Where does this Hyogo tour start and finish?

The guide met the guests at Himeji Station at 11:45, and the tour finished at at 15:45.

How long does the tour last?

About 4 hours in total, from 11:45 to 15:45.

Which places does this itinerary cover?

This tour visited Himeji Station 2F Castle View, Egret Rooftop, Himeji Castle, Koko-en Garden and Harima Kokusosha Shrine.

Is the guide licensed, and what language is the tour in?

Mariko is a government-licensed national guide-interpreter of Japan and guided this tour in English. Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.) works with more than 1,000 licensed guides across all 47 prefectures. Not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association.

Can the itinerary be changed for my own trip?

Yes. This report describes one private tour as it actually ran. Every Hyogo itinerary is built around the guests, so the places, the pace and the starting point can all be changed before the tour.

Hyogo in Half a Day: Himeji Station 2F Castle View — Guide Mariko

May, 2024

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

11:45 Meet at Himeji Station
11:50 Himeji Station 2F Castle View
12:00 Egret Rooftop
12:10 Himeji Castle
14:20 Koko-en Garden
15:10 Harima Kokusosha Shrine
15:45 Dismissal

Tour Itinerary in Detail

Meeting at Himeji Station at 11:45, the group explored Hyogo until the tour ended at 15:45. The day ran to 4 hours from start to finish.

The itinerary covered Himeji Station 2F Castle View at 11:50, Egret Rooftop at 12:00, Himeji Castle at 12:10, Koko-en Garden at 14:20 and Harima Kokusosha Shrine at 15:10.

The guests preferred not to have lunch and did not take many photos, so the schedule progressed smoothly. Since the guests had plenty of energy and could walk as much as needed, it was very helpful. At Himeji Castle, the guests were amazed by the defensive features and repeatedly said "Amazing" at its beauty. As there was time to spare, I took the guests to the nearby Harima Kokusojinja Shrine. It is usually quiet and uncrowded, but a prayer ceremony happened to be taking place, so the guests were able to see the Shinto priest reciting norito prayers, the playing of instruments, and the shrine maiden's dance, which I think was wonderful. Since the shrine enshrines a deity, I explained the bronze horse statue and the ema votive plaques.

Click here for more details: Himeji Castle Half-Day Customized Tour with Licensed Guide

Tour Report by Mariko

Hello! I’m Mariko. I have guided Himeji Castle 400 times for 14 years. I also guide Kokoen Garden and Mt.Shosha. I have lived in Himeji for 74years
That’s why I know everything ,good restaurants ,souvenir shops and the panoramic view a lot of local people don’t know.
I can also tell you anecdotes about Tom Cruise. Last Samurai filmed at Mt.Shoha.I worked as an English teacher at a junior high school on the bottom of the mountain.I have some anecdotes about Tom.For example he came there by a private pericoputer from Kobe,big city.Because our city doesn’t have any gorgeous hotels. I have learned tea ceremony for 14 years.So I would like to take you an authentic tea house in Kokoen Garden.You can enjoy Maccha, green powdered tea and wagashi, Japanese confectionery there.I am looking forward to seeing you!

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Jul 16, 2024
isabelaaY4971VE
Beautiful walk through the castle
Tripadvisor review: Himeji Half-Day Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Our tour guide – Mariko was amazing.…

May 21, 2024
SharonC32
Beautiful castle, fantastic guide
Tripadvisor review: Himeji Full-Day Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Mariko was a fantastic guide. She made our…