Kyoto in 1 Day from Osaka: Private Car Tour — Guide Kazu

What Is a Private Kyoto and Osaka Tour Like with a Licensed Guide? A Guide's Report

The guests were a family visiting Japan for the first time from North America. While some of the guests were more interested in games and food than in foreign history and culture, one of the guests was full of intellectual curiosity and asked questions about nearly everything I explained. My explanations were frequently interrupted, and it took some effort to get back on track, but it made the guiding all the more rewarding. Some of the guests would wander off toward shopping, while others would sit down here and there, gesturing that they could not walk any further. As they had already been traveling in Japan for about two weeks, they were understandably tired and reportedly collapsed into bed exhausted each night. On the drive back to Osaka, while the rest of the group was fast asleep, one of the guests shared insights gathered over two weeks of observation on a wide range of topics — the future of the Japanese economy, how hard Japanese people work, the differences between people in Tokyo and Osaka, and the challenges of a declining birthrate and aging population — asking me "How do you think about this, and why is it so?" We talked on and on for about ninety minutes, and before I knew it we had arrived at the Hotel in Osaka. It was an impressive conversation full of intellect. Being tough and knowledgeable at the same time is truly admirable. As we parted, I recommended that they visit Arashiyama during the autumn foliage next time, and to set aside a full two hours for Fushimi Inari.

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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