Kanagawa in One Day: Chokoku-no-Mori Station — Guide Masa

Private Hakone Day Tour Report: What Can a Licensed Guide Show You in Owakudani and the Open-Air Museum?

The guests were visitors from North America, on their first trip to Japan. This was a fast-paced trip of about two weeks, partly to scout destinations. They arrived at Haneda Airport several days ago. After sightseeing in Tokyo, they went to Mount Fuji, climbed it, and arrived in Hakone the previous evening. They said, "This was the first time we slept on tatami and futon. It was nice to be able to sleep well." Later this evening, they planned to leave Hakone for Kyoto, then continue on to Osaka, Nara, and Hiroshima before returning to Tokyo and flying home. They commented, "Tokyo was fun, but there were too many people," and "Climbing Mount Fuji was truly exhausting, but we were blessed with good weather and could watch the sunrise. We were really lucky."

In the morning, although it was cloudy, we were able to see Mount Fuji through the gaps in the clouds. However, in the afternoon it rained, which made things quite challenging. From the Hotel, we walked to Chokoku-no-Mori Station, then continued via Gora Station and Sounzan to Gora. From here, we took the cable car and ropeway to 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?" They purchased and tasted the "black eggs" and said, "The smell of sulfur is incredible."

We then took the ropeway to Togendai Port and boarded the Hakone Pirate Ship. I explained "the history and current state of Lake Ashi." Although it was a little chilly, we went up to the top observation deck. There were also questions such as "Can you swim in it?" "What kind of fish are there?" and "Does it freeze in winter?" We arrived at Motohakone Port. At their request for lunch, we went to a bakery and cafe. After that, we walked to Hakone Shrine.

They then wanted to inspect the Open-Air Museum, so we took a bus and the Hakone Tozan Railway to get there. I explained "the origins and current state of the Open-Air Museum." One of the guests mentioned being fond of Picasso, and they viewed the sculptures with great interest and took many photographs. They also wanted to try the "foot bath." At the shop, they bought a handkerchief as a souvenir. They commented, "Japan is clean everywhere. There's no litter on the streets," "There are no trash cans," and "The trains are quiet." They also remarked, "In Tokyo, we stayed at a hotel in Shinjuku Kabukicho, but it was quite noisy and the atmosphere wasn't good. I felt it's not a place I'd recommend, especially for travelers with children."

I saw them off at Gora Station and 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.