I was born and have spent most of my life in Kanazawa.
When I was a university student in Kyoto, I occasionally worked part time as an English speaking guide for English speaking tourists.
I have guided foreign tourists in Japan especially in my hometown for over 13 years soon after my retirement.
I joined Kanazawa Good-will Guide Network in 2000 and had been its coordinator for six years from 2002, currently being its senior adviser.
In 2012, I established with a few co-founders Licensed Interpreter-guide Net Kanazawa (LINK), currently being its adviser.
I am very familiar with historical, cultural and industrial backgrounds of Kanazawa and its surrounding regions.
Tour Guide Services:
Sightseeing tours with explanation of historical and cultural backgrounds of Ishikawa prefecture including Kanazawa city, Noto peninsula, and the surrounding prefectures such as Gifu (with Takayama city and Shirakawago village), Toyama (with Gokayama village) and Fukui (with Eiheiji Zen Temple) are available at the option of the tourists.
Full-day tour (7~8h)
Higashi Chaya (Geisha) District including gold-leaf shops -> Kenrokuen Garden and Kanazawa Castle Park -> 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art
-> Nagamachi Samurai District -> Omicho Market
Half -day tour (4~5h)
Higashi Chaya (Geisha) District including a gold-leaf shop -> Kenrokuen Garden and Kanazawa Castle Park -> Nagamachi Samurai District
Other popular spots are also available at the tourist’s option: Myoryuji (Ninja) Temple, D. T. Suzuki Museum, Oyama Shrine, Kaga Yuzen Traditional Industrial Center, Nishida Family Garden (Gyokusen-en), Kazuemachi Chaya (Geisha) District, Ohi Pottery Museum, Kutani Porcelain Kiln, etc.
1. Noto peninsula (Wajima Morning market, Wajima Lacquerware Center, Sojiji Zen Temple, Ganmon and Chirihama Beach Driveway), etc.
2. Takayama city (samurai town), Shirakawago village (world heritage) and/or Gokayama village (world heritage)
< Home-visit (2 hours) >
Why not visit a local home in Kanazawa to enjoy talking with the host family over tea and to learn the distinctive Japanese lifestyle at first hand, where you might experience one or two kinds of traditional culture out of tea ceremony, flower arrangement, kimono dressing, calligraphy, paper folding, etc.
Number of visitors per host family is two to five and a larger group of more than six visitors is divided into sub-groups.
Thank you.
