Kanagawa in One Day: Hakone-Yumoto Station — Guide Masa

Title: What Is a Private Hakone Day Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Owakudani, Lake Ashi, and Hakone Shrine

The guests were a group visiting Japan from Europe, all traveling to Japan for the first time. This trip was arranged to coincide with an approximately two-week summer break. The guests originally came from Asia and had relocated to Europe 35 years ago.

They had arrived at the airport a few days earlier and traveled to Tokyo, where they stayed in the Shinjuku and Shin-Okubo areas. After two nights in Hakone, they planned to travel from Odawara to Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, and Hiroshima the next day, then return to Tokyo before flying home. They had already visited Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and Hiroshima after arriving at the airport, and had come to Hakone the previous day.

They said, "We really wanted to see Mount Fuji from Hakone," and "We wanted to go somewhere a little quieter and enjoy the hot springs." Although it did not rain, the clouds were thick, so we were unable to see Mount Fuji.

From Hakone-Yumoto Station, we transferred between the Hakone Tozan Railway, the cable car, and the ropeway to reach Owakudani. I explained "the formation of Hakone," "its history as a hot spring and summer retreat," 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?"

We bought "black eggs" and everyone tried them together. They commented, "The smell of sulfur is incredible."

Next, we took the ropeway to Togendai Port and boarded the Hakone pirate ship. I explained "the history and current state of Lake Ashi." It was a little chilly, but we went up to the top observation deck. They said, "It's a beautiful lake and feels wonderful." There were also questions such as "Can you swim here?" "What kinds of fish are there?" and "Does it freeze in winter?"

We arrived at Hakonemachi Port and walked around the Hakone Checkpoint ruins. I explained "the history from the Edo period to the Meiji Restoration," "the Tokaido and the other five highways," and "the national isolation policy during the Edo period."

We took a bus to Moto-Hakone Port. Since some of the guests were vegetarian, we had lunch at "Bakery & Table."

After that, we walked to Hakone Shrine. I explained "the history of Hakone Shrine." We visited the main hall, and I explained how to worship. The torii gate on the lake had a long line of people waiting to take photos, so we took our pictures from the side. There were many questions about "the difference between Buddhism and Shinto" and "what Shinto is." There was also a question: "Why do so many people line up just to take a photo?"

They commented, "Everywhere in Japan the towns are so clean. There is no litter on the ground," and "Everyone is so polite." They also asked many questions such as "What is the average annual income in Japan?" "What are the population trends?" and "How do taxes and social insurance premiums work?"

I saw them off at Hakone-Yumoto Station, where 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.