Kyoto in Half a Day: Walk to Sanjusangendo — Guide Nori

What's a 4-Hour Private Walking Tour of Kyoto Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Sanjusangendo, Fushimi Inari, and Arashiyama

The guests were a group visiting Japan from North America. I coordinated the destinations with one of the guests. Since my first message in June, it was difficult to get in touch for a while, but with the cooperation of [Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.)](https://www.j-g-a.org/) and contact through a messaging app, we finally connected in July and I learned their preferred destinations. Initially, the request was for "Fushimi Inari, Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, and Kiyomizu-dera," but I felt this would be hard to fit into a 4-hour course, so I proposed starting from "Sanjusangendo," located next to their hotel, and connecting the conveniently accessible "Fushimi Inari" and "Arashiyama." The guests were very much in favor of this proposal, and it was confirmed.

On the day of the tour, the rain that had continued until two days before had cleared, and it became cloudy weather that was convenient for a walking tour. First, at "Sanjusangendo" next to the hotel, the guests were amazed to see a group of 1,000 Buddhist statues, and expressions of "Amazing!" were exchanged again and again. Next, at "Fushimi Inari Taisha," they listened to explanations about the differences between Buddhism and Shinto and the meaning of the fox as a messenger of the gods, and seemed to reflect on the wishes entrusted to the thousands of torii gates. Next, we transferred on the JR line to Arashiyama. The guests thoroughly enjoyed the Asian scenic beauty of the "Bamboo Path" and took countless photos. Then, we turned back through the Bamboo Path and entered Tenryu-ji, where they were impressed by the explanation of the prestigious Zen temple. Finally, they enjoyed "Sogenchi Pond," one of the finest masterpieces of Japanese gardens.

At this point, nearly four hours had passed, and the tour guiding ended. In this short "4-hour course," while basically respecting the guests' wishes and considering transportation convenience, it became a compact and highly satisfying tour.

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

Tour Report by Nori

Hi, everyone! I’m Norifumi Kamon, a government registered guide interpreter. Please call me “Nori”, or “Kamon-san”.
Let me introdece myself. I was born on April 17th in 1952 in Miyazaki prefecture in Kyushu island. I used to be an English teacher of Osaka Prefectural high school. When I retired from a teacher ten years ago, I decided to get a professional guide license. I wanted to play a role of the bridge between Japanese people and the people from all over the world as a second life of mine. After two years efforts, I finally got the guide license. Since then, I have guided several handreds of foreign people mainly in Kyoto and Nara for about five years except Corona Pandemic period. Almost all the tourists were deeply impressed by the beauty of nature, traditoin, culture, and art of Japan. I can surely help you enjoy and be satisfied with the sightseeing in Japan. And I’m looking forward to seeing you soon.