This is a private guided tour report by Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.), a network of 1,000+ government-licensed, English-speaking local guides across all 47 prefectures of Japan. Not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association.
Tour Itinerary
- 8:50 Meet at the hotel
- 9:00 Take the hotel bus to Gora Station
- 9:25 Take the cable car and ropeway to Owakudani
- 9:50 Owakudani. Enjoy the black eggs and black curry bread
- 10:30 Take the ropeway to Togendai
- 11:25 Take the pirate ship to Hakonemachi Port
- 12:20 After seeing Hakone marquetry, visit the Hakone Checkpoint
- 13:10 Walk along the cedar avenue of the old Tokaido to Motohakone Port
- 13:45 Lunch at a restaurant in Motohakone Port
- 14:30 Hakone Shrine
- 15:20 Bus from Motohakone Port
- 15:40 Arrive at the bus stop in front of the hotel. End of guide
Title: What Is a Private Hakone Day Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Owakudani, Lake Ashi, and Hakone Shrine
The guests were visiting from North America. It was clear in the morning, so I was hopeful that we would be able to see Mount Fuji today, but the higher we climbed, the deeper the fog became, until we could not even see the crater of Owakudani right below us 😰 This was a first-time experience for me. Undeterred, I had the guests try the black eggs and the black curry bread that has become popular recently. Then, for the pirate ship, I suggested, "Let's ride in the first-class cabin," to avoid the crowded ordinary cabin where there were no seats available. I had them strike the Titanic pose at the bow, and they relaxed in the beautiful cabin. After guiding them through the Hakone Checkpoint, I invited them to travel back in time and walk along the old Tokaido cedar avenue from the Edo period, saying, "Please walk as if on a special journey," and the group walked along together holding hands. For lunch at Motohakone Port, we went to a restaurant known for its delicious hoba-yaki.
At Hakone Shrine, I had the group pay their respects at the Kuzuryu Shrine, said to bring happiness, and when I introduced them to the great cedar tree associated with the legend of safe childbirth, the guests were deeply moved.
Click here for more details: Hakone Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Transportation cost per person
| No. | Transportation | Route | Fare |
| Section 1 | Train | Gora～Sounzan | 430JPY |
| Section 2 | Other | Sounzan～Togendai | 1,500JPY |
| Section 3 | Bus | Motohakone Port～Yunessun-mae | 580JPY |
| Section 4 | Other | Togendai～Hakonemachi Port | 1,200JPY |
| Total | 3,710JPY | ||
My name is Shuji, meaning “Excellent Manager” in English. I was born in Hiroshima 1952. I have 2 children and 3 grandchildren.
After graduating Kyoto Univ. I joined Mitsubishi-UFJ Bank, Osaka Branch where I met my wife who was a master of Englsih, so I started studying English.
The bank allowed me to go to Columbia Graduate business school in New York and got MBA Degree there. I worked in London and Manchester Branch.
During staying in U.K., I was introduced by BBC and Financial Times News Paper about my achievement there. I was selected as a personal assistant and interpreter for the President of the Bank.
I made many business trips with him to overseas countries. I experienced as an interpreter for meeting late Henry Kissinger and the President of Citi. Corp.
I changed the job to ORIX corporation, there I was promoted to a Board Member. When the company had acquired Dutch company, I was a member as an accountant to check the Dutch company’s statements of accounts.
My hobbies are cooking, singing a song, playing tennis & golf, enjoy seeing arts especially opera & musical, travel. I am also busy with taking care of grandchildren. I passed Government Licensed Guide Exam. in 2016. After I retired in 2017, I started guide job as a part timer. So far, I accomplished guide job more than 500 times.
My area coverage is from Tokyo, Hakone, Kamakura, Mt. Fuji to Kyoto, Nara, Oaka, Hiroshima. I am also able to guide Tea Ceremony, Maiko/Geisha, Sushi Making, Calligraphy, Sumo, Samurai, etc. I can speak excellent English. My knowledge is very wide and deep about not only sightseeing places but Japanese History, Culture, Religion, Daily Life. I know many foreign countries and people. I love talking with all kinds of people including babies with interesting humor.
By the way, I look young for my age of 74.
Jul 16, 2026
salomons666
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Amazing with our guide Shuji very kind and acknowledge
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A great day in the Company of mr. Shuji.
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Shuji is the best! Once we booked this tour, he reached…
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Shuji is the best! Once we booked this tour, he reached out immediately to make sure that we had a customized tour of what we wanted to see and do in Nara. The level of details in his emails was incredible! Not only did Shuji plan a great tour but he also went above and beyond by explaining the Japan rail system, the public transportation cards (Suica, Pasmo, etc.) and even told us exactly what trains, times and gates to exit so that our meetup was seamless. Been on a lot of tours around the world and have never had this level of communication. Once we started our tour, Shuji was articulate, knowledgeable and so much fun! Nara is amazing and Shuji made it so much better – please request him!
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Our tour guide Shuji was amazing. He was…
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Our tour guide Shuji was amazing. He was very knowledgeable and made sure we were able to see everything that we wanted while in Osaka. He even took my 5 year old into consideration and took us to the Pokémon store since he is a Pokémon fan. I would definitely recommend him as a tour guide.