Which places does this itinerary cover?

This tour visited Kanazawa Castle, Kenrokuen Garden, 21st Century Museum and Nagamachi Samurai District.

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

Fujio 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 Ishikawa itinerary is built around the guests, so the places, the pace and the starting point can all be changed before the tour.

Ishikawa in One Day: Kanazawa & Nagamachi Samurai — Guide Fujio

June, 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

8:45　Accommodation
　9:30　Higashi Chaya District
10:20　Kanazawa Castle
11:00　Kenrokuen Garden
12:00　21st Century Museum
13:00　Lunch (inside Daiwa Department Store)
14:00　Nagamachi Samurai District
14:30　Farewell at the Nomura Family Residence

Tour Itinerary in Detail

From there the group visited Kanazawa Castle at 10:20, Kenrokuen Garden at 11:00, 21st Century Museum at 12:00 and Nagamachi Samurai District at 14:00.

Title: What Is a Full-Day Private Walking Tour of Kanazawa Like? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests were visitors from Oceania who were strong walkers, so I guided them through the entire itinerary within Kanazawa City entirely on foot. Until just before the day of the tour, I had not received a confirmation email from the guests regarding the meeting point, which caused me considerable concern. However, thanks to the efforts of [Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.)](https://www.j-g-a.org/), we were able to successfully exchange emails with the guests, for which I am grateful. This morning I went to find the accommodation where the guests were staying (a small townhouse-style inn near Higashi Chaya), and I was able to locate it with almost no difficulty, which reassured the guests.

Click here for more details: Kanazawa Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide

Tour Report by Fujio

I was born and have spent most of my life in Kanazawa.
When I was a university student in Kyoto, I occasionally worked part time as an English speaking guide for English speaking tourists.
I have guided foreign tourists in Japan especially in my hometown for over 13 years soon after my retirement.
I joined Kanazawa Good-will Guide Network in 2000 and had been its coordinator for six years from 2002, currently being its senior adviser.

In 2012, I established with a few co-founders Licensed Interpreter-guide Net Kanazawa (LINK), currently being its adviser.
I am very familiar with historical, cultural and industrial backgrounds of Kanazawa and its surrounding regions.
Tour Guide Services:
Sightseeing tours with explanation of historical and cultural backgrounds of Ishikawa prefecture including Kanazawa city, Noto peninsula, and the surrounding prefectures such as Gifu (with Takayama city and Shirakawago village), Toyama (with Gokayama village) and Fukui (with Eiheiji Zen Temple) are available at the option of the tourists.

Full-day tour (7~8h)
Higashi Chaya (Geisha) District including gold-leaf shops -> Kenrokuen Garden and Kanazawa Castle Park -> 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art
-> Nagamachi Samurai District -> Omicho Market

Half -day tour (4~5h)
Higashi Chaya (Geisha) District including a gold-leaf shop -> Kenrokuen Garden and Kanazawa Castle Park -> Nagamachi Samurai District
Other popular spots are also available at the tourist’s option: Myoryuji (Ninja) Temple, D. T. Suzuki Museum, Oyama Shrine, Kaga Yuzen Traditional Industrial Center, Nishida Family Garden (Gyokusen-en), Kazuemachi Chaya (Geisha) District, Ohi Pottery Museum, Kutani Porcelain Kiln, etc.

1. Noto peninsula (Wajima Morning market, Wajima Lacquerware Center, Sojiji Zen Temple, Ganmon and Chirihama Beach Driveway), etc.

2. Takayama city (samurai town), Shirakawago village (world heritage) and/or Gokayama village (world heritage)

< Home-visit (2 hours) >
Why not visit a local home in Kanazawa to enjoy talking with the host family over tea and to learn the distinctive Japanese lifestyle at first hand, where you might experience one or two kinds of traditional culture out of tea ceremony, flower arrangement, kimono dressing, calligraphy, paper folding, etc.
Number of visitors per host family is two to five and a larger group of more than six visitors is divided into sub-groups.

Thank you.

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Jun 18, 2024
Y4083EQgillians
Great guide in Kanazawa
Tripadvisor review: Kanazawa Full-day Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide
Fujio was a great guide and patiently…