Kyoto in One Day: Shijo Karasuma & Sanjusangendo — Guide Satoko

Title: What Can You See on a Private Day Tour of Kyoto's Temples? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests were visitors from North America (I only learned details after meeting them). Their requests were clear from the start, which made proposing an itinerary easy.

They were staying in Kyoto for six days and wanted to learn about Kyoto's history in depth, so I made sure to explain things thoroughly. They listened very attentively, so I had no worries at all about whether my explanations might feel excessive.

Since Kiyomizu-dera Temple was expected to be crowded, I suggested traveling by bus, but the buses were full and we missed two of them. There was no choice but to proceed on foot to Kiyomizu-dera as originally planned. I felt bad about the lost time, but during the walk they asked about other recommended places, so I showed them maps and explained the history carefully.

Originally Sanjusangendo was not part of the plan, and I had intended to mention it during lunch, but since the guests walked relatively quickly, the rest of the schedule proceeded smoothly. So we decided to skip lunch and continue the tour all the way to Sanjusangendo.

The guests seemed to enjoy all of the destinations, and they especially said they liked the rock garden at Kennin-ji Temple and the Buddhist statues at Sanjusangendo.

The atmosphere in front of the rock garden at Kennin-ji was lovely, so I took some photos. I forgot that they should be taken in landscape orientation, so I apologize that they are in portrait orientation. However, since the guests kindly agreed to have the photos posted on the website, I am submitting them.

A notable stop on the tour was Sanjusangendo. Sanjusangendo is a Buddhist temple in Kyoto famous for its main hall, which is the longest wooden structure in Japan. It houses 1,001 statues of Kannon, the goddess of mercy, arranged in long rows, along with a large central seated Kannon figure. The temple's name refers to the thirty-three spaces between the pillars of the hall, and it has long been admired for the striking sight of its rows of gilded statues.

Click here for more details: Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide

Tour Report by Satoko

I am a 54-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!