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 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.

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.

Oct 6, 2025
DJ C
We visited the atomic bomb museum, Hiroshima castle, a beautiful garden, and shrines and Torrey Gate.
Tripadvisor review: Hiroshima / Miyajima Full-day Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide
Kahori did an absolutely incredible job showing us around Hiroshima. Here knowledge was next level. She made the day so special and turned it into a day that will be a highlight of our entire trip. Hiroshima is breathtakingly beautiful and such an amazing place! Everyone should visit it!

Sep 23, 2025
lorrainel669
Awesome Hiroshima
Tripadvisor review: Hiroshima / Miyajima Full-day Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide
The tour was fantastic. It covered everything we wanted to see and more. It was very
informative and wasn’t rushed. Even when we struggled to understand things Kahori took
her time and explained in detail.

Jul 26, 2025
T
Tracy_P
Outstanding Tour of Hiroshima with Kahori…
Viator review: Hiroshima City 4hr Private Walking Tour with Licensed Guide
Our tour of Hiroshima with our guide, Kahori, was a wonderful experience and one of the highlights of our time in Japan. Kahori’s depth of knowledge during our visit to the Peace Park Museum, surrounding memorials and the A-Bomb Dome was impressive. My son who is on trip with me is a real history buff, thoroughly enjoyed learning about a difficult and somber time in Japanese history. We also had the opportunity to visit a former Japanese school which survived the bomb and became a relief center for those immediately impacted by the attack. Very moving. After visiting Hiroshima Castle, we rounded out our day with a lunch of Okonomiyaki (my new favorite Japanese dish). We laughed, told stories and had a wonderful time. I feel we now have a friend in Hiroshima. Kahori was personable, engaging and a genuinely warm person. If you visit Hiroshima and can request a guide for the day, you cannot go wrong with Kahori showing the way. Thank you, Kahori!

Jun 28, 2025
Fernando A
We knew the best of Hiroshima in 8 hrs
Tripadvisor review: Hiroshima / Miyajima Full-day Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide
It is a walking tour. Kaori, our very kind guide, waited for us at our hotel. We had a nice 15 minutes walk to the Peace Memorial while she explained the monuments and memorials we passed by. She accompanied us inside the museum. We had a very traditional Hiroshima lunch. Then we went to Miyajima island, its shrines and temple. Fabulous experience.
Lots to walk, lots steps to climb. I ended up exhausted.

May 19, 2026
498stephenq
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
An enjoyable visit
Really enjoyed our visit with Kaz. Friendly, informative, and a pleasure to be with.

Apr 11, 2026
V5131MFjodieh
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Kyoto morning tour with Kaz
Kaz (Kazuhiro) guided my family in historic Kyoto. He was flexible when we decided to modify our itinerary on the morning due to rain forecast the next day. Kaz’s English was great which meant he kept my teenage sons engaged with stories about shoguns and samurai battles. We visited the Fushimi Inari Shrine, and the Golden and Silver pavilions. The highlight of the tour with Kaz was being shown around beautiful gardens to see cherry blossoms still blooming and views of the city. We highly recommend going on a tour with him.

Oct 14, 2025
Scenic61154406959
Great Historical Perspective
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Yoshida was excellent, he had a great knowledge of of the historical aspects of the sites we visit, provided us great guidance on appropriate behavior at each site. He was energetic throughout the tour. More important he was more of a companion which made the experience even more enjoyable.

Sep 29, 2025
Jea L
Excellent Tour of Kyoto with Kaz
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Kaz was an excellent tour guide! He spent 6 hours showing us around Kyoto including Fushimi Inari Shrine, Nijo Castle, Kinkaku-Ji Temple and the bamboo forest. He was very knowledgeable, spoke English well (lived in the US for 3 years), and took lots of photos for us. We are so glad we booked this tour.

Jul 21, 2026
G848SWmaribelm
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Tour of Tokyo sights was great!
The tour experience with Sam was awesome! He is knowledgeable and accommodating. We would recommend this tour.

Jul 16, 2026
Cezary P
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Excellent tour of Tokyo!
Sam, was outstanding! Showed us how and what to look for. Explained the IC cards, subway and way around them. Took us to all places we asked for and explained all about them. Excellent tour! Highly recommend!

Jul 9, 2026
Michael_C
Tokyo tour
Viator review: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Excellent tour with a wonderful guide – Sam. Sam was professional and personable and helped us tailor the experience y including a tour of the fish market and lunch at his favorite sushi restaurant. Tour was great – good pace and Sam is extremely knowledgeable and willing to answer all our questions- overall a 5 star experience!!

Jun 18, 2026
David_W
Viator review: Tokyo Tsukiji Food & Culture 4hr Private Tour with Licensed Guide
Fish Market Tour
Great tour. Got to see both markets (old
and new). Great food options are available at both market locations

Oct 6, 2025
DJ C
We visited the atomic bomb museum, Hiroshima castle, a beautiful garden, and shrines and Torrey Gate.
Tripadvisor review: Hiroshima / Miyajima Full-day Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide
Kahori did an absolutely incredible job showing us around Hiroshima. Here knowledge was next level. She made the day so special and turned it into a day that will be a highlight of our entire trip. Hiroshima is breathtakingly beautiful and such an amazing place! Everyone should visit it!

Sep 23, 2025
lorrainel669
Awesome Hiroshima
Tripadvisor review: Hiroshima / Miyajima Full-day Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide
The tour was fantastic. It covered everything we wanted to see and more. It was very
informative and wasn’t rushed. Even when we struggled to understand things Kahori took
her time and explained in detail.

Jul 26, 2025
T
Tracy_P
Outstanding Tour of Hiroshima with Kahori…
Viator review: Hiroshima City 4hr Private Walking Tour with Licensed Guide
Our tour of Hiroshima with our guide, Kahori, was a wonderful experience and one of the highlights of our time in Japan. Kahori’s depth of knowledge during our visit to the Peace Park Museum, surrounding memorials and the A-Bomb Dome was impressive. My son who is on trip with me is a real history buff, thoroughly enjoyed learning about a difficult and somber time in Japanese history. We also had the opportunity to visit a former Japanese school which survived the bomb and became a relief center for those immediately impacted by the attack. Very moving. After visiting Hiroshima Castle, we rounded out our day with a lunch of Okonomiyaki (my new favorite Japanese dish). We laughed, told stories and had a wonderful time. I feel we now have a friend in Hiroshima. Kahori was personable, engaging and a genuinely warm person. If you visit Hiroshima and can request a guide for the day, you cannot go wrong with Kahori showing the way. Thank you, Kahori!

Jun 28, 2025
Fernando A
We knew the best of Hiroshima in 8 hrs
Tripadvisor review: Hiroshima / Miyajima Full-day Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide
It is a walking tour. Kaori, our very kind guide, waited for us at our hotel. We had a nice 15 minutes walk to the Peace Memorial while she explained the monuments and memorials we passed by. She accompanied us inside the museum. We had a very traditional Hiroshima lunch. Then we went to Miyajima island, its shrines and temple. Fabulous experience.
Lots to walk, lots steps to climb. I ended up exhausted.

Sep 9, 2025
salanicolas
Superb Tokyo guide
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Kyoko was great! Super knowledgeable, a lot of fun, and very friendly. She was a great guide
to Tokyo and Japanese culture

Jun 19, 2025
josephk547
A definite must-do when visiting Tokyo!
Tripadvisor review: Nikko Full-Day Private Walking Tour with Government-Licensed Guide (Tokyo DEP.)
Absolutely amazing tour in Nikko. We wanted to see something other than the city, someplace rich with history. Nikko did not disappoint. The architecture was breathtaking. Kyoko, our tour guide, was very knowledgeable regarding the shrine and the entire historical site. What a great experience! I highly recommend the Nikko tour along with our guide, Kyoko.

May 24, 2025
sandrashachar
Terrific Tokyo Tour!
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
We had a fantastic tour of the Asakusa Shrine, Imperial Palace and Nezu neighborhood in
Tokyo with our guide Kyoko! She was very personable and knowledgeable and tailored the
tour to our interests. We highly recommend any tour with her!

May 22, 2025
andywP8147WV
Private Guided Tour in Tokyo
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Our wonderful guide Kyoko prepared an excellent tour for my family and me.

I had given Kyoko some rough ideas of the sorts of things that we might like to see but left her to use he expertise to show us what she thought was best.

We certainly were not disappointed. We loved everything on our itinerary. Kyoko had a lot of interesting knowledge to share and her English was perfect.

Kyoko was also very caring towards my parents, who have some mobility issues.

At the end of the tour Kyoko made sure that we got to the correct underground platform.

I would highly recommend

Jun 2, 2025
413maryannb
Tomohiko organized our day beautifully! The car was immaculate, the driver skilled. We thoroughly enjoyed our day!
Tripadvisor review: Aomori Full-Day Private Trip with Government-Licensed Guide
Thank you for a great day in Aomori it was our last stop and most memorable! The Cherry
blossoms were beautiful! The Apple tarts divine.

Apr 30, 2025
Jacqueline_F
Great Guide, great tour
Viator review: Aomori Full-Day Private Trip with Government-Licensed Guide
We experienced the wonderful sites of Aomori which was a surprise in many ways. Despite
the rainy day we were enchanted by the cherry blossoms in full bloom by the old castle.
Once area was prettier than another. The floats and their history were amazing.

Dec 30, 2024
Scenic33296385055
Warm and professional guide
Tripadvisor review: Aomori Full-Day Private Trip with Government-Licensed Guide
Mr. Kudo-san is very professional, meticulate and kind hearted guide. The whole tour I felt like I was travelling with a fried. Me made me comfortable instantly. Very knowledgeable and patient in explaining stuff to me. I am vegetarian and he made sure my needs were met. He went above and beyond. There was a record snowfall in Aomori, taxi’s and buses were busy , we walked all the way and saw everything. I would highly recommend him to anyone wanting an expert and warm guide for Aomori. I whish him all the best.

Aug 3, 2024
Monika R
Fun and informative tour – great tour guide!
Tripadvisor review: Aomori Full-Day Private Trip with Government-Licensed Guide
We were 3 generations and all had so much fun with our tour guide Tomohiko. He was very informative and picked interesting places for us to visit including some shrines & museums. He took us to sample some of Aomori’s delicious apples and we had a wonderful lunch in a quint family restaurant. We met some lovely people. It was a fabulous experience we will not forget. Thank you!!

Apr 3, 2026
V2097LInickd
Tripadvisor review: Sendai / Matsushima Full-Day Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
15,000 Steps thru Sendai History
Sanichi is a very help and knowledgeable guide around Sendai. He devised an itinerary based on our preference for gardens and nature so we visited themes and shrines in Japanese gardens and huge forests via public transport as part of the experience. We had lunch together in a Japanese restaurant where it was very handy having someone who read Japanese. A 15,000 step tour, with a lot of Sendai history thrown in, which was well worth it.

Jul 14, 2025
carlanS8210WG
Merveilleux !
Tripadvisor review: Yamagata / Yamadera 6hr Private Trip with Licensed Guide
La visite du château de Kaminoyama était très intéressante. Nous avons ensuite visité une maison de samouraï. Puis nous sommes allés au temple de Yamadera et avons gravit ses 1000 marches !
Sanichi est le meilleur guide, avec de bonnes recommandations culinaires, d’impressionnantes connaissances historiques et plein d’anecdotes.

素晴らしい！
Tripadvisorレビュー：山形・山寺6時間プライベートツアー（有資格ガイド付き）
上山城の見学はとても興味深いものでした。その後、武家屋敷を訪れ、山寺へ向かい、1000段の石段を登りました！
サンイチさんは最高のガイドです。美味しい食べ物のおすすめ、素晴らしい歴史の知識、そしてたくさんの面白いエピソードを教えてくれました。

Nov 23, 2024
ym360
Exploring Yamagata with Sanichi
Tripadvisor review: Yamagata / Yamadera 6hr Private Trip with Licensed Guide
Our guided tour with Sanichi was an absolute delight. His deep knowledge of the region’s history, culture, and etiquette brought our visits to life. From the serene Risshaku-ji Temple to the commanding view from Kajo Central building, each stop was enriched by his insightful commentary.

We were particularly impressed by Sanichi’s dedication to ensuring we had the best possible experience. He patiently translated for us, allowing us to fully engage with the exhibits and local culture. We loved every part of the trip, especially the unique part where we got to explore a Samurai home and learn about some of the strategies they employed! The soba restaurant he recommended was a culinary highlight, and the pear-flavored ice cream was a delightful surprise.

Sanichi’s thoughtful assistance in finding a vegetarian dining option for one of our group members was truly appreciated.

Overall, this tour was an extraordinary way to explore Yamadera and Yamagata. We highly recommend it to anyone seeking a rich and immersive cultural experience.

Oct 11, 2024
D2725MMjamesb
Yamagata and Yamadera trip with Sanichi
Tripadvisor review: Yamagata / Yamadera 6hr Private Trip with Licensed Guide
The tour organizers where very helpful throughout the planning stage. They quickly put us in touch with out tour guide Sanichi, who then worked to ensure the tour was tailored to us. We visited Kaminoyama Castle, the nearby Samarai dwellings before moving onto to Yamadera. We traveled by train to make the most of our JR passes.

Sanichi provided a lot of insight into these locations that would have been very difficult to gain without a guide. He had a good grasp of the military, political and social history of the area. His company was very enjoyable throughout the trip.

Kaminoyama castle is very impressive from the outside but is more of a modern museum on the inside. The views from the top of the castle are first rate.

Yamadera is a breath taking mountainside temple complex and requires a moderate degree of fitnesss to get up its 1000 steps. Provided you can manage the hike, Yamdera is an amazing slight, with its network of temples and shrines, surrounded by towering woodland, steep cliffs and trickling streams.