What's a Private Family Tour of Hiroshima Like? A Licensed Guide's Report [Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.)](https://www.j-g-a.org/) guide led a private tour of Hiroshima for a group visiting from Oceania. As they came from a region where the seasons are the opposite, they found the cold in Hiroshima somewhat challenging. Since I had heard in advance that the guests wished to explore the city on their own after the tour, I prepared a map of central Hiroshima and sightseeing pamphlets, and welcomed them at the platform of Hiroshima Station. After visiting the Peace Memorial Park, we stopped by Gokoku Shrine on the way to Hiroshima Castle, where I explained the Japanese custom of the first shrine visit of the New Year and other annual events, helping them deepen their understanding of Japanese culture. Throughout the tour, we enjoyed a warm and pleasant atmosphere, and were able to bring it to a satisfying conclusion.

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Tour Report by Yuji

Originally, I’m a cycling guide doing cycling tours all over Japan.
But, already done Hiroshima & Miyajima tour more than 400 times.
I traveled many countries in my younger days. I traveled Europe, US, China, India, US, Mexico, Peru Australia, NZ, and so on.
I decided to use this experience to become a guide.
I’m afraid but no tipping required, because cycling guides are not allowed to have tipping in my association. And you do not need to pay for my lunch, because my lunch is prepared by our group.
Please do not hesitate to ask me anything, I’ll change the plan according to your requests.
Thank you for your understanding and please stay connected.

What's a Full-Day Private Osaka Walking Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Umeda Sky Building, Osaka Castle, Shitennoji, and Shinsekai [Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.)](https://www.j-g-a.org/) guide led a full-day private tour in Osaka for guests visiting from North America, covering the Umeda Sky Building, Osaka Castle, Shitennoji Temple, and Shinsekai. The Umeda Sky Building was very crowded, and it took about 30 minutes to reach the top, but the guests waited patiently. They were deeply moved by the view from the rooftop and seemed overwhelmed by the urban scenery around the Umeda area. At Osaka Castle, the main keep and the Toyotomi stone wall museum were closed, but the moats and stone walls alone were impressive enough, and the guests listened with interest to the story of the 1970 World Expo time capsule. For lunch, the guests enjoyed sushi at a conveyor-belt sushi restaurant in the Naniwa area and seemed very satisfied. Afterward, we visited Shitennoji Temple, which was already closed, but I explained the garan temple layout, and as we happened to catch the sunset, the guests listened with interest to my explanation of the Nissokan sunset meditation practice. Finally, I guided the guests through Shinsekai, where they took many photos and enjoyed the colorful and lively streetscape.

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Tour Report by Yuko

Dear guests,

I’m Yuko, your guide. I’m happy to guide you!

I have lived in Osaka since I was born(almost 50 years), so I’m a Osaka master!!
Osaka has a long history, so of course, we have some historical places, but the best thing of all is …… food!!
I can take you not only to the castle, shrines, temples, but also to the nice restaurants or food stands where you can enjoy Osaka’s local foods

And, Kyoto, I don’t need to say anything, but it’s the most famous place in Japan where you can know Japanese culture. Of course, I can show you around Kyoto. I have guided the guests in Kyoto many times, so you also enjoy Kyoto tour with me!

Let’s enjoy the tour with me and have an unforgettable memory!

What Is a Private Family Tokyo Tour with Shopping Like? A Licensed Guide's Report Right up until the last moment, I exchanged several messages with the guests about whether or not to visit Tokyo Skytree. In the end they decided not to go, but this time the car was delayed, which made me nervous. Well before the tour day, the guests had wanted to buy some toys, so I did some research, but we couldn't narrow down the specific items. We decided on the locations based on how things went on the day. Fortunately, there were no fixed appointments on this tour, so we were able to take plenty of time for shopping. It was interesting for me to observe what kinds of things the guests were looking for. I also got a sense of what Tokyo is like on New Year's Eve (which was quite hectic), making it a very stimulating tour for me.

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Tour Report by Kappa

Thank you for your entry in this tour. Nice to meet you in this mail.
Your tour guide Kappa is my nickname. Kappa is a traditional, imaginary creature who came into being in Japan over 300 years ago. She is good at swimming, like me, for I like swimming. I would like to make our tour operated smoothly as Kappa does when she swims in the river or pond. It is my pleasure to introduce many aspects in our tour, especially cooking, for it is my hobby and I went to the professional cooking and SAKE school, respectively. If you have any questions or requests about Japanese cooking, of course our tour, I am very delighted to answer to you anytime!

Title: What's a Private Family Day Tour of Tokyo Like on New Year's Eve? A Licensed Guide's Report The guests were a group visiting from South America. They said the whole group had wished to come to Japan for many years. The previous day they had taken a car tour of central Tokyo and covered the main sights, so today we headed to Oji Inari Shrine, which one of the guests had found online as a place famous for a "procession of foxes." It was a small shrine, and unfortunately the main "fox procession" was to be held late that night, so we were not able to see it. Instead, I explained the meaning and history of the shrine and how to worship, and everyone was very interested and actually offered prayers. Next we went to Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, which was extremely crowded despite it being New Year's Eve. The guests purchased omikuji fortunes and omamori charms and appeared to greatly enjoy the unique atmosphere. After that we headed to Akihabara, where the guests were delighted to buy many of the figures they had long admired. Finally we went to Tokyo Station, where the guests thoroughly enjoyed the wonderful twilight view and unique atmosphere from the KITTE rooftop, and we concluded the tour at this spot.

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Tour Report by Atsushi

Hello and welcome to Tokyo!

I have been working for business with American companies for many years. I have many experiences guiding customers from around the world in Japan and taking Japanese customers to the USA and Europe.

I now have a national license as a guiding interpreter, and I want to introduce the unique gigantic city of Tokyo and the traditional Japanese culture, which is not shown in the guidebooks, to people worldwide who are interested in it. In addition, I want to introduce various Japanese foods you can enjoy only in Japan.
Unique experiences such as the Sumo Training Viewing and Tea Ceremony are optionally available.
Depending on your preference and itinerary, I can guide you in Tokyo, Kamakura, and Hakone so that you can enjoy your time in Japan.

Title: What Is a Private Kyoto Day Tour Like for First-Time Visitors? A Licensed Guide's Report The guests were a group from Oceania, visiting Japan and Kyoto for the first time. In response to their request, this tour focused on the most famous highlights. At times, some care was needed as one of the guests felt unwell due to the crowds and the heat inside the taxi. Throughout the day the guests asked many detailed questions, and while I struggled to keep up at first, the questions gradually became more interesting and I quite enjoyed answering them. For example, when I explained that about 20 kg of real gold leaf is used on Kinkaku-ji, they asked where the gold came from and what kind of wood the building was made of. Looking it up with AI on the spot, I learned that the gold leaf comes from Kanazawa City, so it was a learning experience for me as well. Since this was their first sightseeing trip, I had thought it would be good to show them the iconic "The Kyoto" famous spots even if they were crowded. However, at the last place we visited, Gion and the Ishibei-koji lane, there was no one else around and the area was lit with a wonderfully atmospheric, soft glow, and everyone was delighted, saying "This is exactly Kyoto!" I regretted not including at least one hidden gem. As it was New Year's Eve, Yasaka Shrine was full of atmosphere with preparations for the "Okera Mairi" ritual held every New Year's Eve from 8 p.m., as well as preparations for the New Year's Day festivities, and I believe the guests were very pleased. I explained the tradition of the New Year's Eve bells and encouraged them to listen to the bells before going to sleep. Since their hotel is also in the Gion-Shijo area, I am sure they enjoyed strolling around Gion after we parted. As we said goodbye, one of the guests told me that today was the highlight of their trip to Japan, which made me very happy, and it is exactly this kind of comment that makes this work worthwhile. As I write this, the year has turned to 2026. Happy New Year. Last year, both in my daily work and including receiving one of the Japan Guide Awards, the staff of your company supported me in so many situations, and I am truly grateful. Thank you very much. I look forward to working with you again this year.

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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

Title: What Can You See on a Private One-Day Tokyo Tour? A Licensed Guide's Report on Asakusa, Skytree, and Tokyo Tower The guests were visitors from North America. The plan communicated in advance was to visit Asakusa, Tokyo Skytree, the Imperial Palace, and Tokyo Tower in that order. The tour proceeded smoothly up to the Imperial Palace, and since it looked like there would be time to spare, we decided to visit Meiji Shrine before heading to Tokyo Tower. At Asakusa, we visited Nakamise and paid a visit to Sensoji Temple. There were many people. At Tokyo Skytree, we toured Solamachi. At the Imperial Palace, we strolled from the Otemon Gate to the Nijubashi Bridge and enjoyed the vastness of the grounds and the view of Tokyo's buildings. At Meiji Shrine, after paying our respects, we were able to see a large number of Shinto priests enter the main hall of the shrine to perform a ritual of worship. This is a sight rarely seen except around New Year's Eve. At Tokyo Tower, we went up to the observation deck and enjoyed the night view of Tokyo. The guests expressed that they enjoyed all of the sightseeing spots. The tour had been scheduled to proceed on time, but because we stopped at Meiji Shrine, we returned to the Hotel 30 minutes behind schedule and parted ways.

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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.

What Is a Full-Day Private Tokyo Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report The guests were a group visiting Japan for the first time from Oceania. After sightseeing in Tokyo, they planned to visit Takayama, Kyoto, and Osaka. At Meiji Shrine, they appeared deeply impressed by the quiet and solemn atmosphere, which was strikingly different from Shibuya. On Takeshita Street, they showed great interest in the many animal cafes and similar spots. At the Imperial Palace, they were interested in the historical explanations about the role of the Emperor, the Meiji Restoration, and the Edo Shogunate/Shogun. At Senso-ji Temple, they listened with great interest to explanations about the differences between temples and shrines and about Kaminarimon Gate, and they also purchased souvenirs along Nakamise Street. At Tokyo Tower, they seemed impressed by the view of the Tokyo sunset. I accommodated the guests' wishes throughout, so I believe they were satisfied.

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Tour Report by Seizo

I am Seizo Kamiuto, National Government Licensed Guide Interpreter (English). I was born in Kagoshima City in Kyushu (Southern part of Japan) and grew up there until the graduation from a high school. I came to Tokyo to enter a University in Tokyo and since then, I have lived in Tokyo for more than 40 years and therefore I know Tokyo and its suburbs and Kagoshima City very well. After retiring from an IT company, I have been working as a Guide Interpreter of English since March 2018. I have guided many overseas guests to the popular sightseeing spots in Tokyo, Kamakura, Mt. Fuji area (Kawaguchiko Lake etc.), Hakone, Nikko, Yokohama, Kawagoe and Kagoshima and so on. I have received good reviews from many guests. I can explain the history and the culture of Japan in detail. I look forward to an opportunity to guide you in Japan. Thank you. Seizo Kamiuto

What's a Private Day Tour of Hakone from Tokyo Like? A Licensed Guide's Report Today was a Sunday during the year-end holiday season, so attractions such as the sightseeing cruise and the ropeway were crowded and involved some waiting times. However, by using the reverse Hakone loop route, we were able to complete the tour as planned. The weather was perfectly clear that day, and the guests were able to fully enjoy a spectacular view of Mount Fuji. For lunch, the guests wished to save as much time as possible, so they purchased light snacks at a convenience store during the wait for the sightseeing cruise. Although this was sightseeing during the cold winter season, the guests were looking forward to dinner and a private open-air hot spring bath after the tour, so we stayed active for the full duration of the tour and the guests thoroughly enjoyed winter in Hakone.

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Tour Report by Yosh

Hi I am Yosh, very nice to meet you!
I am a tour guide around Tokyo and surrounding areas including Nikko, Kamakura, Hakone and Mt. Fuji area with qualification of nationwide professional tour guiding.
I have been practicing Japanese martial arts, Karate and Aikido, from my childhood and I teach kids and beginners at Dojo school as an instructor.
From my background I am especially into a tour guiding about Samurai, Sumo and Zen style temples deeply related with Japanese martial arts.
I was born, raised and live in Tokyo and Kanagawa prefecture for over 50 years, so I am familiar with Tokyo capital area and I can arrange the free choice tour for you based on your taste and interest.
I also want you to enjoy Japanese cuisine and Sake at traditional or modern restaurants as part of Japanese precious culture experience.
I really like my profession of tour guide because I am always shared with happy emotion of the guests through the tour.
I am really look forward to seeing you soon!
Yosh

Title: What Can You See on a Private Kyoto Tour Around New Year? A Licensed Guide's Report The guests visited Japan for the first time from Europe. Since only some English was understood and the finer details were difficult to convey, one of the guests interpreted my English into their own language. This approach took extra time, and at Fushimi Inari we ran considerably over schedule. From Kinkaku-ji onward, I trimmed anything unnecessary as much as possible. There were many domestic visitors touring Kyoto during the New Year holiday period. Kinkaku-ji was quite crowded. One of the guests seemed to particularly enjoy Ryoan-ji and asked, "Why are there fewer tourists here compared to Kinkaku-ji?" I answered that one reason is the access is not very convenient. Coming by bus from Kinkaku-ji takes a long time, so we used a taxi. Before heading to Ginkaku-ji, we stopped by a mochi shop in the Demachi area. Nearly 100 people had come to buy mochi for the New Year, and the shop was bustling. It was a chance for the guests to see part of Kyoto's year-end atmosphere. Finally, we went to see the preparations for the "Okera Mairi," a traditional New Year's Eve event at Yasaka Shrine. When I was a child, I too used to go to Yasaka Shrine every New Year's Eve to receive the okera fire. The rope wick, which cost about 200 yen back then, was now 1,000 yen. We took a taxi from Kinkaku-ji to Nanzen-ji, and from Nanzen-ji to Demachi Futaba. From Higashiyama Sanjo to Yasaka Shrine we walked. The photo was taken at Kinkaku-ji.

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Tour Report by KAZU

I was born and grew up in Kyoto and now live near Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto. I used to be a schoolteacher of English and welcome a lot of students from foreign countries. I really enjoyed showing them around Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, Himeji, and Hiroshima. I have been a professional tour guide for about 8 years. I always try to let my guests learn Japanese traditional and modern culture. Since I was born in Kyoto, I know a lot about its culture and people. I myself enjoyed several sports, such as soccer, judo, and marathon when I was young. I’m much interested in baseball and sumo. My motto as a tour guide is to let my guests learn about our tradition and culture precisely and really enjoy themselves. I strongly hope you will enjoy the tour in Japan with me.

What Is a Private Kyoto Walking Tour Like in Winter? A Licensed Guide's Report The guests were a group visiting from Oceania. They had requested in advance to see places that show the everyday life of Kyoto residents, so in addition to the areas above, which show symbolic year-end and New Year scenery, I selected spots where one can enjoy animal figures, since the group was traveling together. For Nishi Hongan-ji Temple, I had introduced the traditional year-end soot-cleaning ritual beforehand, and the guests were moved to find such a quiet place in the middle of the city. We then moved to the Gion area. In the Shinbashi area, they were impressed by the beautiful scenery. They also seemed to understand kanji, and noticing the same surname written on the stone fence markers, they asked, "Are these family members?" We then moved to Chion-in Temple. I explained the Sanmon Gate and planned to introduce the great bell tower, so we split into two groups and climbed via the men's slope and the women's slope, then obtained a goshuin stamp. After introducing the great bell tower, we moved from the Maruyama Park side to Yasaka Shrine. There was a stall selling candy hand-painted with Japanese anime characters, and one of the guests purchased a Sailor Moon candy. One of the guests mentioned that Sailor Moon had also been popular in Oceania during their childhood. When I explained the chart of unlucky years today, one of the guests happened to be in an unlucky year. Then came the long-awaited lunch time. Everyone was satisfied with the menu at the ramen shop I recommended. After strolling through Hanamikoji, the grounds of Kennin-ji Temple, and Zenkyo-an, we moved to Ebisu Shrine. At Ebisu Shrine, they also purchased a goshuin stamp. Since Ebisu Shrine is relatively quiet, the guests liked it as well. Then, after strolling around the Miyagawacho Kaburenjo Theater, Miyagawacho, Shijo-ohashi Bridge, and along the Takase River, we headed straight to Nishiki Tenmangu Shrine. As usual at Nishiki Tenmangu Shrine, I had them touch the head of the ox to receive its wisdom, and we began strolling through Nishiki Market. As I had expected, they were overwhelmed by the sheer number of people. After completing the whole itinerary, we said goodbye. As is often the case with younger travelers, one of the guests talked constantly, so one of the others always had to keep up the conversation, and it was somewhat difficult to find the right timing to speak. However, the guests seemed genuinely interested in Japanese people and asked many questions, so I too had a very meaningful time. The attached image was taken in front of the wall of the Goei-do Hall at Nishi Hongan-ji Temple.

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Tour Report by Satoko

I am a 53-year-old woman, living in Kyoto for nearly 40 years. I got the license in 2001. Since then, I worked as an interpreter or a translator in several companies, secretary at universities, and now work for a company on weekdays at the international dept.I do guiding job only weekend now. I started full swing guiding career after COVID-19 pandemic. I have gotten good review from many of my guests. I love my hometown, Kyoto which has a lot of interesting and historical sites to see. Particularly, I am native to Arashiyama which is famous for bamboo forest. So, I know a lot of places where you can relax yourself around this area. Other than that, Kyoto has many attractive sites which surely interest you.Also, I like meeting many people from different cultural background. I am very happy if I learn about your culture as well. Let’s enjoy exploring around Kyoto!