Jun 8, 2025
T1516LOmarkg
Tokyo tour
Tripadvisor review: Private Tokyo Tour with Licensed Guide & Vehicle (Max 15 persons)
Great tour, Shinji was great, they are flexible throughout the day. The transportation was
nice and clean and more than enough room for our family of 7.

Feb 28, 2025
LaToya_S
Mr. Shinji is so nice and…
Viator review: Kamakura 4hr Private Trip with Government-Licensed Guide
Mr. Shinji is so nice and patient. The tour was incredible and a great cultural experience. The
entire family enjoyed the tour.

Feb 27, 2025
Edward_M
Friendly and Knowledgeable Tour Guide
Viator review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Our tour guide was knowledgeable and friendly! What a memorable day. This tour was the
perfect way to get oriented to the city.

Feb 17, 2025
Trip29223434750
Heavenly Hakone with an angelic guide
Tripadvisor review: Hakone 6 hour Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
For those not wanting to read my entire post, let me say if you are going to Hakone, consider hiring Shinji. He is marvelous!

We went to Hakone, a notable spa town and a popular tourist destination due to its many hot springs being within view of nearby Mount Fuji, the most visited mountain in Japan. With our guide Shinji we visited the Hakone open air Museum, Hakone Shrine, Lake Ashi, Hakone, Japan, and took the Lake Ashi Cruise. Shinji’s knowledge about the sites, trains, cable cars, cruise, history, culture and languages (Japanese and English) made for a most efficient and memorable experience. Lastly, Shinji was very patient, as our getting to Hakone took more time than we expected, and adaptable, as we made the necessary adjustments to visit every relevant site we had hoped for. Great trip with a great guide!

May 16, 2026
I3520JTcristinat
Tripadvisor review: Nara 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Nara with family
Excellent tour with Junichi!!! Perfect English speaking guide and highly knowledgeable.
Highly recommend this tour!!!!

May 3, 2026
Maria_J
Viator review: Nara 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Enjoyable day in Nara
We spent 6 hours in Nara with Junichi Taguchi and were impressed by how much we were able to see and learn in that time. Traveling as a group of seven adults, we visited Kasuga Taisha, enjoyed lunch at Mizuya Chaya, and explored Tōdai-ji—including the Great Buddha Hall and surrounding grounds. We also spent time at Yoshikien Garden and Irie Taikichi Memorial Museum of Photography, along with encounters with Nara’s famous bowing deer.

Junichi shared clear, informative context throughout the day, adding depth to each stop without ever feeling overwhelming. His pacing was thoughtful, and he kept our group moving smoothly while still allowing time to take things in.

A well-organized and engaging tour—highly recommend Junichi for anyone visiting Nara.

Apr 11, 2026
64sandig
Tripadvisor review: Nara 8hr Private Tour – Osaka DEP. with Licensed Guide
????? Absolutely Outstanding ? Junichi Made Our Nara Day Unforgettable!
We had the pleasure of touring Nara with Junichi today, and he was simply phenomenal from the very first moment! Warm, welcoming, and a true professional, Junichi made us feel instantly at ease. His genuine enthusiasm and excellent English made every part of the day enjoyable and easy to follow.
Junichi’s knowledge is encyclopedic, yet he explains everything in such a clear, engaging, and understandable way. At Kofuku-ji Temple, he brought the history and significance of the site to life with fascinating details. We then enjoyed a relaxing lunch together before heading to Nara Park, where we had the delightful experience of feeding the famous bowing deer ? such a fun and memorable moment!
What really stood out was how flexible and attentive Junichi was. When we felt a bit pressed for time, he smoothly adjusted the itinerary and took us to a wonderful sake tasting facility instead of the next temple. We sampled several excellent sakes and couldn’t resist taking some home with us! From there, he led us to an incredible traditional kitchen knife shop run by an artisan whose family has been crafting blades for 750 years (originally making samurai swords). The craftsmanship was breathtaking, and we ended up purchasing a beautiful knife.
Later, Junichi took us to see an original Japanese merchant’s house, which was a real eye-opener ? the minimalistic lifestyle and beautiful architecture were fascinating.
The entire day was perfectly paced, insightful, and filled with wonderful surprises. Junichi’s caring attitude, deep knowledge, and ability to adapt made this one of the best private tour experiences we’ve ever had. We are so grateful we got to spend the day with him.
If you’re visiting Nara, do yourself a favor and book with Junichi ? you won’t regret it! He’s an absolute gem.
Highly, highly recommended ? 5 stars without hesitation!

Mar 30, 2026
dpadillachavez
Tripadvisor review: Nara 8hr Private Tour – Kyoto DEP. with Licensed Guide
Great day at Nara!
Best tour on Nara, Junichi is great during the tour! He definitely knows and shows the best
parts of the city.

May 4, 2025
466shinc
How to make the best of Naoshima (with Ray)
Tripadvisor review: Naoshima Full-Day Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Ray was an amazing guide for our day in Naoshima! She planned the timing for our visits to the art sites and museums and moved us along smoothly without us feeling rushed. She generously shared nuggets of interesting details and history about the artworks (extremely well researched and well prepared), and patiently answered our questions. Really appreciate her sincere efforts and positive energy. We had a most enjoyable and enriching experience! Highly recommended!!

May 17, 2024
Isaactim
Sensaciónal
Tripadvisor review: Naoshima Full-Day Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Muy buena experiencia
Gracias Reiko, muy ágil muy buena explicación y muy bien planeada, fue un placer estar
contigo el día y conocer Naoshima

May 15, 2024
tgalang23
Excellent Naoshima Rei!
Tripadvisor review: Naoshima Full-Day Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Amazing guide Rei made the Naoshima experience one to remember. She was very
detailed and always welcome to answer questions. Do not hesitate to book with Reiさん

Jul 21, 2026
scottsD8777AR
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo Customized Half-Day Tour with Licensed Local Guide
Great Touring Tokyo
Koba is an excellent tour guide. We greatly appreciated his knowledge of the history of Tokyo and Japan and his very pleasant demeanor. He is a true gentleman and was a pleasure to tour with in Tokyo.

Jul 9, 2026
Quest36994121691
First visit to Tokyo
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
This was our first visit to Tokyo, and our tour with Koba made the experience truly exceptional. We’re a family of four with two teenage boys (14 and 16), and Koba was wonderfully kind, patient, and engaging with each of us. The experience started even before we arrived—his first communications laid out a thoughtful, customized itinerary that perfectly matched our interests as first-time visitors. Our six hours together were full, seamless, and incredibly rewarding. Koba’s deep knowledge of the city, his attention to detail, and his warm, easygoing approach made the tour an ideal fit for our family. It was the perfect way to get a broad yet meaningful introduction to Tokyo in a short time. We’re so grateful he was our guide and highly recommend him to anyone visiting the city.

Jul 8, 2026
Χρονης Π
A beautiful tour
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
It was a perfect experience see learned a lot about Tokyo and our guide Koba was perfect in every way and very helpful. We had a perfect time together.Thank you Koba

Jul 5, 2026
I3699SBjonathanw
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
6hr Tokyo guide great experience
Koba was so nice to my family and I. He was patient and helped carry a large toy my daughter won. I wished we had another day. Having a guide saved us hours of navigating the subway and metro.

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 27, 2026
Onno_P2000
Tripadvisor review: Nikko Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Very interesting and joyful day trip with Taka
We had a very nice day with our guide Taka, he is very organized and customer focused. He contacted us upfront to assist with our travel to Nikko etc. During the visit he knew exactly the nice spots and how to avoid the crowds. Furthermore he is very knowledgeable and good fun, it was not only interesting but we had a lot of fun with Taka as well.
The lunch he recommended was spot on: a quiet traditional Yuba restaurant, close to Main Shrine. Thank you Taka!

Jun 30, 2026
Rolando_A
Viator review: Nikko Full-Day Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
A fantastic day!
We had an amazing day. Our guide was Taka. He was fantastic! We loved all the temples
and shrines. We are glad we did this tour! Highly recommend. Beautiful places.

Jun 25, 2026
N8851CTrebeccaf
Tripadvisor review: Nikko Full-Day Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Nikko Full-Day Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
We cannot recommend Taka highly enough. A former Honda engineer, Taka brings the same precision and attention to detail to guiding. He knew where to stand for the best views, which lines to avoid, where to find the best local treats near the station. Not a single moment of the day felt wasted. Some highlights of the Toshogu Shrine area: he showed us the famous sleeping cat above the gate and then revealed the sparrows carved on the reverse side and explained the symbolism connecting the two. He pointed out the gods of thunder and wind, the imagined elephants painted by an artist who had never seen one, and the see no evil monkeys; each has a story that transformed them from beautiful carvings into a narrative. What we loved most was his invitation to ask questions. He clearly delights in questions no one has ever asked before. He also shared some of secrets of the area and we promised not to tell them. He made reservations for lunch at a traditional tatami restaurant near the shrine; yuba was one of the best meals of our trip. Taka knew exactly where to take us. If you are visiting Nikko, book Taka.

Jun 21, 2026
kevin L
Tripadvisor review: Nikko Full-Day Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Amazing personal tour where you get to choose or have a recommended tour
Amazing experience, our tour guide taka was very informative and considerate. We communicated weeks ahead of time plan tours along with reserving restaurants. He also helped me and guided me on how to get to Nikko from Tokyo. He also gave me recommendations based on what I was looking for and ensured I made it back in time

Jul 21, 2026
Dawnery_V
Viator review: Nagasaki Customized Private Tour by Car with Licensed Guide
Beautiful city. Great guide.
Rikako was a great guide. She was very accommodating to our group of 5. It was a fun day touring Nagasaki. I would highly recommend this tour.

Jun 16, 2026
Todd_C
Viator review: Nagasaki Full-Day Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Had a very nice…
Had a very nice experience. Coco was very informative and took us to the places we wanted too see.. definitely recommend …

Apr 12, 2026
Explore34946025848
Tripadvisor review: Nagasaki Full-Day Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Nagasaki
Really good day out with a local guide, very informative about the different museums and
Temples, I had a very enjoyable day.
Thank you Coco

Apr 4, 2026
Giovanni_M
Viator review: Nagasaki Full Day Tour with Licensed Guide and Vehicle
Good
Nagasaki is a very interesting tour
I would recommend
Especially the fish market
Our guide was intresting

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.

Jun 4, 2026
Companion12422328239
Tripadvisor review: Port Pick-Up: Shizuoka Tour with Licensed Guide and Vehicle
Great views of Mt Fuji and local tea
We had an afternoon in Shizuoka on our cruise, and our guide picked us up at port on time and made sure to get us back on time too.
We went to a beautiful waterfall, the Mt. Fuji World Heritage Centre, the Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha shrine, and a local tea shop. We were able to get incredible pictures of Mt. Fuji, and really enjoyed every location we went. Our guide and driver did a great job of getting us to all these places and not feeling rushed even though we only had 5 hours ashore.
We traveled with my parents and our 3 kids (age range of 73 to 8) and we all had a terrific time.

May 28, 2026
kam_g
Viator review: Shizuoka/Shimizu Mt Fuji View 6 hr Private Tour: Guide Only
The guide was very nice…
The guide was very nice and knowledgeable. Introduced us to very interesting people. Very
cloudy that day so Mt. Fuji was not visible but that was OK the countryside was beautiful.
Very enjoyable experience. Would book again. thank you so much

Apr 11, 2026
Brandon2116
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Personalized Tokyo Experience
Booking a private tour with Kaz was the perfect way to see Tokyo’s top sights through a completely customized lens. We covered an incredible amount of ground, including Meiji Shrine, the Imperial Palace, Tsukiji Outer Market for lunch, and Senso-ji Temple. Kaz was an outstanding guide who came incredibly prepared. He used historical photos to provide context and help us visualize the history behind every location we visited. What we appreciated most was how he personalized the day in real-time, shifting the focus toward the specific facts and sights that interested us most. While the itinerary involved a lot of walking, Kaz was very thoughtful about incorporating breaks and keeping the energy high and fun throughout the day. If you want to maximize your time in Tokyo and walk away with a deep understanding of the city, I highly recommend a tour with Kaz!

Mar 29, 2026
Stacy_A
Viator review: Hakone 6 hour Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Thanks, Kaz! We recommend this tour.
Great experience – it was so much more efficient and rewarding than it would have been, should we have done it in our own. Kaz took us to a wonderful private restaurant for an extraordinary meal at a more than reasonable price. We also visited the tea house in Gora Park, where we were serve a cup of matcha and a sweet in the traditional setting.