Kyoto in 1 Day from Osaka: Customized Tour — Guide Kazu

What Is a Private Kyoto Tour Like for Guests Visiting the Imperial Palace and Nijo Castle? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests were visitors from Europe who, after retiring, have been enjoying world travel by cruise ship, arriving in Japan this time via Asia and touring various parts of Kyushu before reaching Kyoto. The entire itinerary was arranged according to the guests' wishes, and at the Kyoto Imperial Palace and Nijo Castle in particular, they were most eager to learn first about how the Japanese imperial system has changed over time and how the shogun was involved. Whenever I explained Japanese history and culture, the guests would constantly draw comparisons with life and culture in their home region, saying things like "we have something similar," and often asked how things are done in Japan compared with their own customs. For example, they asked why jet air hand dryers are found in some Japanese toilets but not others, and why it isn't consistent, noting that this can be inconvenient because your hands don't dry. They said such dryers are always present back home. I explained that in Japan, from the first year of elementary school, children are checked every morning during assembly by their homeroom teacher on whether they have trimmed their nails and whether they have a handkerchief and tissues, so even as adults it becomes second nature to carry a handkerchief and tissues when going out, and that perhaps this is the underlying reason why jet air dryers are not always found in toilets. The guests found this very amusing. The whole day went along in this manner. They tried okonomiyaki, which apparently is not available at the Japanese restaurants back home, and they were delighted to enjoy a taste and atmosphere they could not have experienced on their own.

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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