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

  • 10:50 Tenyu meet. Private car to Sounzan. Ropeway to Owakudani. Sample black eggs. Ropeway to Togendai. 12:00 Pirate Ship. 12:25 Hakonemachi Port. Private car to Maruyama Bussan. Hakone Checkpoint Ruins. Private car to Hakone Shrine. Private car to Hakone Open-Air Museum. Private car back to Tenyu. 16:10 Dismissal

What Is a Private Hakone Tour Like for a Multilingual Family? A Licensed Guide's Report

One of the guests was less comfortable in English and could not easily join the conversation, which left a sense of isolation, and although the group and I tried various things, it did not go well at first, especially since I do not speak their native language. Coming up with an idea, I focused on Japanese and gave a lesson on numbers in Japanese, and because everyone in the group was at the same level, a sense of unity emerged and the mood brightened somewhat. On top of that, filming a presentation video at a local shop, taking face-in-the-hole photos with a samurai figure, and experiencing the maze at the Hakone Open-Air Museum all worked well, and by the time we said goodbye at the final hotel, we parted with smiles and even a handshake.

Transportation cost per person

No.TransportationRouteFare
Section 1Free PassOdawara Station~Odawara Station5,000JPY
Total5,000JPY

I am Hiroki Morikawa :Hiro:, English guide living with my wife ,just a hop skip and jump from Hakone, Kamakura, Tokyo and the Mt. Fuji.
I am a friendly grandfather of 4 grandchildren.
I would love to help you enjoy Japan, using my 3 strong points.
First: I am used to dealing with any kind of matters. I have experienced various situations in the 40 years of my working life.
Second: I am good at making a friendly atmosphere between you and local people to help you enjoy Japan. I was raised in western Japan, studied in northern Japan and now live in central Japan. So I know various local cultures and dialects to communicate with a wide variety of people.
Third: I can explain things from a technical point of view.
For example, how the Great Buddha was constructed, because I am a master of engineering graduated from Hokkaido University.
Please enjoy Japan with me. See you soon!!
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