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
- 9:50…Guide begins at Hotel
- 10:00…Oasis 21 & Mirai Tower
- 11:00…Nagoya Castle
- 12:50…Lunch at "Hosa"
- 14:00…Osu Kannon & Osu Shopping District
- 15:00…Atsuta Shrine
- 16:00…Guide ends at Starbucks in Sakae
Tour Itinerary in Detail
From there the group visited …Guide begins at Hotel at 9:50, …Oasis 21 & Mirai Tower at 10:00, …Nagoya Castle at 11:00, …Lunch at "Hosa" at 12:50, …Osu Kannon & Osu Shopping District at 14:00, …Atsuta Shrine at 15:00 and …Guide ends at Starbucks in Sakae at 16:00.
Travel between the sites was by public transport: Sakae (Aichi) to Nagoya Castle by subway (210JPY); Kamimaezu to Atsuta Jingu Nishi by subway (240JPY); Atsuta Jingu Nishi to Sakae (Aichi) by subway (240JPY). Across 3 sections the fare came to 690JPY per person.
Title: What's a Full-Day Private Nagoya Walking Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report
We were able to meet 10 minutes earlier than scheduled, so we started the guide right away. Since the guests' hotel was near Oasis 21, we set off on foot. I took photos for them at a spot where Spaceship Aqua and Mirai Tower were visible. We climbed up to Spaceship Aqua and looked down over Hisaya-odori Avenue from above. Since admission to the third floor of Mirai Tower is free, I guided them there as well. The guests wished to take a break at the Starbucks inside Oasis 21, so we rested there for a while. They kindly treated me to an iced coffee. We took the subway to Nagoya Castle. It was relatively uncrowded, and the weather was not too hot, making it comfortable. On the way we came across two people in samurai attire, so the guests had their photo taken together with them. We had lunch at a restaurant called "Hosa" near Nagoya Castle. The guests ordered tendon and said it was delicious. They kindly treated me to my meal as well. We took a taxi to Osu Kannon, where I explained the history of Osu Kannon. They listened with great interest. In the shopping arcade, they visited the kimono hall of "Komehyo." Since a sumo banner was visible in the arcade, I guided them there and explained, "This is a practice venue for sumo wrestlers taking part in the Nagoya tournament." The guests mentioned they would be watching sumo the next day, so they observed it very keenly. We moved by subway to Atsuta Shrine, where I shared the history and stories of Atsuta Shrine. We returned to Sakae by subway and ended the guide in front of Starbucks. The guests were delighted and said they had a wonderful time.
Transportation cost per person
| No. | Transportation | Route | Fare |
| Section 1 | Subway | Sakae (Aichi)～Nagoya Castle | 210JPY |
| Section 2 | Subway | Kamimaezu～Atsuta Jingu Nishi | 240JPY |
| Section 3 | Subway | Atsuta Jingu Nishi～Sakae (Aichi) | 240JPY |
| Total | 690JPY | ||
Frequently Asked Questions
Which places does this itinerary cover?
This tour visited …Guide begins at Hotel, …Oasis 21 & Mirai Tower, …Nagoya Castle, …Lunch at "Hosa", …Osu Kannon & Osu Shopping District, …Atsuta Shrine and …Guide ends at Starbucks in Sakae.
How much did transport cost on this tour?
Public transport came to 690JPY per person across 3 sections. Transport fares are paid by the guests and are not included in the guiding fee.
Is the guide licensed, and what language is the tour in?
Lily is a government-licensed national guide-interpreter of Japan and guided this tour in English. Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.) works with more than 1,000 licensed guides across all 47 prefectures. Not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association.
Can the itinerary be changed for my own trip?
Yes. This report describes one private tour as it actually ran. Every Aichi itinerary is built around the guests, so the places, the pace and the starting point can all be changed before the tour.
Hi, everyone! I’m Yuriko Suematsu, a government licensed tour guide. Please call me Lily, because Yuri means Lily in English.
I like Japanese history, culture, and Japanese castles. Especially, I like tea ceremony in kimono.(I’m also a licensed kimono dresser.)
So, I sometimes guide around Takayama, Shirakawa-go, Kyoto, Kanazawa, Osaka, Nara and Nagoya in kimono.
There are lots of beautiful places to visit in Japan.
Especially, I recommend you to visit Kyoto and Nara if you are interested in Japanese ancient history. Nara and Kyoto are both ancient capital cities over 1000 years ago.
I also recommend you to visit Gifu(Shirakawa-go and Takayama), my hometown if you want to enjoy rural nostalgic atmosphere.
If you’re interested in Japanese castles, I recommend you to visit Himeji, Osaka, Kanazawa and Nagoya. I’m sure you will have a wonderful time to see beautiful castles.
Let’s enjoy Japanese culture and history together!
Apr 16, 2026
maerlaeb
Wonderful tour on the Nakasendo Trail
Tripadvisor review: Magome & Tsumago Nakasendo Trail Day Hike with Government-Licensed Guide
We had the…
Apr 16, 2026
maerlaeb
Wonderful tour on the Nakasendo Trail
Tripadvisor review: Magome & Tsumago Nakasendo Trail Day Hike with Government-Licensed Guide
We had the pleasure of joining Yuriko for a beautiful and informative walk from Magome to Tsumago on the Nakasendo Trail. Yuriko is a wonderful educator with great knowledge of the history and lore of the post towns on the trail. She made the experience easy, too, providing us with a perfect schedule for the day, including meeting us at our guest house in the morning and arranging for a bento box lunch that we shared under cherry blossoms. Yuriko made the stories come alive and provided us with an unforgettable experience in a magical part of Japan. Enthusiastically recommended!
Apr 14, 2026
Andrew K
Tripadvisor review: Takayama Half-Day Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide
Wonderful Tour
Highly recommended! Yuriko-san was so knowledgeable and patient.…
Apr 14, 2026
Andrew K
Tripadvisor review: Takayama Half-Day Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide
Wonderful Tour
Highly recommended! Yuriko-san was so knowledgeable and patient. We learned so much,
which enabled us to appreciate the beauty, culture, and history of Takayama even more!
Oct 23, 2025
Sydney_N
We had a wonderful tour…
Viator review: Takayama Half-Day Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide
We had a wonderful tour in…
Oct 23, 2025
Sydney_N
We had a wonderful tour…
Viator review: Takayama Half-Day Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide
We had a wonderful tour in Takayama with our guide Lily. She had in-depth knowledge of
the history of Takayama. Lily gave us a wonderful introduction to our visit to Takayama.
Sep 12, 2025
Cornishgirl22
Wonderful tour of Takayama
Tripadvisor review: Takayama Half-Day Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide
Lily contacted me a few weeks before…
Sep 12, 2025
Cornishgirl22
Wonderful tour of Takayama
Tripadvisor review: Takayama Half-Day Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide
Lily contacted me a few weeks before we came to let us know our itinerary.
We met at 9am at our hotel with Lily showing us on a map where we would be visiting.
Lily was a very good guide with excellent knowledge. We were taken to the local market, temple, shrine, festival float exhibition hall, Government building, sake tasting & Merchant street. We needed to pay for ourselves to visit the festival float exhibition hall, Government building & sake tasting.
If there were any shops that we wanted to go in, we were able to.
Lily went at an ideal pace & we weren’t rushed at all.
Lily also booked us a Hida beef restaurant for us to have lunch in after the tour finished. This was arranged beforehand.
Overall an excellent experience.