Kyoto Customized Half-Day Tour — Guide annie

What Can You See on a 4-Hour Private Kyoto Tour by Taxi? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests were a group visiting from Europe. It was their first trip to Japan, and by the time we met it was their fifth day in the country, having already spent three days in Tokyo. Unfortunately it rained everywhere they went, but they were deeply moved by the beauty of Japan and the kindness of the Japanese people.

Soon after this assignment was confirmed, I received an email with requests for places they wanted to visit. Their wish was a 4-hour course from their hotel covering Fushimi Inari, Kiyomizu-dera, Sannenzaka, Ninenzaka, Yasaka Pagoda, Kodai-ji, and Gion. I thought it would be quite tight, but the guests wanted to use taxis as much as possible in order to see as many places as they could, so we settled on the above course.

At Fushimi Inari, I talked about Shinto in Japan, the large torii gate at the entrance, Inari shrines, the fox statues, and, while walking through the Senbon Torii, how the gates are lined up thanks to donations from individuals and companies. They listened with great interest. They also tried the Omokaru-ishi (the "heavy-light stone"). One of the guests had a fractured left hand, so I thought lifting it might be difficult, but they succeeded easily with one hand. They also drew omikuji fortunes.

After that, we moved to Kiyomizu-dera, where I explained the difference from Shinto, talked about the Nio guardian statues at the Nio Gate, and headed to the stage. I shared the saying about "jumping off the stage of Kiyomizu," and we entered the main hall to pray before the Kannon. As for the fact that it is built without using any nails, there seem to be similar places in Europe, so they were not too surprised by it. Both guests decided to pass on the water at Otowa Waterfall, so we just looked at it and left Kiyomizu-dera.

We then went down Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka. They reacted strongly to the tale that stumbling there could mean bad luck within three or two years, and since it was just after the rain had stopped, both walked carefully. On the slopes, I talked about why pottery flourished in this area. Along the way, as requested, we took photos with the Yasaka Pagoda in the background, and then went to Kodai-ji.

At Kodai-ji, I spoke about Hideyoshi and Nene, and we strolled through the temple grounds. Afterward, we got out of the taxi on Gion Shirakawa Street and parted ways.

Given that we covered all of this within four hours, I think there were still places they wanted to see, but both guests were very pleased. This time they had left their family in Europe, but they said they would like to visit again together next time.

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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.