Hyogo in Half a Day: @ Akashi Kaikyo Bridge — Guide Yama

What Is a Private Kobe Walking Tour for a Cruise Passenger Like? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guest was a visitor from Europe, arriving on a cruise ship while traveling. During the pre-tour confirmation stage, we had checked several times that the cruise ship would arrive at the Kobe Port Terminal, but upon arriving on site, it turned out that the terminal was mistaken and the correct one was the Naka Pier Cruise Terminal. I quickly headed to the correct Naka Pier by taxi and arrived by the meeting time, so we were able to meet without any problem. When I explained this situation to the guest, they were very gracious about it. The tour started as planned. The guest was a very strong walker and we were able to move around smoothly. In fact, as a guide who takes pride in walking, I had never before experienced being able to move at the same pace as a guest. Since a family member of the guest is married to someone from Kobe, they were very fond of Japan and repeatedly said "everything about Japan is wonderful," to the point where I almost felt embarrassed. The guest was also very knowledgeable about plants and taught me the names of various trees and flowers along the road, not to mention in the herb garden. At Ikuta Shrine, they were delighted to find a single cherry tree that had somehow just begun to bloom. (They had given up on seeing cherry blossoms this time.) They had also said from the outset that they wanted to try "Kobe beef," and they enjoyed it very much at a restaurant I recommended in Nankinmachi. Also in Nankinmachi, they were pleased to find the statue of their zodiac animal, the sheep. Photography also seemed to be a hobby of theirs, and they took many pictures. I presented them with a handmade drawstring pouch, which they were very happy to receive. It is hard to express, but among all the native English speakers I have interacted with, I felt this guest spoke the most beautiful English. I even wished I could spend more time with them to study English, and in the end we parted ways after going over the scheduled time by about an hour.

Special note) This time the pier where the cruise ship arrived differed from the initial information. While I believe the guest did not pay much attention to the information from me, I also recall receiving cautionary notes from your company, and I keenly felt the responsibility of the guide for neglecting to confirm in advance with the relevant authorities (such as the local port authority). This time there was no actual change from the beginning, but occasionally the arrival pier can change just one or two days beforehand, so continued caution will be necessary. In Kobe, there are only two places where cruise ships dock, and they are located relatively close to each other, so it was fortunate that we were able to meet without any problem this time as well.

Click here for more details: Kobe Customized Half-Day Tour with Licensed Local Guide

Tour Report by Yama

Dear my guests,

This is (Mr.) Yama, greeting from Kobe, Japan.
I would like to warmly welcome you to Japan this time. I am from the city of Kobe, which is of course, well-known for very tasty Kobe Beef . You can taste
real genuine Kobe Beef here. Kobe is also called “Home of Japanese Sake” with lots of Sake breweries, and I recommend you would visit those breweries
if you have any interest in Japanese Sake as well as one aspect of Japanese cultures. Of course, you can have tastings of various kinds of Sake there.

Whenever during the tour, I always try to make it safe, pleasant and comfortable for all of the guests, which is my first priority. I am very much confident
that you can have a pleasant and unforgettable experience in Japan. Just tell me about your preference; what you would like to like to see, have, know
and eat and so on. Particularly, I hold the license for cooking qualified by the government here and maybe, I can reply you for questions related to the
foods here. In this respect, I strongly recommend you would try not only famous Japanese cuisine such as Sushi, Tempura or Suki-yaki but some
Japanese traditional local foods, like Tako-yaki, Okonomi-yaki and Kushkatsu. They are sometimes called the soul foods of Japan. Here is the brief
explanation for these three foods.

1) Tako-yaki
Tako-yaki is a snack filled with pieces of octopus in a batter of flour , egg and soup stock. You can call them octopus dumplings or balls. “Tako” means
octopus and “yaki” means grilled or broiled.
2) Okonomi-yaki
This word Okonomi-yaki means “cook just as you like” and you can use whatever you like as toppings, such as beef, pork, shrimp, squid and octopus.
Okonomi-yaki is round shape and just like pancakes or pizza in shape mainly made from egg, flour and water.
3) Kushi-katsu
Kushi-katsu is skewered cutlet or deep-fried foods on a stick. “Kushi” means skewer and “katsu” means cutlet. Various kinds of foods are used for
ingredients such as beef, pork, chicken, shrimp, squid, octopus and lots of kinds of vegetables.

Actually, the western Japan including Osaka, Kobe and Himeji is called as “Home of such local soul foods”. You should give it a try and I am sure
that you like them very much.

I sincerely hope that I can be your tour guide this time in Kobe, Osaka and Himeji. If my guests said to me after the tour, “I have had a very good
and pleasant time with you today. I hope I can come here again and name you as our guide”, which is my great pleasure. Moreover, I would be
great honored if they say “I like Japan now thanks to you”.

Looking forward to meeting you soon here.
Doomo Arigato Gozaimasu!
Yama