Niigata in One Day: Former Saito Residence — Guide Kayoko

Title: What Can You See on a Private Niigata Cruise Port Day Tour? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests were a friendly group visiting from North America. It was my first time guiding guests who arrived in Niigata City via the shuttle bus from the port, so I was quite nervous. Aside from a reply saying they did not need a private taxi or a pickup at the port, there was almost no communication from the guests beforehand, and I was anxious about whether we would actually be able to meet on the day. However, they appeared from the shuttle bus with beaming smiles, which was a huge relief.

Since they ran a company and had likely been very busy right up until the trip, my impression was that they had done almost no preparation and had simply hopped aboard the cruise ship. They had zero specific requests about what they wanted to do in Niigata. It is precisely at times like these that a guide must step up, so we first took a taxi to the former Saito Residence. A volunteer English guide is always stationed there, so I left half of the explanation to that guide while I quickly put together an itinerary in my head. They had traveled by cruise ship from Tokyo to Miyako, Hakodate, Aomori, and then Niigata, and since I heard they had not yet visited a large shrine, we next took a taxi to Hakusan Shrine. I explained the differences between Buddhism and Shinto and the occasions on which Japanese people visit shrines. There happened to be a notice about "Shichi-Go-San" posted, and there were fishing-style omikuji fortunes, so I think they enjoyed it and deepened their understanding of Japan.

Wanting to introduce the characteristics of Niigata, we next went to the Bandai-jima Observation Deck, where I explained how the Shinano River, the longest in Japan, nurtures Japan's top rice-producing region. Then we went to Pier Bandai. They gazed intently at the turban shells in the tank, which must have seemed unusual to them. For lunch, we bought packaged sushi and ate it on the outdoor terrace. They were amazed at the low price, saying that eating this amount of sushi in their home country would cost over 10,000 yen. Soon it began to rain suddenly, so we spent the rest of the time inside Pier Bandai, sampling sake and stopping by a sweets shop.

Click here for more details: Niigata Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide

Tour Report by KAYOKO

Hello. I’m Kayoko. I’m registered as a National Licensed Guide Interpreter by Tokyo Metropolitan City Government.
I had been living in Yamagata City, 400 kilometers north up to Tokyo for 1 and 3 months, and now just have come back to Tokyo. I really enjoyed living in Yamagata.
My hobby is horse riding and playing some musical instruments such as piano, clarinet, euphonium and tuba.
Thanks to my riding experience, I had a special opportunity to do volunteer works at 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games in the equestrian venue in Tokyo.
I am also a certified kimono instructor and can help you dress in the traditional Japanese kimono.
I’m really looking forward to meeting you.