Hiraizumi Customized Half-Day Tour — Guide Hitoshi

What Is a Private Tour of Hiraizumi and Genbikei Gorge Like? A Licensed Guide's Report

At the request of the guests visiting from North America, [Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.)](https://www.j-g-a.org/) guide arranged a private tour to Takkoku no Iwaya in Hiraizumi. On the way from Ichinoseki Station, we first stopped at Genbikei Gorge, got off the bus, and strolled around the area. After searching for the best scenic spots and taking photos, I introduced the local specialty of Genbikei, the "flying dango" (kakko dango), which the guests ordered themselves from the rocky riverside and enjoyed happily at a pavilion overlooking the gorge. Afterward, we took a taxi to Takkoku no Iwaya, where the guests looked with fascination at the cliff-hanging Bishamon-do hall, the rock-carved Buddha, and Gama-ga-ike Pond. Although taking off shoes seemed a bit troublesome, the guests entered the Kondo hall and viewed the main image as well as the Eleven-Faced Kannon and Sho-Kannon statues. After finishing, we returned by taxi to Genbikei and entered the Sahara Glass Park in front of the bus stop (free admission), where the guests looked with great interest at the overwhelming number of glass crafts. One of the guests collects frog figurines as a hobby (reportedly owning as many as 25 kinds) and purchased a frog figurine made by this workshop. The guests had very much enjoyed a brand of sake called "Nito" that they had tried in Shibuya, Tokyo, and wished to buy some before returning home, so I looked into it and found that it could be purchased at GRANSTA Tokyo in Tokyo Station, and handed over a note about it. The guests watched with curiosity how Japanese people are keen to use parasols and hats to protect their skin from the sun.

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Tour Report by Hitoshi

My name is Hitoshi Ohata. I’ve been an interpreter and guide for about six years since I retired. I live in Takizawa City which is at the foot of Mt. Iwate, the highest mountain in Iwate Prefecture. My hobby is playing table tennis once a week. I’m not a competitive player, I’m just having fun. I also play go, a board game. The main guides are a guide to Hiraizumi’s cultural heritage and a guide to cruise ship tours in Aomori and Iwate Prefecture. I’ve experienced the Great East Japan Earthquake, so I can talk about things like that. I try to convey Japanese culture and society to people overseas in an easy-to-understand way as much as possible.