Kyoto in One Day: Walk & Guide ends — Guide Nori

What's a Private One-Day Kyoto Temple and Shrine Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests were a group visiting Japan from North America, traveling from Tokyo to Kyoto for sightseeing. All prior communication and itinerary discussions were handled with one member of the group. They had a deep interest in Japanese culture, religion, and history, and from the very beginning they had clear requests, choosing four destinations: two temples (Kiyomizu-dera and Nanzen-ji) and two shrines (Fushimi Inari and Yasaka Shrine). Their hotel was in an ideal location, very close to Kodai-ji and Kiyomizu-dera in the Higashiyama area. As a result, the itinerary was easy to plan, and preparations proceeded very smoothly. The only change was moving the departure time one hour earlier, from the original 10:00 to 09:00, to account for the heat.

On the day, although it was somewhat cloudy, the intense heat continued. Fortunately, everyone in the group was in good health and could walk comfortably, so there were no problems with the sightseeing. The first stop, Kiyomizu-dera, was a ten-minute walk from the hotel, and by arriving early in the morning we were able to avoid the crowds and enjoy a pleasant visit. The guests enjoyed the beautiful main hall and the scenery of Kiyomizu-dera, nestled on the slopes of Higashiyama.

For the second stop, Fushimi Inari, we had originally planned to travel by train, but to avoid the extreme heat we took a taxi instead. In front of the main gate, as is customary in my guiding, I asked, "Why is the fox the messenger of the deity at Fushimi Inari?" One of the guests, who had studied a great deal, answered correctly on the spot: "To protect the rice from mice," which drew great applause from everyone.

For the third stop, Yasaka Shrine, we traveled as planned by train (the Keihan line). We enjoyed passing through the lively Shijo-dori shopping district before arriving at Yasaka Shrine at the end of the street. The guests understood the difference between Buddhist temples and shrines, and performed a perfect prayer with the offering, two bows, two claps, and one bow.

For lunch, since some members of the group were vegetarian or vegan, I had planned a specialty restaurant focused on vegetables. However, one of the guests mentioned wanting to visit a nearby ramen shop that offered vegan options. Fortunately, I had not yet made a reservation, and the desired ramen shop was nearby, so we decided to go there. These days there are many restaurants catering to a wide variety of dietary preferences, and I truly felt how convenient this has become.

For the final destination, Nanzen-ji, one of the guests thoughtfully reserved a large taxi so we could travel together in a single vehicle. The guests were deeply impressed by the scenery of Nanzen-ji, including its Sanmon gate and Hojo hall, standing majestically amid the green forest. In particular, when we climbed the Sanmon gate and looked out over the wonderful view, one guest even asked, "With such a beautiful view, why aren't there more tourists here?" and they were able to leisurely enjoy the scenery.

Being able to guide such a wonderful group, guests who came fully prepared and ready to truly enjoy Japanese culture, made this a deeply rewarding tour as a guide.

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.