Kyoto in Half a Day: Kinkaku-ji & Ryoan-ji / Tour — Guide annie

Title: What Is a Private Kyoto Day Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Kinkaku-ji, Ryoan-ji, and Sutra Copying

Before the tour, I exchanged several emails with the guests to plan the day's itinerary, which allowed the tour to proceed smoothly.

The guests had seen photos of Kinkaku-ji (the Golden Pavilion) in guidebooks and were very eager to visit. Seeing it in person, they were delighted. After letting them take as many photos as they wished, I explained the details of the Golden Pavilion. I also shared the story of the Rikushu no Matsu (the land-boat pine), which they found very interesting. We then strolled leisurely through the garden while I talked about features such as the carp climbing the waterfall, the mound of the white snake, and the Sekkatei teahouse. Since Kinkaku-ji offers a single-character sutra copying experience, I asked whether they would be interested, and they were very keen to try it. They worked hard writing the unfamiliar kanji with a brush and were very satisfied.

For lunch, since the guests could not have tomatoes but were fine with anything else, we had lunch at Gontaro, a few minutes' walk from Kinkaku-ji. It was a tatami-room meal, and they were very excited to experience tatami for the first time. They were also interested in the staff wearing kimono and wanted to take a photo, so I asked, and the staff kindly agreed.

At Ryoan-ji, I explained the rock garden. Using a miniature model designed for visually impaired visitors, I described the arrangement of the stones, and then told them that there is no single true answer to what the garden means, inviting them to sit quietly and imagine its meaning, which they enjoyed. After that, we looked at the tsukubai (stone water basin) and strolled through the Ryoan-ji garden. Compared with the crowds at Kinkaku-ji, it was very quiet, and they were very pleased, saying it had been a nice choice.

Since the guests planned to visit the bamboo grove in Arashiyama the following day, I also recommended Tenryu-ji temple in case they were interested.

The guests were very happy with the tour, which made me truly glad.

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

Tour Report by annie

I’m Azusa Nishimura. Nice to meet you.
I have been working as a licensed national tour guide since 2006.
Over the years, I have guided many visitors from countries such as Great Britain, the United States, and various parts of Europe to famous destinations including Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, Kobe, Nishinomiya and Himeji.

Kyoto, in particular, is home to many UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
I enjoy sharing the rich history and interesting stories behind each place, and many of my guests have told me how much they enjoyed the tours.

I sincerely hope that as many visitors as possible will discover and experience the wonderful aspects of Japan through my guiding.