Hello, my name is Soshi Ebisuda. My first name is Soshi but my nickname may be easier to remember, so please call me Sebastian!
My guiding as a government-licensed interpreter in English is specialized in the areas of Tokyo (where I live now) and Hiroshima (my hometown). Professionally I have a long track record in the finance industry, working for a multinational company, and therefore am quite experienced to host international visitors. My areas of interest include Japanese and western history, travel (especially by railroads), and mountains. I also have a trekking guide license of Japan Mountain Guides Association, so will be happy to guide you to beautiful mountains from spring to autumn.
I look forward to seeing you in Japan!
This is a private guided tour report by Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.), a network of 1,000+ government-licensed, English-speaking local guides across all 47 prefectures of Japan. Not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association.
Tour Itinerary
- 12:30 Gather at the reception lobby of Hotel Granvia Hiroshima South Gate
- 12:45 Board the westbound Sanyo Main Line train from Hiroshima Station; all guests bring their JR Pass
- 13:12 Arrive at Miyajimaguchi Station
- 13:30 Board the JR Ferry from Miyajimaguchi Port
- 13:40 Arrive at Miyajima Port
- ・There was a prior request to have lunch during the tour, but in reality everyone had already eaten, so the meal on the island was skipped
- ・Visited Itsukushima Shrine via the shopping street
- ・After leaving the shrine, presented the next options (Daishoin Temple or resting at a cafe), but they said they wanted to drink beer, though they disliked trendy pale ales
- and the like, so I looked for and guided them to a nearby shop (Marucafe) that serves regular draft beer rather than craft beer
- ・Left the cafe around 15:15, and following the guests' request to return to the hotel, headed to the pier
- 15:55 Board the JR Ferry from Miyajima Port
- 16:05 Arrive at Miyajimaguchi Port
- 16:17 Board the eastbound Sanyo Main Line train at Miyajimaguchi Station
- 16:45 Arrive at Hiroshima Station; after explaining an overview of restaurants around the station, escorted them to the hotel lobby to conclude the tour
Can You Do a Private Day Tour of Osaka? A Licensed Guide's Report
The guests were a group of friends visiting Japan for the first time from Europe. They had researched the trip very thoroughly beforehand — for example, they understood why public transportation was crowded in mid-August and knew what "Obon" was. Perhaps because they had already toured Tokyo and Kyoto extensively, they showed little reaction when I gave the usual explanations about Japanese religion and nature, keeping their eyes down.
On the other hand, they showed strong interest in food and drinks. They passed on okonomiyaki, saying they would have it in Osaka, but they were very fond of alcoholic beverages and seemed delighted to enjoy some Japanese beer at a cafe. They also seemed interested in conger eel (anago), which many guests tend to avoid, so I focused my conversation on that topic and recommended a restaurant to them.
Click here for more details: Miyajima Half-Day Customized Tour with Licensed Local Guide
Transportation cost per person
| No. | Transportation | Route | Fare |
| Section 1 | Train | Hiroshima～Miyajimaguchi | 420JPY |
| Section 2 | Ferry | Miyajimaguchi Port～Miyajima Port | 300JPY |
| Section 3 | Ferry | Miyajima Port～Miyajimaguchi Port | 200JPY |
| Section 4 | Train | Miyajimaguchi～Hiroshima | 420JPY |
| Total | 1,340JPY | ||
Hello, my name is Soshi Ebisuda. My first name is Soshi but my nickname may be easier to remember, so please call me Sebastian!
My guiding as a government-licensed interpreter in English is specialized in the areas of Tokyo (where I live now) and Hiroshima (my hometown). Professionally I have a long track record in the finance industry, working for a multinational company, and therefore am quite experienced to host international visitors. My areas of interest include Japanese and western history, travel (especially by railroads), and mountains. I also have a trekking guide license of Japan Mountain Guides Association, so will be happy to guide you to beautiful mountains from spring to autumn.
I look forward to seeing you in Japan!
May 6, 2026
Dan_S
Daily Day in Hiroshima
Viator review: Hiroshima / Miyajima Full-day Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide
We had a wonderful day…
May 6, 2026
Dan_S
Daily Day in Hiroshima
Viator review: Hiroshima / Miyajima Full-day Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide
We had a wonderful day with Sebastian. He was very detailed with our itinerary and although we experienced a very wet rainy day, we didn’t miss any of the wonderful sites of Hiroshima. Sebastian was great at working us throughout the crowds and adjusting our schedule to make it work the best for us.
Oct 18, 2024
Mark_N
Hiroshima – Fantastic one day.
Viator review: Hiroshima / Miyajima Full-day Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide
This was an amazing…
Oct 18, 2024
Mark_N
Hiroshima – Fantastic one day.
Viator review: Hiroshima / Miyajima Full-day Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide
This was an amazing tour. Our guide was excellent and showed us areas that the average
tourist would miss. He was very knowledgable. I feel we gained valuable in-site to
Hiroshima’s history, culture and people.
Jun 28, 2024
W491UCangelak
Knowledgeable and personable
Tripadvisor review: Hiroshima / Miyajima Full-day Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide
Soshi, our private tour guide, (who…
Jun 28, 2024
W491UCangelak
Knowledgeable and personable
Tripadvisor review: Hiroshima / Miyajima Full-day Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide
Soshi, our private tour guide, (who also may refer to himself as Sebastian), was extremely knowledgeable. It’s as if we had our own history teacher. He answered all the questions my 11 year old and I had.
He was also very patient and would accommodate the whims of my 2 young boys.
My 11 year old also wants to add to my review saying he is very thankful that Soshi went out of his way to spend extra time with him, and have a conversation, even after the tour ended, to explaining in depth his questions.
Although, Hiroshima has a sad and difficult history it’s also amazing and I’m so thankful that my young boy’s were able to see for themselves this historic place.
Soshi, also has excellent English as he spent time in the USA, so we did not have to struggle to understand.