give a long explanation as a guide; today felt like great practice in conveying the key points concisely in a short time, around 15 to 20 seconds. Even so, they were especially fond of Fushimi Inari, and although they knew there was no time to climb all the way to the summit, they kept saying, "Just a little further, just a little further, this is so beautiful!" and were truly moved. Since there were many questions, I was able to weave in a few of the points I wanted to share by tying them to those questions. I would be glad if I was of help to them today.

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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

Guests from North America participated in a private tour, and although the original booking was for three adults, an email came in beforehand asking whether two additional people could join, and I replied that it was fine. At the hotel, some additional guests joined the group. Some of the guests were originally from North America but now live in North America. During a conversation, one of the guests asked one of the younger members which university they were set to attend after graduating high school, and I answered "Stanford" on their behalf. As it happened, this turned out to be a coincidence, as one of the guests had completed a doctoral program at Stanford. We stayed in Hakone-Yumoto. On the mountain railway, they asked me where they should go during their stay in Kyoto, so I wrote out a four-day itinerary of three days in Kyoto and one day in Nara and handed it to them. (Kyoto is my hometown.) They enjoyed the Hakone Open-Air Museum. To save time I suggested a simple Western meal inside the museum, but they wanted to eat sushi, so we had lunch at a sushi restaurant near the museum. I had often passed by it before, but because the storefront did not look very impressive I had judged it as unpromising and never gone in. However, they ordered inari sushi, rolled sushi, nigiri sushi, seafood rice bowls, and more, and both the content and taste were excellent — 15,000 yen for the whole group was a good value. All the customers were international visitors. The guests had been looking forward to the volcanic activity and black eggs at Owakudani, but after waiting 30 minutes, just 10 minutes before boarding, the ropeway was suspended due to strong winds and we received a refund on the tickets. I contacted two taxi companies in Gora, but both declined, saying they were fully booked and could not dispatch a vehicle. The buses were also lined with many passengers and only went as far as Togendai. Since there was no prospect of the ropeway reopening, and because it was a Sunday, neither buses nor taxis could reach Owakudani. While we were at a loss, we happened to find an empty six-seat taxi returning after dropping someone off at a hotel, so we were able to reach Togendai and, on schedule, take the pirate ship and visit the Hakone Checkpoint site. The younger members enjoyed going into the jail at the checkpoint site. They wanted black eggs, so we looked for them at Hakonemachi Port but could not find any. After arriving at Hakone-Yumoto, this was a two-hour extension, but since we had not been able to go to Owakudani, I said 8,000 yen for the extension would be fine, though they paid 10,000 yen. At Hakone-Yumoto Station I found black eggs at a shop, so I contacted them via a messaging app, and they replied with thanks. Hearing my English, they said it sounded like English learned from a long stay in North America and asked where I had studied. I explained that I had worked for 23 years at an advertising company and had practiced American English through my university's ESS, which gave me an American-style pronunciation. This was the second time I had been told this.

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Tour Report by Akey

Hello, new friends! I’m Akio Yasui. I was born in Kyoto City and graduated from Doshisha University in Kyoto and moved to Tokyo for working. I used to work for international companies as a marketing advertising specialist. I have been to fourty five different countries until now and been to all prefectures in Japan.
I have deep knowledge of both traditional and modern culture of Japan based on my experience in Kyoto, Tokyo and their surrounding areas such as Kamakura, Nikko, Nara, Osaka. I can design exclusive and the optinum itineray for you and guide you not only to ordinary tour courses but also casual or hidden locations. My task is making you enjoy Japan and like our culture and people. Let me guide you any where you want to visit and enjoy Japan together.

Title: What's a Private 6-Hour Tokyo Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Asakusa, Tsukiji, and Shinjuku Gyoen The guests were a group of four visiting from North America. One of the guests had been to Japan once before, while it was the first visit for the others. They had arrived the day before and were staying in Japan for one week, planning to spend a night in Hakone and the rest of the time in Tokyo. I guided them through Asakusa, Tsukiji, and Shinjuku Gyoen. At Asakusa, one of the guests felt a little unwell but recovered afterward. At Tsukiji, they were able to enjoy sushi, which they said they loved, at an authentic restaurant, and they were very pleased. At Shinjuku Gyoen, the Somei Yoshino cherry blossoms were past their peak, but there were many varieties of cherry trees, and the guests took many photos and enjoyed themselves. Initially, the plan for Shinjuku Gyoen was only to view the cherry blossoms, but they also wanted to walk around the Japanese garden. Since this meant there would not be enough time to guide them through the final stop at Meiji Shrine, we discussed it and they decided to visit Meiji Shrine on their own without a guide. I extended the time at Shinjuku Gyoen and, at the scheduled end of the tour, guided them to the entrance of Meiji Shrine. I explained how to walk around Meiji Shrine and how to return to their hotel, and we parted ways.

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Tour Report by Haru

Hello, I’m Haruhiko Yokota, a certified tour guide based in Tokyo and a top-ranked guide registered with JGA Inc. Please feel free to call me Haru.
I’ve been living in Tokyo for about 30 years and conducted close to 200 tours between 2023 and 2025. I’m very familiar with most major sightseeing spots in and around Tokyo, ranging from traditional temples and shrines to modern attractions. I also enjoy traveling throughout Japan, which has given me extensive knowledge of popular destinations across the country.
I’m happy to customize your tour to match your interests and preferences. If you have any requests or questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. I’ll do my best to make your tour both enjoyable and memorable!

Title: What's a Private Kumano Kodo Walking Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Doro-kyo Gorge and Nachi Falls The guests were a group from North America, visiting Japan for the second time. When planning the itinerary, they mentioned that they were not interested in shrines or temples, so I decided to include more of Doro-kyo Gorge and walking sections. A taxi was essential, but to keep costs down we used a 5-hour plan, traveling by taxi from Doro-kyo Gorge to Hongu and then to the entrance of Daimon-zaka. They enjoyed the beautiful scenery of Doro-kyo Gorge and the walk to Fushiogami-oji. At Nachi, everything was on foot, so it was a little demanding, but they took many family photos at the three-storied pagoda and Nachi Falls. At the Nachisan tourist center, the guests bought soft-serve ice cream and boarded the bus. We arrived at Kii-Katsuura at around 5:00, said our farewells, and ended the tour. They told me they love Japan and would come again.

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Tour Report by Kiyoko

Hello, my name is Kiyoko. I have been a local English guide since 2016. I have studied the history and folklore at a local guide club and have an experience of guiding guests from various countries. I am good at Takijiri Oji-Takahara Jinja, Hosshinmon Oji-Hongu Taisha and Daimonzaka-Nachi Taisha, Seiganto-ji, Nachi Fall. Besides Kumano, I can guide Koyasan, Okunoin, Kongobu-ji, Danjo Garan, Niutsuhime Jinja and Jison-in. I have been to Koyasan 30-40 times . My aim is sharing a great time with guests while guiding. See you in Kumano or in Koyasan.

Title: What Is a Private Day Tour of Kyoto Like from Shinagawa? A Licensed Guide's Report Body: – Picked up the guests who arrived in Kyoto at 8:22 after departing Shinagawa at 6:22. After coordinating with the driver and loading the suitcases onto the bus, we departed at 9:00. – The group consisted of 14 guests, including adults and children of various ages. Everyone was very cheerful, and it was a pleasure to guide them. – Nijo Castle went smoothly, but Arashiyama was extremely crowded. Had the bus been able to park at the Kyoto municipal parking lot, we could have gone straight to the planned lunch spot so that the hungry children could eat right away, but unfortunately the lot was full. – We walked from Tenryu-ji Temple through the bamboo grove and along the Katsura River toward the planned lunch spot, but it was very crowded with a long line, so we gave up and split into smaller groups of about four to have lunch. – Lunch took some time, so we arrived at Kinkaku-ji Temple at 2:00. Kinkaku-ji was also very crowded, but I gave all the guide explanations about Kinkaku-ji on the bus, so the walk through Kinkaku-ji was completed in 45 minutes. – Since the bus could not stop in front of the hotel, the guests got off the bus near the hotel and the tour ended there. (I offered to accompany them, but they said it would be fine, so the guests walked to their hotel on their own.)

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Tour Report by HIDEYOSHI

Hello, I’m HIDEo YOSHIda. Please call me HIDEYOSHI, the same name as a famous shogun who unified Japan for the first time in 1590.
I was born in Kobe, worked in Osaka for nearly 40 years. I would like to introduce you Kansai region, including Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, Nara and Wakayama.
In Kyoto, I can guide you Nijojo Castle, Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, Kinkakuji Tempe (Golden Pavilion), Gion area, and Fushimi Inari Taisha.
In Osaka, I’ll show you Osaka Castle, Shinsekai, Dotonbori, and Umeda Sky biilding. We have locall foods such as Kushikatau, Okonomiyaki and Takoyaki.
In Kobe, I’ll take you to former foreign residential area, Sannomiya Shopping Street, Chinese Market, and Arima Onsen.
In Nara, I’ll guide you Todaiji Temple, Kofukuji Temple, Kasuga Taisha, and Yakushiji Temple.
In Wakayama, I take you to Koyasan, the center of Esoteric Buddhism.
I enjoy guiding foreign tourists.
I can show you Japanese history, especially samurai period, and Shinto and Buddhism.
I’ve been looking forward to guiding you !!

What's a Full-Day Walking Tour of Tokyo Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on the Imperial Palace, Meiji Shrine, Shibuya, Ueno, and Asakusa Today I guided the guests, who are based in North America. Up until two days earlier they had been unwell, apparently due to food poisoning, and I had been consulted about possibly changing the schedule. However, I received word the day before that they had recovered, so today we proceeded as planned. When we met today they were in good condition and expressed a wish to walk as much as possible, so I arranged an itinerary centered on walking. Since the hotel was located in Hibiya, we walked from Sakuradamon, passed by the Nijubashi Bridge, and continued to the Otemon Gate. After that, we took the subway from Otemachi to Meiji-jingumae and visited Meiji Shrine. After the visit, we walked to Shibuya and saw the Scramble Crossing and the statue of Hachiko. They already knew the story of Hachiko in advance. Next, we moved to Ueno on the Ginza Line and enjoyed cherry blossom viewing at Ueno Park and Shinobazu Pond. At times we could even see petals dancing in the wind, and we were able to enjoy the blossoms. We also had food from the stalls for lunch. We then took the subway from Ueno Station to Asakusa and visited Kaminarimon Gate, Nakamise, and Sensoji Temple. Finally, we enjoyed cherry blossom viewing along the Sumida River embankment. The blossoms were in their final stage and some had already turned to leaves, but the conditions were still good enough to enjoy fully. At the end of the tour, the guests expressed a wish to return to the hotel while shopping in Ginza, so although it was within the scheduled time, we parted ways inside Ginza Station. The guests appeared to be impressed by the tranquility of Meiji Shrine, the beauty of its buildings, and the size of the torii gate, and overall they seemed very satisfied.

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Tour Report by Toshi

Self-Background

During my university years, I lived in a dormitory for four years and had the opportunity to live with many international students.
Of course, we spoke English.
After graduating from university, I started working as an English teacher at a junior high school.
I was able to have a fun teaching life while interacting with many students. During that time, I continued to study English on my own and obtained the pre-1st grade English proficiency test.
After that, I worked for the Board of Education as a supervisor in charge of English education, and then managed a school as a vice principal, and later principal.
After retiring from teaching, I took the TOEIC (L&R) and achieved my highest score of 945.
I also obtained a license as a national guide-interpreter, and began working as a guide for overseas visitors in English.
Currently, I guide tourists to several places around the country.
Many customers have told me that I am a good guide, saying that my guidance is easy to understand and that I have a lot of knowledge about sightseeing spots and history.
Furthermore, I will continue to improve my skills and make efforts to give you a better experience in Japan, so please come and enjoy your trip in Japan with me.