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
- 10:00. Hotel Nikko Kanazawa
- 10:20-11:10 Kenrokuen Garden, Kanazawa Castle Park, Oyama Shrine
- 12:00 -12:40 Gokayama Iwase House
- 13:20 – 14:30 Shirakawa-go
- 15:30-17:30 Takayama (Hida Kokubunji Temple, Jinya, Sanmachi Street
- 19:30 Hotel Nikko Kanazawa
Tour Itinerary in Detail
The itinerary covered Hotel Nikko Kanazawa at 10:00, Kenrokuen Garden, Kanazawa Castle Park, Oyama Shrine at 10:20, Gokayama Iwase House at 12:00, Shirakawa-go at 13:20, Takayama (Hida Kokubunji Temple, Jinya, Sanmachi Street at 15:30 and Hotel Nikko Kanazawa at 19:30.

What Can You See on a Private Day Tour of Kanazawa, Gokayama, Shirakawa-go, and Takayama? A Licensed Guide's Report
Because the guests could only spend one day in Kanazawa and wanted to see a little of the city before heading to Shirakawa-go, I took them to Kenrokuen Garden, Kanazawa Castle Park, and Oyama Shrine. They were delighted to stroll through Kenrokuen Garden under beautiful, sunny weather.
Before heading to Shirakawa-go, we stopped by the Iwase House in Gokayama. The guests listened with great interest to the explanation given by the staff at the Iwase House. In Shirakawa-go, we walked around the gassho-style thatched-roof houses, and they found the local fire brigade facility and took a commemorative photo there. In Takayama, they were deeply moved by the large ginkgo tree at Kokubunji Temple.
Click here for more details: Shirakawa-go & Takayama by Car from Kanazawa, Licensed Guide
Hello! I’m Yumi Yostutani. I was born in Fukushima, lived in Brazil and Korea, traveled to many countries, and moved many times, even within Japan (Tokyo, Osaka, Okayama and Toyama) I love traveling and I have friends around the world. I am very happy that now traveling is a part of my job. I also speak Portuguese and some French.
I haven’t been settled in a same place because of husbands’s job, but it gave me an opportunity to get to know many places. I am a mom of a 15-year-old girl. I’ve been an English teacher in schools, and taught students from 3rd to 12th grade. I love teaching, and it was a blessing to be involved in education, but when I had to move and leave my job last time, I thought it’s time for me to try guiding which I’ve always wanted to do.
I believe traveling is about discovering wonders. I look forward to the day when I meet you and guide you around Japan. I hope your journey will be full of wonderful discoveries and those memories would stay in your heart to add some new colors to your future life.
Olá! Sou Yumi Yostutani. Nasci em Fukushima, morei no Brasil e na Coreia, viajei para muitos países e me mudei várias vezes, mesmo dentro do Japão (Tóquio, Osaka, Okayama e Toyama). Adoro viajar e tenho amigos em todo o mundo.
Estou muito feliz porque viajar constitui- se, agora, em meu trabalho.
Devido ao trabalho de meu marido, nós nos mudávamos sempre e, por essa razão, não nos estabelecemos em um único lugar. Porém, tais mudanças deram- me a oportunidade de conhecer muitos lugares.
Por algum tempo, dei aulas de inglês em algumas escolas e confesso que adoro ensinar. Dessa forma, considero uma bênção o período em que estive atuando na Educação e, quando precisei deixar meu último emprego, decidi fazer a transição de carreira e desempenhar a função de guia turística.
Estou apreciando bastante meu trabalho como guia. Adoro conhecer pessoas, mostrar as maravilhas do Japão e conversar sobre semelhanças e diferenças entre nossas países. Sempre acho que, na verdade, as diferenças são sutis e somos todos iguais.
Para mim, viajar é descobrir maravilhas e se encantar com elas. Estou ansiosa pelo dia em que vou ser sua guia no Japão. E torço para que sua viagem seja repleta de descobertas maravilhosas e que suas memórias fiquem ressoando em seu coração, de modo a adicionar novas cores à sua vida.
Com os melhores votos,
Yumi
Apr 4, 2026
Dana_H
Viator review: Takayama Half-Day Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide
Beautiful city, but our guide Yumi made the difference
We had…
Apr 4, 2026
Dana_H
Viator review: Takayama Half-Day Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide
Beautiful city, but our guide Yumi made the difference
We had a wonderful tour with Yumi in Takayama. She asked if her family could meet us as well because we were also traveling with 4 similar aged girls. Our 5 girls had a blast getting to know each other while we visited this beautiful city. Yumi was punctual, communicated clearly and our most valuable fun was exchanging differences in our cultures. It was like a 4 hour conversation, easy and greatly informative.
