Hakone Customized Private Tour in 1 Day — Guide Middy

Title: What Is a Private Day Tour of Hakone Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Owakudani, Lake Ashi, and the Hakone Open-Air Museum

The booking was originally for the group, but after arriving in Tokyo, a relative in North America became unwell, so one member of the group returned home, and the tour proceeded with the remaining guests. Fortunately, we were blessed with the finest possible weather, and we were able to see beautiful views of Mount Fuji from both Owakudani and Lake Ashi. Since the guests moved through the itinerary faster than expected, I suggested a mountainside hotel where the azaleas were in full bloom. The guests took many photos with the fully blooming azaleas and Mount Fuji in the background, and everyone seemed very pleased. For lunch, the guests wished to have Japanese soba, so we visited "Kinuhiki no Sato" near the Moto-Hakone bus stop. We had to wait about 30 minutes, and the guests looked a little tired, but they seemed satisfied with the meal. The previous day, the guests had arrived late at their hotel in Gora and had not yet been able to visit anything, and since they were moving on to Kyoto the following day, I finally suggested the Hakone Open-Air Museum and guided them to the entrance. As the hotel was a 5-minute walk from the Hakone Open-Air Museum, we said our goodbyes at the entrance of the museum and concluded the tour.

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Tour Report by Middy

My name is Midori Katayama. I have been working as a national licensed English-speaking tour guide since 2024. I have guided group bus tours as well as FIT guests. I truly enjoy showing visitors from overseas the wonderful places in Japan and sharing our culture with them.

I live in Kanagawa Prefecture, which is located just south of Tokyo and offers great sightseeing destinations such as Yokohama, Kamakura, and Hakone. There are four people in my family—my husband, my son, and my mother. My son has already moved out and lives on his own, so now the three of us live together.

I also study tea ceremony, and I look forward to sharing Japanese culture with all of you.
Thank you very much, and I hope to see you soon.