Kyoto Customized Private Tour in 1 Day — Guide Kazu

What Does a Private Kyoto Tour with a Licensed Guide Look Like? A Guide's Report on Fushimi Inari and Cherry Blossom Season

The guests were visiting Japan and Kyoto for the first time. Apart from Hirano Shrine, the destinations were chosen by the guests themselves. I am constantly reminded of just how popular Fushimi Inari Taisha is, as I now visit it on every single tour. Beyond the Senbon Torii, I share various explanations about the coexistence of Shinto and Buddhism, which is fundamental to Japan's religious culture and, for people from abroad, represents the everyday cultural foundation that underlies Japanese life. I truly feel that everyone is deeply interested in this. Since I explain it every time, I have gradually become better at it, adding a little more depth to the story each time. Explaining this concept of the fusion of Shinto and Buddhism at the very beginning of the tour makes it easier to explain whatever comes afterward, and it may also help the listeners understand more easily. The beautiful cherry blossom season has finally arrived, and the way foreign guests react with emotion when they see the cherry blossoms is so striking that it surprises me. It was memorable how they exclaimed not "cherry blossom" but "Sakura!!" Perhaps the way cherry blossoms bloom so casually everywhere feels extraordinarily precious to them. The guests said they would head to Nara and Osaka from the next day, and since I was born and raised in Osaka, I made sure to give them plenty of rich Osaka information, much like the region's hearty flour-based dishes.

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Tour Report by Kazu

Hello, this is Kazu Akiyama, your tour guide. Nice to meet you and welcome to Japan. Thank you for joining me on the tour. Now I am a retired salaried worker, living in Osaka. I have been very much interested in not only learning Japanese history, culture, religion myself, but also talking about them (sometimes going off topics) in English with tourists from all over the world as well. I am so excited being with you as your guide on coming day! I am very much looking forward to you enjoying with me visiting the must-see places and some of the hidden gems. See you soon. Thank you – Kazu Akiyama