Kyoto in One Day: Sightseeing ①: Kinkaku-ji — Guide Nori

What Is a Private Kyoto Day Tour Like When You Can't Reach the Guests Beforehand? A Licensed Guide's Report

This time, the guests were visitors traveling and sightseeing in Japan from Oceania. After I received the "guide confirmed" notice in September, I immediately sent my first message, but the guests (the point of contact was one of them) did not reply at all until the day itself. In the meantime, I stayed in contact with the [Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.)](https://www.j-g-a.org/) coordinator and also tried to reach out via a messaging app, but in the end there was no communication from the guests themselves. The [Japan Guide Agency](https://www.j-g-a.org/) coordinator advised me, "The meeting point is confirmed, so please just go to the hotel at the designated time. If the guests do not appear, withdrawing in accordance with the regulations is an option." The guests' travel agency also requested that I go to the hotel at the designated time. The biggest problem when you cannot reach the guests beforehand is the itinerary, especially the places to visit. If where the guests want to go remains a blank slate, then even if we manage to meet at the meeting point, working out the itinerary can take a lot of time, and I was worried that the start might be significantly delayed. So in this case, based on my experience, I drew up a draft itinerary assuming a "typical itinerary that would likely leave most guests generally satisfied," and went into the day with that. On the day, I arrived at the accommodation 30 minutes early, confirmed the guests' stay at the front desk, and waited in the lobby. From 15 minutes before, I also held up a "Welcome Board" and waited; after about 20 minutes, I was finally able to meet the two guests. We soon went through introductions and discussed the tour itinerary. I mainly communicated with the guest who seemed to be leading the decisions for the tour, and in the end we finalized the itinerary I had prepared. An important point that became clear at this stage was that one of the guests had knee pain in the left leg. Again, I felt that "if only I had known this in advance, I could have adjusted the modes of transport in the itinerary," but I proposed that "if long-distance walking becomes necessary, let's consider using a taxi as we go," and the guests agreed. Once the tour actually began, the knee condition was not as bad as it might have been, and by avoiding stairs as much as possible and using escalators and elevators when moving between stations on public transportation, we managed to get through it. However, since the routes from Kinkaku-ji to Arashiyama, and from the Togetsukyo Bridge in Arashiyama to JR Saga-Arashiyama Station, involve a lot of walking, we consulted and decided to use a taxi. There were various difficulties beforehand, but the guests had a strong interest in and curiosity about Japan's history and culture, so they listened attentively to my explanations and asked many questions. Not being able to reach the guests directly until the day itself was an unprecedented experience for me, but I was somehow able to finish it safely. I was also very much helped by everyone at [Japan Guide Agency](https://www.j-g-a.org/). Thank you very much.

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