Kanagawa: Hase & Motomachi — Guide Masa

Title: What Is a Private Minivan Day Tour of Kamakura Like for Cruise Passengers? A Licensed Guide's Report

Body:

The guests were a group visiting Japan for the first time from North America. They had arrived at Haneda Airport the previous day and taken a taxi to their hotel in Yokohama.

The main purpose of this visit to Japan was a 12-day cruise around Japan departing from Yokohama Port, starting the next day. They planned to go sightseeing at various places at each port of call.

For today, the request was to enjoy sightseeing in Kamakura.

Some members of the group had difficulty walking and could only move slowly, needing assistance from the driver and myself when getting in and out of the vehicle. In addition, since it was sometimes hard for the guests to hear, I often had to repeat explanations loudly several times.

From the hotel, we first went to Kotokuin as requested. As it was a weekend, Kamakura was extremely crowded and traffic was heavy. Along the way, I explained about the history of Kamakura, the history of Edo and Tokyo, the Meiji Restoration, and so on. I also explained the differences between Buddhism and Shinto.

There were questions such as, "Do all Japanese people believe in Buddhism?", "What other religions do people follow?", "When was this built?", and "What is it made of?" They enthusiastically took photos in front of the Great Buddha. The site was very crowded with many tourists.

Along the way, they also mentioned, "We plan to go to Nara from Kobe Port, so we would like to see the Great Buddha of Nara too."

Thanks to the driver's arrangement, we viewed Yuigahama Beach from the car and then went to Kenchoji. This was also very crowded with tourists. I explained about the history and origins of Kenchoji. However, the main hall was under renovation and repair, so we were unable to go inside.

As the guests had requested in advance, we took a lunch break. We went to a soba restaurant near Tsurugaoka Hachimangu that the driver had introduced and reserved. Everyone relaxed while having a beer.

From there, we walked slowly to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu. As it was difficult for them to climb the stairs to the main hall, we strolled slowly up to the bottom of the stairs. Here I again explained about the history of Kamakura, the Kamakura shogunate, and the samurai government. The relationship between the Emperor and the shogunate and samurai proved somewhat difficult to convey.

From in front of the shrine, we took the minivan to Hokokuji. I explained about the history and current state of Hokokuji. This too was very crowded. We walked slowly through the bamboo grove within the temple grounds.

The guests commented, "It feels very safe," "There is no litter on the streets," "There are no trash cans around," and "Everyone is so polite."

I saw the guests off at the hotel, and the tour ended.

Click here for more details: Kamakura from Yokohama by Private Car with Licensed Guide

Tour Report by Masa

Guiding career:
Guide work started in July 2022. A guide focused on FIT compliance.
FY2022 results: 17 cases, FY2023 results: 97
Destinations: Various places in Tokyo, Hakone, Kamakura and Nikko
As a recent group travel record, in October 2023, we have a track record of guiding a group of 33 people from Singapore to Narita Airport transfer plus sightseeing in Tokyo.
Self-introduction:
In the past, I was stationed in Canada, the United States, and Mexico as an expatriate of a Japanese bank for over 11 years.
Since I have been mainly involved in the financing business in the United States for a long time, I think I am able to provide interpretation and translation services related to business and finance.
I am a certified CPA in the United States.
In addition, for three years from April 2016, I will be engaged in Japanese-English translation work (part-time), and I can also handle translation work.
Although I don’t have a qualification in Spanish, but I think I can handle day to day conversation in Spanish without any problems.
My hobby is trekking and from time to time, take a walk around mountains near Tokyo like Mt. Takao, Tanzawa, etc. I think it is possible to provide tourist information here as well.
Since April 2015, I have been working as a Tokyo Metropolitan Tourism Volunteer and Tokyo Metropolitan Disaster Prevention Volunteer.
One more, I have a separate house near Asuka Village, Nara prefecture, and I stay there for a total of about 30 days every year and have been enjoying sightseeing personally in the vicinity. Therefore, I think in the Kansai region, especially in Nara, Asuka, Yoshino, Koyasan, Kumano Kodo, etc., where I think I will be able to tour guide with confidence.