Tochigi in One Day: Board taxi & Board JR — Guide Yumi

Title: What Is a Private One-Day Nikko Nature Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests were a group from North America who had arrived in Japan four days earlier. After Tokyo, Nikko was their first destination, where they stayed for two nights before continuing on to Kanazawa, Kyoto, and other places during their trip.

The guests were staying at a traditional-style house rental near the station one stop before Nikko, so the meeting point was their accommodation. It was a hard-to-find location, but it was a very pleasant and inviting house. We had told the taxi company to pick us up at 9:00, but for some reason they thought it was 9:30 and arrived ten minutes late. The guests understood it as being due to the confusing location, so I left it at that.

The guests wanted to see nature such as waterfalls and lakes, so I showed them as many waterfalls and lakes as time allowed. Although it was raining, they were delighted by the beautiful misty scenery and the cool, fresh air. Just as I was talking about the various animals living in the mountains of Nikko, while we were walking at Ryuzu Falls, a passerby kindly told us, "A bear has appeared in the parking lot, so it's best to stay away for a while." We waited for some time partway along the falls. One of the guests wanted to see the bear and wished to go to the parking lot, but I managed to persuade them to wait. They waited reluctantly and were tearfully disappointed at not being able to see the bear. To confirm the right timing to head to where the taxi was waiting, I contacted the driver and we were able to meet up with the taxi safely. However, while we were using the restroom before departing, we spotted a bear up in a tree near the restroom. It was high in the tree, so there was no immediate danger of a sudden attack, but we got into the taxi right away. One of the guests happened to have their wish granted at the very last moment and was very pleased. The guests were delighted to see a bear from a distance, but I was quite alarmed. I told the police who arrived nearby where the bear was and left the area.

The guests also wanted to visit Kanmangafuchi, but I explained that on rainy days land leeches appear, which can be dangerous, so I recommended against it, and they gave up on it for the day. Since the next day would be sunny, they planned to try going there on their own.

It drizzled all day, which caused some inconvenience, but the guests were delighted by the cool temperature and the beauty of the rainy scenery. At Toshogu Shrine, they were moved by the beauty of the carvings and listened attentively to my explanations, but since one of the guests seemed to be getting bored, I kept things as simple as possible.

Since they were only hiring a guide for Nikko, they seemed anxious about how to transfer between transportation options going forward, so I explained it to them.

As the guests had wished, we saw a great deal of nature, and they said they had a very wonderful day.

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

Tour Report by Yumi

Hello! My name is Yumi. The Nikko area, Nasu area, in Tochigi Prefecture, and Aizu and Shirakawa area in Fukushima prefecture, where I will be guiding you, are not only surrounded by beautiful nature in all four seasons but are also full of historical attractions. Nikko, in particular, is a great place to learn about the culture and history that has shaped Japan to this day. In order for you to truly enjoy your day, I am flexible to your wishes and will prepare your day to be a great day. Because I am a local guide, you will surely see some sights that are not in the guidebooks. Is local food one of your favorite parts of your trip? I am also a sushi-making instructor for foreigners, so food is one of my specialties. I am also a certified sake navigator. Why don’t you come and enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime encounter with me?