Kyoto in One Day: Guide to Fushimi Inari Taisha — Guide Toshi

Title: What Is a Private Kyoto Day Tour with a Licensed Guide Like? Fushimi Inari and Kiyomizu-dera Report

I met the group of guests at the Central Exit of Kyoto Station. The guests had traveled from Kanazawa to Kyoto, and some of the group were a little tired from the journey. Because the Kyoto sightseeing plan had changed several times, we had no time to discuss the day's itinerary in advance, so we decided to plan it together at Kyoto Station. Hearing that they planned to visit Arashiyama on their own the next day, we decided to first visit Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine and then discuss the rest.

The weather was fine that day, and I explained Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine at a relaxed pace, describing the introduction of Buddhism and Shinto as the spirit of Japanese culture. After performing a shrine-style prayer together with the guests, we enjoyed drawing "omikuji" fortunes, and I had them try their luck at the power spots while passing through the Senbon Torii (Thousand Torii Gates), which concluded our visit to Fushimi Inari.

By this point lunchtime had already passed, so we decided to take a lunch break. Since the guests had dietary restrictions, we found a restaurant that could serve vegan dishes, and we moved there to have lunch.

After lunch, some of the group wished to rest at the hotel, so they took a taxi from in front of Inari Station back to the hotel. I then took the remaining guests to Kiyomizu-dera Temple, walking up the approach from the "Yasaka Pagoda" via "Sannenzaka" to reach the temple. At Kiyomizu-dera, I carefully guided them through the "Kannon Bodhisattva," the "Kiyomizu Stage," the "Koyasu Pagoda," and the "Otowa Waterfall."

The guests looked very happy and took many photos, and they said they would love to visit again with the whole group the following day. The guests were highly cultured and asked insightful, high-quality questions. After guiding them through Kiyomizu-dera, we took a bus back to Kyoto Station, where the tour concluded.

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

Tour Report by Toshi

After a rather long teaching experience at Japanese college, I converted my career about 6 years ago into working as a tour guide for the tourists visiting Japan.
As my career overseas, I’ve been in the UN and the Japanese Embassy, all in the USA, totaling more than 6 years.
And then I had made a big change in my career from a diplomat to an academic researcher. For that career to achieve, I studied abroad and won a doctorate degree in linguistics from Indiana University and landed a teaching position at college in Japan.
With all these interesting and exciting experiences I’ve made myself ready to enrich your tour and make it both enjoyable and worthwhile.