Tochigi in One Day: Board taxi & Kegon Falls — Guide Yumi

Title: What Is a Private Nikko Day Tour Like in Winter? A Licensed Guide's Report

Body:

[Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.)](https://www.j-g-a.org/) guide led a private winter day tour of Nikko for guests visiting from North America. All the advance arrangements were made through the guests' agent, and since I had been told the guests could not walk very far, I recommended traveling by taxi. Although a detailed itinerary had been arranged in advance with the agent, in practice there were many changes based on the guests' wishes. Their experience at each location was as follows.

– Shoyoen Garden: The guests were interested only in the garden. They mentioned they had seen many temples in Asia already and did not need to see more, so we skipped the Sanbutsudo Hall of Rinnoji. At Shoyoen it was slippery with snow, so we truly walked slowly, one step at a time. From time to time the guests stopped and were taken by the beautiful scenery.

– Convenience store: I had advised them in advance to dress warmly, but it was colder than they had imagined, so they wanted to buy socks and gloves as well as something to eat. However, winter gloves and scarves were already sold out.

– Coffee shop: The guests wanted to have tea somewhere warm. Since the convenience store no longer had gloves, while they were having tea I took a taxi to a home center to buy gloves. The home center was also already sold out of regular gloves, so they kindly accepted gardening gloves instead. Since I did not know their preferences, I bought several types, intending to buy the extras myself, but one of the guests paid for all of them and gave me the ones they did not need.

– Toshogu Shrine: Because it was very cold and the guests could not climb stairs without a handrail, we gave up on the staircase in front of the Yomeimon Gate. We were able to go only as far as the famous three monkeys carving.

– Kegon Falls: There are many stairs here as well, but the guests said they would be fine with a handrail, so we took the elevator down to the bottom. It was very cold, so we could not stay long, but they were amazed by the snowy scenery and the water springing out from all around the falls.

– Lunch at a restaurant: I had hoped they could enjoy lunch with a view of Lake Chuzenji, but it was foggy and hard to see. One of the guests preferred not to eat carbohydrates and chose a chicken steak set without rice or bread, having an extra salad instead.

The talks I usually give at Rinnoji and Toshogu about Shinto and Buddhism, and about history around the Edo period, I gave over lunch this time because it was simply too cold at the sites. During this, the questions developed into some very difficult topics, including when Christianity first came to Japan, and — having heard that the carvings of the Yomeimon Gate express a wish for peace — why Japan had attacked China and various parts of Asia, how I felt about the atomic bombs, why Japanese people do not buy American cars, and even what Japanese people honestly think of the current American political leadership. The guests seemed to hold their own views very firmly, so depending on how I answered, the enjoyment of the entire day could have been ruined. I had to think very hard to answer carefully, objectively, and with respect, without creating conflict.

After lunch, the guests said it was too cold to walk even one more step outside, so Lake Chuzenji, Senjogahara, Lake Yunoko, the Irohazaka winding road, and the cedar avenue were all viewed from the taxi window.

I more often meet guests who lean toward a different political view, so it had been a while since I spoke at length with guests holding such strong opposing political opinions, and it reminded me anew of the importance of diversity. I always try to avoid political topics as much as possible, but when a guest raises them I have to respond, so I keenly felt the need to prepare for such situations on a daily basis.

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?