Sep 29, 2026
matthewsY2654UC
Highly recommended!
Tripadvisor review: Kanazawa Customized Half-Day Tour with Licensed Local Guide
Yoshi is an exceptional guide where he took us to the best market stalls at the fish market where every food we indulged in (including the sea snails and eel liver) were superb. The walking tour of the tea houses (Geisha district) and knowledge of the history of both the precinct and greater Japan was first class. Yoshi is also a kind and caring person and made conversation very easy, including when we wanted to dig into the country’s cultural values and lifestyle

Sep 28, 2026
751juergend
Perfect day in Kanazawa
Tripadvisor review: Kanazawa Customized Private Tour by Car with Licensed Guide
Yoshi was the perfect guide, very knowledgable and very friendly. He is an excellent role model tour guide. We can only recommend him. Thank you so much Yoshi!

Sep 27, 2026
karen_f
YOSHI san was incredible!
Viator review: Kanazawa Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
YOSHI met us at our hotel and was very friendly and helpful. We walked around the city and he took us to view several different spots including samurai living quarters, geisha houses, the beautiful garden built by Maeda san. Yoshi was knowledgeable about the entire city and it’s treasured history. He inspired me to do some reading on Maeda san, a leader who played a huge part in the development of the city. Yoshi was an excellent guide, and even provided a LOT of recommendations and useful information for after our tour. We would definitely recommend YOSHI san! Note: you will need a IC card to board some of the city buses.

Sep 19, 2026
Plumb72
A morning in Kanazawa
Tripadvisor review: Kanazawa Customized Half-Day Tour with Licensed Local Guide
We had a fab tour with Yoshi our guide, we visited the tea district then the gardens and castle which were my favourite. Yoshi was very informative , explaining the history and mechanisms of the castle was built and the water system. He was also very helpful with explaining the bus service.

Jun 6, 2026
Jason_B
Viator review: Kyoto 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Excellent, well rounded…
Excellent, well rounded itinerary with pertinent facts and answers to questions. Extremely
informative and insightful guide.

Apr 13, 2026
Dunka591
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Highly recommend.
Yuri is an incredible woman! What an amazing experience, we will never forget her kindness
and hospitality.

Jul 28, 2025
C
Cedric_S
Incredible Kyoto Adventure with Yuri
Viator review: Kyoto 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Our guide Yuri was the heartbeat of this experience. Gentle, generous, and bursting with knowledge, she didn’t just show us the sights—she made them come alive. We wandered through the mystical gates of Fushimi Inari Shrine, sampled tasty chaos at Nishiki Market, and stepped into history at the imposing Nijo Castle.

We got around by train and bus, and Yuri made everything seamless—translating signage, answering questions, and rescuing us from transit confusion like a local superhero. Our crew started strong at six, but the Kyoto sun had other plans. As family members tapped out (infant included!), Yuri coordinated taxis and made sure everyone was looked after with grace and care.

Despite the heat and shifting group size, my experience only grew richer. If you’re a history lover or just craving something deeper than a selfie, this tour is an absolute must. Thank you, Yuri—you turned Kyoto into a story I’ll never forget.

Quick Tips for Fellow Travelers:

🎟️ Grab a Suica card ahead of time—you’ll glide through train stations like a local.

💵 Bring yen in cash—not everywhere swipes plastic.

🥤 Hydrate and snack smart—touring in summer is a marathon, not a sprint.

Jun 25, 2025
983whitneym
Beautiful Kyoto Guided Tour With Yuri
Tripadvisor review: Private Kyoto Tour with Licensed Guide & Vehicle (Max 15 persons)
We loved having Yuri as our guide. She took us to many beautiful and fun spots to see, including beautiful temples, shrines, the monkey park, and also guided us to a few places we wanted to visit after our tour concluded. We loved her kindness and made quick friends with Yuri.

Feb 16, 2026
B9190RXcolleenm
The Nagoya walking tour was great!
Tripadvisor review: Nagoya Half-day Private Custom Tour with National Licensed Guide
Todd was the perfect tour guide. He was very knowledgeable and tailored the tour for us to
make the most of our time in Nagoya. We easily made our way to the key sites of the city
and Todd helped us plan the next day with excellent recommendations.

Oct 2, 2025
Jeffrey_B
Nagoya with Todd Miura
Viator review: Nagoya / Aichi Half-day Private Custom Tour with National Licensed Guide
A great 4 hour tour around the city. We visited the Castle, a Japanese Garden and the city centre.
Todd was very knowledgeable and ensured a great experience for us

Sep 17, 2025
sjhppy
Todd Was A Fabulous Guide
Tripadvisor review: Nagoya Full-day Private Custom Tour with National Licensed Guide
I highly recommend Todd! He was extremely knowledgeable and a great English speaker! In addition, he was so helpful even before the tour started. He kept us apprised of the weather, the amount of cash we would need for select spots, etc. He was great and this tour was really wonderful!

Jul 22, 2025
guelphturfgrassinstu
Tripadvisor review: Nagoya Half-day Private Custom Tour with National Licensed Guide
We enjoyed this tour with a knowledgeable guide. Todd shared insights into Japanese
culture, language, and great suggestions for future visits.

Aug 25, 2026
T8432CMjeffr
6 hr Tokyo tour with Bruce
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
The tour was a fantastic experience. Bruce engaged with me early on to determine what we wanted to see and what would be most effective. He met us at the hotel, and let us to some amazing sites, and leading us through the Tokyo transit system. He showed us the customs which really made us feel to be part of the experience. Bruce took us to a lunch spot which was an amazing experience. This tour provided Tokyo experiences that we wouldn’t have been able to do in one day on our own.

Aug 5, 2026
Polly1818
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Bruce was the best !! 5⭐️
Bruce was our guide for the day. He was amazing , kind, patient, interested and most interesting. He tailored his tour around our likes, avoided a lot of touristy type things ( though included some we would have been sorry to miss )

Aug 3, 2026
AJEDav
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Great guide
Bruce Sagano was terrific! He was very patient, kind and knowledgeable. He took us to Meiji Shrine, Takeshita Street and Tsujiki Fish Market. We ate at a great sushi restaurant in Tsujiki and we visited one of his favorite coffee shops. I highly recommend Bruce!

Jul 2, 2026
jamespmccormick
Tripadvisor review: The Best Family-Friendly Tokyo Tour with Government Licensed Guide
Great Tokyo tour with Bruce!
We booked a 6 hour Tokyo tour with Bruce Sugano and had a great experience! Bruce’s English is very good and he was flexible with us setting and changing the itinerary when we saw things we wanted to experience. We took the tour on our 2nd day in Japan and It was helpful to introduce us to the culture and help us gain an understanding of the city and some of its important sites. At the end of our tour, Bruce took us to one of his favorite sushi restaurants and introduced us to Japanese sushi! I would definitely recommend this tour!

Sep 24, 2025
Paige_M
Lovely and Educational Tour of Hiroshima
Viator review: Hiroshima City 4hr Private Walking Tour with Licensed Guide
Our guide for this tour was Tomoyo- to say she was wonderful is an understatement! She picked us up right at the train station and helped us navigate all that Hiroshima has to offer- providing education on World War II, while also showing us how beautiful the city is in its own right. We really enjoyed the Peace Museum and Hiroshima Castle. Highly recommend!

May 8, 2025
Smatty68
Tomoyo was a star guide
Tripadvisor review: Hiroshima / Miyajima Full-day Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide
We really enjoyed our one day tour of Hiroshima. Tomoyo, our guide, was very sensitive to
our needs and requirements. She went out of her way to make sure we had a really
interesting day. She has a great sense of humour and we enjoyed her company.

Apr 29, 2025
Josh_H
Amazing experience and very grateful for my tour guide Tomoyo
Viator review: Hiroshima / Miyajima Full-day Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide
I honestly had an amazing time. I am so grateful for my guide, Tomoyo. I travelled alone
and despite us finishing the exhibits early, Tomoyo had amazing additional options at the
ready. I highly recommend going on this experience. You will absolutely not regret it.

Apr 29, 2025
Chloe_O
The best day in Japan with Tomoyo!
Viator review: Hiroshima / Miyajima Full-day Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide
Tomoyo was the best tour guide ever! We had a brilliant day travelling around Miya Jima and Hiroshima. Her knowledge of the history of each place and the cultural traditions is amazing. We had such a lovely time it was one if the best days of our whole Japan trip! Everything was seamless from start to finish. Thank you so much Tomoyo!

Sep 24, 2026
Leslie_R
Good tour on first day
Viator review: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Ted, our guide was terrific. He was well informed and took us all over Tokyo. He was very open to questions. Would recommend!

Jul 2, 2026
Susan M
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Family fun in Tokyo.
A wonderful day. Ted customized our tour to suit our families interests. Definitely a great way to see Tokyo.

Jun 26, 2026
ann r
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Educational with kind, generous guide
My teenage sons and I learned so much about Tokyo and Japan in a few hours. We were very fortunate to have such an excellent guide! We highly recommend Ted and appreciated his knowledgeable and thoughtful sightseeing tour of Tokyo. He planned a wonderful itinerary for us and made it all happen, with excellent pacing of breaks and good conversation.

Jun 14, 2026
141yunb
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Can’t believe all that we got to see in 6 hours
We had a fantastic time with Ted, our guide. He contacted us prior to the trip to customize an itinerary that would have things of interest to everyone in our group. He shared helpful history for each of the places we visited, from Tsukigi market, Harujuku district, to Meiji Shrine. He had great recommendations for other parts of our trip. He is an expert at navigating the Tokyo train system. This tour is family friendly, but also very active in terms of walking to cover all the places we got to visit. The tour with Ted is definitely a highlight of our trip, I would highly recommend.

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.

Jun 17, 2025
Gina_M
Gorgeous Castle, shopping and local food.
Viator review: Nagoya Full-day Private Custom Tour with National Licensed Guide
Tommy was a fantastic guide! She was very patient and flexible with what we wanted to do
and see. I highly recommend!

Oct 28, 2024
avigayelk
Best of Nagoya and Best Guide!
Tripadvisor review: Nagoya Full-day Private Custom Tour with National Licensed Guide
Tommy was the greatest guide! She showed me and my son all the best sites in Nagoya, accommodated our lunch preferences, took a bunch of pictures for us and was extremely informative. Thank you Tommy for the most amazing Nagoya experience. We appreciate you!!

Jun 23, 2024
25aditib
Nakasendo trail with a guide
Tripadvisor review: Magome & Tsumago Nakasendo Trail Day Hike with Government-Licensed Guide
We are so glad we signed up for this experience and grateful to our tour guide for the fabulous organization. We couldn’t have done this by ourselves! We were travelling with 2 kids and mom (who is 68) and our guide for the day did a wonderful job of finding us the transfers when our group couldn’t walk. We did everything we wanted and reached our hotel at a great time too. Amazing day! Would highly recommend Japan Guide Agency’s services. A big thank you to our guide Ms Tomoko Tabata! We had a great time with her.

Sep 27, 2026
Ross_W
Fun with Hidden Gems
Viator review: Osaka Hidden Gems Off the Beaten Path Tour, Licensed Guide
Our guide Yama was so friendly and greeted us in our hotel lobby and guided us from there to the areas we wished to experience. While we were really needing to find gifts for us and friends, he made it very interesting along the way pointing out special places and landmarks. We went to the culinary shopping and visited a number of shops and he helped translate, which we needed. We went to an area for animae and it was eye opening. We then went to the black gate market, Kuromon, for a lunch experience and wow that was so much fun, I only wish I could have tried more food items, but we were full! Last we expended the shopping area. All I can say is it is busy and lots of stores. We finished on the base of a department store, enjoyed with are great guide.

Aug 10, 2026
Sez042
Tripadvisor review: Osaka Customized Full-Day Private Tour with Licensed Guide
Great experience
Yama was great, he showed us around and explained everything very well. Highly recommend, very knowledgeable

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.

Jun 1, 2026
Stephan_F
Viator review: Kyoto 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Great overview of the…
Great overview of the highlights of Kyoto with an excellent guide. Just beware that the
different sites may be located at different ends of the city so you will spend time on trains.
Also, in the summer a parasol is probably a good idea as it can get hot.

May 28, 2025
terrym866
Kyoto guided tour was as promised. Very knowledgeable guide and driver .
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Full Day Tour from Kobe with Licensed Guide and Vehicle
Tour was as promised , well planned and executed. The guide was very knowledgeable and
friendly and went out of his way to make sure we were pleased.

Oct 17, 2024
katiya2017
Walking visit in Kyoto
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Full-Day Private Tour (Osaka departure) with Government-Licensed Guide
We booked a full day walking tour excursion from Osaka to Kyoto from our cruise ship. Hideo Yoshida met us promptly and escorted us all day from Osaka to visit 4 of Kyotos most famous sites.
He proved to be a true Japanese gentleman, very polite , very knowledgeable and knew the train system well. We must have changed at least 10 trains and it would have been impossible to navigate this without him. Also we had our most delicious sushi and sashimi lunch in Japan in a restaurant he recommended.
Thank you Hideo for providing us a wonderful insight in Kyotos history.

Sep 29, 2024
Roy_M
Excellent tour of Kyoto
Viator review: Kyoto 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
We had a very good private tour with Hide Yoshi – he made a good plan for us and whisked us around Kyoto to the key sites very efficiently. He had good knowledge about the places we visited and had prepared materials and photos to show us. He really helped us to get the maximum out of our time in Kyoto and is a really nice person. Also took us for an excellent lunch! Highly recommended.