Kanagawa in One Day: Odawara & Miyanoshita — Guide Masa

Title: What Is a Private One-Day Hakone Tour Like from Odawara? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests were visitors from North America, both traveling to Japan for the first time. This was a trip of about two weeks. They had arrived at Narita Airport a few days earlier, spent three days in Tokyo, and then came to Odawara this morning. After this, they planned to stay overnight in Hakone tonight, take the Shinkansen to Kyoto tomorrow, tour Kyoto, Osaka, and Nara, and then return home after coming back to Tokyo.

The tour took place under clear skies, and we were able to enjoy an unusually crisp, clear view of Mount Fuji. Although the weather was fine, it was a slightly chilly day. At the guests' request, the meeting point was changed from their planned hotel to Odawara Station.

First, from Odawara Station, we took the Hakone Tozan Railway, cable car, and ropeway in succession to reach Owakudani. I explained "how Hakone was formed" and "an overview and history of Owakudani." There were questions such as "Is Owakudani an active volcano? Has it ever erupted?" and "Is Mount Fuji also an active volcano? When did it erupt?"

The guests bought and tasted the "black eggs" and commented, "The smell of sulfur is incredible." They also purchased a large amount of souvenirs, saying they had many people to buy for.

Next, we took the ropeway to Togendai. After a short wait, we boarded the "pirate ship." Inside, it was nearly full, including many international tourists. There were questions such as "How deep is Lake Ashi? What is the water temperature?", "Can you swim in it?", and "Can you fish here?"

We disembarked at Hakonemachi Port and went to the Hakone Checkpoint (Sekisho) ruins. I explained "the history from the Edo period" and "the five highways and the role of the checkpoints." The guests said, "I've seen a drama about the shogun," and "Japanese history is fascinating."

We continued to Motohakone and walked to Hakone Shrine. I explained "the history of Hakone Shrine." After paying respects at the main hall, we took commemorative photos from the side, in front of the torii gate on the lake.

We returned to Motohakone Port and had a relaxed lunch. Then, from Motohakone Port, we took the Hakone Tozan Bus and railway in succession to reach Miyanoshita. The guests commented, "Everywhere in Japan, the towns are clean. There's no litter on the ground," "Everyone is polite," and "Personally, I feel Hakone suits me better than Tokyo."

After seeing them board the shuttle bus that came to pick them up for the hotel, we parted ways.

Click here for more details: Hakone Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide

Tour Report by Masa

Guiding career:
Guide work started in July 2022. A guide focused on FIT compliance.
FY2022 results: 17 cases, FY2023 results: 97
Destinations: Various places in Tokyo, Hakone, Kamakura and Nikko
As a recent group travel record, in October 2023, we have a track record of guiding a group of 33 people from Singapore to Narita Airport transfer plus sightseeing in Tokyo.
Self-introduction:
In the past, I was stationed in Canada, the United States, and Mexico as an expatriate of a Japanese bank for over 11 years.
Since I have been mainly involved in the financing business in the United States for a long time, I think I am able to provide interpretation and translation services related to business and finance.
I am a certified CPA in the United States.
In addition, for three years from April 2016, I will be engaged in Japanese-English translation work (part-time), and I can also handle translation work.
Although I don’t have a qualification in Spanish, but I think I can handle day to day conversation in Spanish without any problems.
My hobby is trekking and from time to time, take a walk around mountains near Tokyo like Mt. Takao, Tanzawa, etc. I think it is possible to provide tourist information here as well.
Since April 2015, I have been working as a Tokyo Metropolitan Tourism Volunteer and Tokyo Metropolitan Disaster Prevention Volunteer.
One more, I have a separate house near Asuka Village, Nara prefecture, and I stay there for a total of about 30 days every year and have been enjoying sightseeing personally in the vicinity. Therefore, I think in the Kansai region, especially in Nara, Asuka, Yoshino, Koyasan, Kumano Kodo, etc., where I think I will be able to tour guide with confidence.