Kyoto in Half a Day: Fushimi Inari Taisha & Nishiki — Guide Satoko

Title: What's a Private Walking Tour of Kyoto's Gion and Higashiyama Like? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests arrived early at the meeting point, so it was great that we could start the tour ahead of schedule. With the group, it was a bit challenging as some walked quickly while others liked to listen carefully to the explanations. We started at 11:00, and with temperatures near 30°C, they stopped quite often to buy drinks and snacks. Some of the guests seemed very drawn to Japan's cute goods, so they frequently paused to enjoy some shopping. Because of this pace, although I had originally planned a route from Yasaka Shrine to Nene-no-Michi and back to Hanamikoji, I decided to guide them to the highlight, Hanamikoji, first. When I explained that Yasui Konpiragu is "a shrine for cutting off bad relationships," they laughed quite a lot. They were very moved by the Yasaka Pagoda, which is beautiful whether viewed from below or above. We then proceeded through Ninenzaka, Nene-no-Michi, past Daiunin, Maruyama Park, and on to Yasaka Shrine, stopping at the gourd pond in Maruyama Park. They were impressed by the beautiful architecture of Yasaka Shrine. In particular, the view of Gion from the top of the stairs at the west gate of Yasaka Shrine seemed exceptional, and they captured it in photos. Then, as we passed Shinbashi and headed toward Nishiki, one of the guests mentioned wanting to buy yuzu honey, so I guided them to a honey shop. They tasted a sample and seemed to like it very much, and the guests purchased a good amount. Finally, at Daimaru, I explained the way back to Osaka, we took a commemorative photo together, and said our goodbyes. Everyone did their best to keep walking in the heat.

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

Tour Report by Satoko

I am a 53-year-old woman, living in Kyoto for nearly 40 years. I got the license in 2001. Since then, I worked as an interpreter or a translator in several companies, secretary at universities, and now work for a company on weekdays at the international dept.I do guiding job only weekend now. I started full swing guiding career after COVID-19 pandemic. I have gotten good review from many of my guests. I love my hometown, Kyoto which has a lot of interesting and historical sites to see. Particularly, I am native to Arashiyama which is famous for bamboo forest. So, I know a lot of places where you can relax yourself around this area. Other than that, Kyoto has many attractive sites which surely interest you.Also, I like meeting many people from different cultural background. I am very happy if I learn about your culture as well. Let’s enjoy exploring around Kyoto!