Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage in 1 Day by Car — Guide Yuka
October, 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.
Tour Itinerary
- 1. 8:50 meet@Aokishimanoyado
- 2. 10:00 @Kumano Hongu Taisha
- 3. 10:40 @Oyunohara
- 4. 11:00 @Yunomine Onsen
- 5. 12:10 @Kumano Hayatama Taisha
- 6. 13:00 Lunch@Sohonke Mehariya
- 7. 14:00 @Daimonzaka
- 8. 14:45 @Seiganto-ji
- 9. 15:30 @Kumano Nachi Taisha
- 10. 16: 00 @Hiro Shrine
- 11. 16:30 Dismissal@Sightseeing Pier

A Private Kumano Hayatama Taisha Shrine Tour Report: What Is "Our Four Soul"? A Licensed Guide's Experience
The guest asked many sharp questions, which kept me on my toes, and the staff at Kumano Hayatama Taisha Shrine also did their best to explain. At the amulet counter, there was an expression, "our four soul," and the guest asked what it meant. Even the shrine staff were unsure, so a senior person came out from the back and kindly explained it. It was something I myself did not fully understand, so it was difficult to explain, but somehow we managed to reach an understanding. It was a good learning experience for me as well, so I told the guest to feel free to keep asking questions, and our conversation afterward became quite lively. When we parted, the guest said, "You did a great job today. Thank you."
Click here for more details: Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage in 1 Day by Car with Licensed Guide
Hi! My name is YUKA. I’ve got the government license in 2018 and joined a half year traning to do the guide. But a half year later I started my carreer, Covid came. I should have given up guiding. During the Covid, I’ve read many books and made my own materials to explain Japanese culture, history, etc. I love guiding because the guests expand my horizon all the time and let me know their own country and culture, etc. It is really important for us all to know each other and respect each other to make this world peace. Thank you for coming to Japan! Let’s enjoy Japan together!
Sep 29, 2026
duncans746
Yuka was great
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Yuka was a fantastic guide, knowledgeable,…
Sep 29, 2026
duncans746
Yuka was great
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Yuka was a fantastic guide, knowledgeable, helpful and friendly. I had a fantastic day going around Kyoto with her.
Thank you Yuka!
Sep 23, 2026
navinderp2024
Great day in Kyoto
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We had a great tour…
Sep 23, 2026
navinderp2024
Great day in Kyoto
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
We had a great tour of Kyoto with Yuka. She mate us promptly at our hotel and customised a tour to get the most out of the day. We saw everything we wanted to see on the day and it was all very smooth and well planned.
Aug 9, 2026
piperl686
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We were so impressed by…
Aug 9, 2026
piperl686
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We were so impressed by our beautiful tour of Kyoto! Our tour guide Yuka made our day so special with her positive attitude, sweet disposition, and countless fun and interesting facts about Japan. She went out of her way to make sure we saw everything we wanted to see, and even lent me Yen to buy a special gift for my mother when I was short a few coins. We cannot recommend her enough to make your trip to Japan memorable and worthwhile!
Aug 5, 2026
Anita_M
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Great day of sightseeing in Kyoto
Yuka was a…
Aug 5, 2026
Anita_M
Viator review: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Great day of sightseeing in Kyoto
Yuka was a lovely and knowledgeable guide who took great care of us on our recent one day trip to beautiful Kyoto. She met us coming off the Shinkansen and gave us options about how to spend the day wisely. We are so thankful for her thoughtful insights into Japanese traditions and culture, highly recommend doing a guided tour with her as it was very memorable.
