Jul 19, 2026
Wander35832177180
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Half-Day Tour with Licensed Local Guide
Kyoto temple tour
Our Kyoto guided tour (Aioi Michiharu) was a great way to see some of the city’s most famous sights. The itinerary was well organized, starting with a convenient hotel pickup before visiting Fushimi Inari Taisha. Walking through the thousands of red torii gates was a memorable experience, and our guide shared interesting background about the shrine that added helpful context.

We then explored the Kiyomizu area, including Kiyomizu-dera Temple, Yasaka Pagoda, and Yasaka Koshindo Temple. The route offered a nice mix of historic landmarks, traditional streets, and scenic viewpoints. There was enough time at each stop to take photos and enjoy the surroundings without feeling rushed.

What really made this tour special was our guide’s knowledge, friendliness, and enthusiasm. He provided interesting cultural insights, recommended local foods and hidden photo spots, and made sure everyone in the group was comfortable throughout the day.

Jul 16, 2026
Abby_M
Viator review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Excellent tour. Highly recommend
Michi our guide was excellent! Great communication before the tour and laid out an entire day for us. Was very accommodating and understood when the heat got to us and needed to take a break. He was very knowledgeable and gave us great pieces of information about the beautiful city of Kyoto. Would highly recommend the tour and Michi!!

Jul 13, 2026
Javier P
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Kyoto gems
Michi was incredibly courteous and informative. He had a great plan for our tour and everything went smoothly. He talked about the history of the city, industry, and culture and kept our daughters engaged. Highly recommended!

Jul 13, 2026
Beth_D
Viator review: Kyoto Customized Half-Day Tour with Licensed Local Guide
Excellent Tour and Guide
Michi was an excellent tour guide! He was very knowledgeable about the history of all the sites we visited, was able to answer all of core questions, and knew where to find cold water when we were all thirsty! We really enjoyed our whole 4 hour tour.

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.

May 20, 2026
629reniea
Miyajima Island
Tripadvisor review: Miyajima Half-day Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide
Hi Kyoko
We are very sad to hear about the fire but grateful to share the longevity drink with you. We Thankyou for a wonderful experience on Miyajima Island and for all your planning and emails before our tour. We could not ask for a better tour guide. It made our day very enjoyable and we hope you will come to see us in Australia.
We wish you and family all the very best Kyoko and that you continue to share your knowledge and passion of your beautiful country with many more visitors to the island.
Kindest regards
Renie,Snow,Jan,Chris,Morelle and Dave

May 8, 2026
Jan S
We were blessed with perfect weather and the perfect guide. Kyoko was knowledgeable, patient, polite, fun, sense humour
Tripadvisor review: Miyajima Half-day Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide
We had perfect weather and guide. Kyoko was knowledgeable, sense of humour, polite,
helpful and considerate.

Apr 9, 2026
dianne321
Tripadvisor review: Hiroshima / Miyajima Full-day Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide
Emotional and confronting
Moving experience with amazing guide Kyoko. Kyoko met us at the cruise terminal and took us to the Peace Museum, Dome, and Peace Park. We then went to Mijama Island and back to cruise port. We were a group of four senior citizens and Kyoko was so kind and caring and made sure we made it back to the port safely. Kyoko was very informative and taught us so much about Japan. We even had a picnic (Hamani) under the cherry blossom trees with Kyoko. We had a very memorable day in Hiroshima which has left lasting impressions on us.
We would highly recommend this tour and our amazing guide Kyoko.

Mar 26, 2026
Carmen Maria S
Great afternoon at Hiroshima❤️
Tripadvisor review: Hiroshima City 4hr Private Walking Tour with Licensed Guide
Kyoko was an excellent tour guide. We had a lovely afternoon at Hiroshima and ended with
a relaxed hot tea!

Jul 25, 2026
Ann W
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Incredible tour, one of the highlights of my trip!
Booking a private tour with Hideharu (Yoshi) Yoshino was easily one of the absolute highlights of my trip.

Yoshi-san customized the day perfectly to my interests, accommodating a last-minute hotel change and timing our morning perfectly so we could see the spectacular Gion Matsuri parade without the heavy crowds.

We explored Ginkaku-ji, Nanzen-ji, and the traditional streets of Gion at a wonderful, relaxed pace.

The tour was fascinating and packed with interesting details that allowed me to truly understand Kyoto’s rich history.

Highly recommended!

Jul 18, 2026
Geert73
Tripadvisor review: Kanazawa Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
A Well-Organized and Informative Tour of Kanazawa
We, a family of 5, had a very enjoyable 6-hour private tour of Kanazawa with Hideharu Yoshino from Japan Guide Agency.
Communication before the tour was excellent and made it very easy to plan the day. Yoshi’s English was excellent, which made communication throughout the tour very smooth. He provided very clear and interesting explanations, giving us a better understanding of the history and culture of the places we visited.
During the tour we explored Kanazawa Castle, Kenrokuen Garden, and the Geisha and Samurai districts.
It was a well-organized and informative tour. Highly recommended.

Jul 15, 2026
G5010ZVmelodys
Tripadvisor review: Kanazawa Local Food & Tea Culture Tour with Licensed Guide
Number one guide for personalised touring of Kanazawa
Our tea and culture day in Kanazawa with our guide Hideharu Yoshino was amazing! Yoshi is very fluent in English and a great companion to walk around with as he knows so much about the history and culture of Kanazawa and Japan. He also knew the best place to grab lunch and helped us pick what was good local fish, curry or tea to try. Plus he made sure we felt comfortable and never out of place wherever we went. I would recommend him for anyone who likes to know more about what they are seeing or what they can do in the area. Yoshi is great!

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!

Jul 29, 2026
James_G
Viator review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Great guide and very…
Great guide and very knowledgeable. Spoke perfect English and made the day fun and educational. Was able to adjust the tour based on my needs.

Jul 13, 2026
peterhR6472GA
Kyoto highlights with Kazu.
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
A wonderful day with Kazu san in Kyoto. From the moment that the tour was booked, his communication with email about planning the day was exceptional.
Kazu gave detailed explanations about the areas we visited and we appreciated all that he had to offer at each of our stops.
We thoroughly enjoyed our day with him.

Jul 12, 2026
cgalvez73
Fantastic tour guide
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Our guide in Kyoto was Kazu. By the end of the day, we felt like we had made a new friend.
Kazu helped us arrange the best day with our short time in Kyoto. He brought us to some “hidden gems” and gave us thorough explanations on history and culture.
I would highly recommend this tour.

Jun 23, 2026
Winni_H
Viator review: Private Kyoto Tour with Licensed Guide & Vehicle (Max 15 persons)
Highly recommended when in Kyoto
Our tour guide Kazu was very knowledgeable in terms of the history and explaining many of
the wonderful ancient sites around Kyoto. Definitely a must! Otherwise, I think it would be
difficult to tourists to understand on their own.

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

Apr 9, 2026
X1429XKclaudiam
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Sehr zu empfehlen
Wir haben als Familie diese 6-stundige Tour durch Kyoto mit unserem Guide Toshi verbracht. Er hat uns so viel Hintergrundwissen zu den einzelnen Sehenswurdigkeiten und daruber hinaus vermittelt! Wir haben in den 6 Stunden 4 Spots erreichen konnen.
Diese Tour durch Kyoto konnen wir jedem zum Einstieg in die Kultur, Religion und Tradition nur empfehlen. Wir wurden sie jederzeit wieder buchen.

とてもおすすめです
私たちは家族で、ガイドのトシさんと一緒に京都の6時間ツアーに参加しました。彼は各観光地についての背景知識だけでなく、それ以上に多くのことを教えてくれました！6時間の中で、4つのスポットを訪れることができました。
この京都ツアーは、日本の文化・宗教・伝統を知る入門として、どなたにも強くおすすめできます。ぜひまた参加したいと思える内容でした。

Jun 28, 2025
WilliamAlfonso_R
Toshi is a very eloquent, knowledgeable, and diligent tour guide.
Viator review: Nara 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Toshi was very eloquent, knowledgeable, and patient. He diligently guided us through the Deer Park and various important Buddhist and Shinto landmarks in the area. He answered each question with clear detail. We often saw other tourists trying to overhear the historical context explanations he shared. We were very lucky to have him.

May 30, 2025
Z
ZevP5
Best Tour Guide!
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Yoshi was the best guide!! He was so kind, patient and knowledgeable. He took us on a very
fun tour filled with detailed knowledge of each location and patience to answer all of our
questions including my two kids.

※こちら、「Yoshi」との記載がございますが、ゲストのニックネーム「ZevP5」およびレビュー内容より、吉川様にご担当いただいた案件（JGA-T93795962）と一致すると判断し、お送りさせていただきました。
万が一お心当たりがない場合は、お手数ですがご放念いただけますと幸いです。

Jun 29, 2026
898clausw
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Really helpfull guide
Extremely helpfull to have a friendly and competent guide first day in overwhelming Tokyo

Jun 27, 2026
sallypO7128PM
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Tour of Tokyo- family with older teens
My family had an excellent tour around Tokyo with Rumi as two adults and two older teenagers. Rumi met us at our hotel and dropped us back there afterwards, which was really helpful as we were struggling with Shinjuku station. She was knowledgeable in the fish market and suggested food we might want to try from the best stalls. She showed us a great place for lunch where the kids enjoyed katsu curry. Rumi was very kind at the temple, showing us how to test our luck and providing offerings as well as walking us around the streets to buy souvenirs. She also helped with printing train tickets, checked up on us after an earthquake and sent through photos she had taken, none of which she had to do- she really went above and beyond expectations and made our first day in Japan a day to remember.

Jun 15, 2026
Scott P
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Terrific Tour and Guide
We had an incredible day! Rumi was our guide for a six hour tour. We visited Asakusa (Nakamise Street, Sensoji Temple), Tsukiji Fish Market, Ginza, Meiji Shrine, Harajuku (Takeshita Street) and Shibuya….

Jun 12, 2026
Tonya O
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Rumi is a great guide!
Rumi was a wonderful guide. She helped us tailor our itinerary so we could make the most
of our time on the tour. She was very kind and helped us learn a lot about the many
beautiful sites in Tokyo on our list. Thank you, Rumi! 💕

Dec 30, 2024
shannono1010
Haru is a Rock Star
Viator review: Nara 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Haru was a fantastic guide. He explained the history of the sites on our tour. He even prepared a book that helped explain the historical significance of each site we visited. He was really fantastic, funny and engaging and connected with every member (young and old) in our group. We all learned a lot! Thank u Haru!

Dec 29, 2024
Ali O
Amazing!
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Haru was amazing on our tour of Nara. He was very knowledgeable about the various cites and came prepared with a binder and useful images. He was organized and even found a delicious ramen place for our family of 6 (not an easy task in the middle of busy Nara). He really cared about the cites and the history of the temples and spoke great English. Highly recommend!

Dec 4, 2024
D5658ZEjohnr
Trip to some of the Kyoto sites on our visit to Japan.
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Full-Day Private Tour (Osaka departure) with Government-Licensed Guide
We were able to customize our trip to the top places we wanted to see. We were able to get to all of them. Our guide Haru was great and the places we visited were amazing and interesting. Our guide gave us a lot of history around the different sites. Our favorites were Kiyomizudera temple, Sanjyu Sangendo Temple and Kinkakuji Temple. We also visited the Fushimi Inari Shrine which was pretty great. We did a lot of walking and public transportation to get around. All in all it wasn’t bad and our guide got us to all the sites with ease. Haru was great as he took most of our family pictures. He did a great job.

Dec 3, 2024
Charlie_Jane00
Kyoto Tour
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Haru was a well organised and very informative guide. He added a lot to our trip and
allowed us to experience a lot in the limited time we had available.