Kyoto in Half a Day: Inabado & Miyagawacho Area Stroll — Guide Satoko

What Is a 4-Hour Private Walking Tour of Kyoto's Gion and Higashiyama Like? A Licensed Guide's Report

When I asked in advance about the places the guests wanted to visit, they said they wanted to focus mainly on the sake breweries in Fushimi as well as the Gion and Higashiyama areas. I explained that the sake breweries are closed during the New Year period, and that while it is possible to simply walk through the streetscape, seeing the breweries themselves would not be possible. The guests said they would leave out the sake breweries this time, so we decided to focus on the Gion and Higashiyama areas, going as far as Yasaka Hokanji Temple rather than extending all the way to Kiyomizudera.

Along the way, at Bukkoji Temple, the guests spent a while taking photographs, perhaps because they found the architecture unusual. This is a Jodo Shinshu (True Pure Land) temple, and since it is remarkably large, I explained why a Jodo Shinshu temple would be so big and what kind of teaching Jodo Shinshu represents. The guests listened with great interest.

Strictly speaking, if I were to explain about geisha, we should have gone to Yasaka Shrine first, but due to the walking route we passed through the Shinbashi area first. Since we had time, we went back a little and I explained the characteristics of the ochaya (teahouses). We then headed to Yasaka Shrine, where the guests were overwhelmed by the sheer number of people coming for the New Year's first shrine visit. Because there were so many people at the main hall, they did not make an offering there, but since they had already washed their hands at the entrance, I suggested they pay their respects at one of the small subsidiary shrines. They showed interest in the lanterns displayed at the dance hall (maiden).

We then headed to Yasaka Koshindo and Hokanji Temple. The guests listened with interest to the explanation of Koshindo. They seemed especially fond of the five-storied pagoda at Hokanji Temple, and mentioned that they would like to come back and make time to see it privately again. We then went to Yasui Konpiragu Shrine (I personally find the concept of this shrine interesting, so I always tend to include it) and strolled along Hanamikoji.

I took a photograph at the entrance of Ichiriki. Whenever I explain about Ichiriki in front of it, I usually get scolded by the staff there, but since it seemed to be closed for the New Year today, I mentioned to the guests that we could take our time with the photos. Then, since it was the New Year, we went down Yamato-oji to visit Ebisu Shrine. At Ebisu Shrine, the guests joined the other worshippers and threw coins toward the straw cape of the Ebisu figure on the torii gate. From there we went down through Miyagawacho, where they experienced the atmosphere of a hanamachi (geisha district) different from the others.

I had been a little worried about whether we could complete this itinerary in four hours, since the guests might become tired, but the tour finished earlier than I had planned. The guests said that was fine, so we chatted about various things as I saw them back to their hotel, and the tour came to an end. It was not that I walked fast without matching the guests' pace, but because I was worried about whether the tour would finish on schedule, the pace up to Yasaka Shrine may have been a little rushed. I thought it might have been good to spend a little more time at Yasaka Shrine. Overall, I believe both sides enjoyed the tour.

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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!