Hiroshima in One Day: Travel by Maple-loop Bus — Guide Tomoyo

Can You Book a Private Group Tour of Miyajima Through Japan Guide Agency? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests were a group visiting from North America. The group had originally been planned as a larger party split across two guides.

For example, on a large bus tour the itinerary is fixed from the start, so having more guides or tour conductors on the day is helpful. However, with [Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.)](https://www.j-g-a.org/), the guide is the one who plans the itinerary, so it was difficult for the other guide (whom I did not know), myself, and the guests to coordinate together before the tour began. When I inquired with [Japan Guide Agency](https://www.j-g-a.org/), I was told that large parties are not accepted in the first place, that even within the same group these were two separate tours, and that coordination between the respective guides was not required. In reality, however, the guests all wanted to move along the same itinerary, so coordination was essential. If a situation like this arises, would it be possible to change to assigning a single guide rather than multiple guides? Even with more than ten guests, that would be far simpler than coordinating with another guide. If [Japan Guide Agency](https://www.j-g-a.org/) is unable to manage in its system cases where guests independently split a large party into smaller bookings, could a guide decline the assignment after explaining the circumstances? In practice, even though it is the same group, in the system it is treated as separate cases, so acting exactly as [Japan Guide Agency](https://www.j-g-a.org/) instructs results in separate movements, which feels unnatural. What caused difficulty this time was: first inquiring with [Japan Guide Agency](https://www.j-g-a.org/) about who the other guide was, having that guide join the group messaging app, then that guide withdrawing due to feeling unwell, hearing from the guests that the next guide would be someone else and inquiring with [Japan Guide Agency](https://www.j-g-a.org/) who that person was, being told by [Japan Guide Agency](https://www.j-g-a.org/) that coordination was not necessarily required, exchanging emails with the new guide about things that had already been decided, the guests continually reducing their numbers, and requests coming in one after another that then had to be shared between the guides. All of this took considerable time.

As for the guests this time, they enjoyed eating things they could have along the way at the Omotesando shopping street on Miyajima. Since the group leader and the group members wanted to eat and see different things, it was difficult to adapt flexibly on the spot; we changed meeting points and meeting times each time, and coordinating flexibly with another guide on top of that was even more difficult.

Click here for more details: Hiroshima & Miyajima in 1 Day: Private Tour, Licensed Guide

Tour Report by Tomoyo

As a Hiroshima government-certified English-speaking guide, I’ve led over 160 heartfelt tours for guests from around the world. I craft each experience with care, blending history, humor, and emotional resonance to help you connect deeply with this beautiful city and its stories. I love sharing insights about Hiroshima and Japan, but I also enjoy chatting with my guests as if we were friends, learning about each other along the way and creating meaningful moments together. Every tour becomes a unique exchange, shaped by the people I meet. I look forward to welcoming you and guiding you in Hiroshima.