Kyoto, Okayama, Osaka (Living), Shiga, Kobe, Himeji
English, Japanese (Native)
3 hours on average
5 days ago
I lived in Seattle, WA US for several years to study public policy and urban planning at University of Washington and Washington State Department of Transportation . The US life has awakened me to realize its beauty and value of the Japanese nature and culture. After coming back from US, I have started my professional career of the infrastructure development in both developed and developing countries as a Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) expert for more than 20 years. I have provided hospitality and honesty as a Japanese during my professional career.
I can give you not only sightseeing tours but also technical tours with my expertise.
I live in Osaka where an ancient capital city, Kyoto is located within a hour by train. I can show you how Japanese has developed the capital city with urban planning and infrastructure development. I look forward to seeing you here in Japan.
I can introduce you interesting spots including temples, shrines and yummy places including local foods though it is not fancy. Please note the following conditions;
-Mass transit fares, admission fees and meal fees must be self-pay.
-Please pay the guide its mass transit fares (2000JPY) by cash on the tour day.
-Let me know if you have any food allergies beforehand.
-Let me know if you have any food you cannot eat for your religious and dietary reasons beforehand.
-My tour involves a lot of walking, so make sure to wear comfortable shoes.
and
-My tour schedule will accomodate you to start earlier at 7:30AM for your convenience if you want to avoid crowds.
I had a brilliant day in Kyoto with Kenji. His communication prior to the tour was excellent and he came up with the perfect itinerary based on what I’d already seen the previous day. Clearly knows Kyoto as a local and is knowledgeable and passionate about the sights. We visiting many wonderful shrines, temples and gardens and his commentary was perfect - enough information but plenty of quiet ‘zen’ time to take it all in. Kenji was even accommodating in welcoming friend who arrived unexpectedly halfway through the tour. Lunch was AMAZING. A locally run restaurant with the most delicious wagyu beef, all sourced locally. Probably one of the best meals I had in Japan. Kenji is a Kyoto treasure! I’d recommend unreservedly as a private or group guide to both Kyoto and Osaka (where he lives) visitors. Thank you Kenji!!
Jo san, Thank you for your wonderful message. I look forward to your next visit in Kyoto. I am going to guide you hidden gems of deep Kyoto. See you soon. Kenji
Kenji from start to finish was excellent. He worked with our itinerary, helped to pick lunch, and also the most optimal transportation. Would highly recommend Kenji as a tour guide for the Kyoto area.
Tyler, Thank you for your message. I hope we see you each other either in Colorado, US or in Japan sometime. Kenji
I booked a tour with Kenji to explore Kobe's sake brewery district and learn more about my favourite drink, and what a fun time we had! There was a festival happening at various breweries so we got to sample the many options and eat street foods while watching performances and learning about all the work that goes into crafting one of the most strictly refined beverages in the world. Kenji was a delight to hang out with and very knowledgeable about both sake and the city that produces some of the best in Japan. I told him about a couple of sakes I had tried earlier in my trip and he even found a place down the road that carried it, so we went and scored some truly special bottles that I am excited to open and share with my friends. Another goal I had was to try Kobe's famous wagyu beef and he found us the perfect hole-in-a-wall restaurant that served it in a very authentic and affordable style and ensured I got the full experience I hoped for and more! I'm so glad I was able to book with Kenji and hope we can meet again in the future when I return to the source for more amazing sake and wagyu! Thanks Kenji!!
Jack, Thank you for your message. I am happy to know you are a big fan of Japanese Sake. I hope you will enjoy other Japanese Sake breweries next time. Kenji
Kenji was a magnificent guide and made our visit to Kyoto unforgettable. We would not hesitate to recommend him to anyone looking for a tour guide in Japan. We are a family of 5 from Australia travelling overseas for the first time. Kenji was very friendly and welcoming. He organised a terrific itinerary for our day trip that was just right for the children but still satisfied all our cultural and culinary interests. He was very punctual and pleasant, full of interesting information and explanations about Japanese culture and traditions. He spoke excellent English and was entertaining to talk to - both for the adults and all the children with their endless questions about anything and everything. Kenji even went above and beyond by arranging an impromptu stop at a supermarket for us to experience an everyday Japanese shopping centre which was so much fun. Kenji even overstayed the end of the arranged tour time just to make sure we saw all we could for the day and left feeling very satisfied. We were all sad we had to say goodbye. Thanks so much for a terrific day in Kyoto Kenji. We very much appreciated seeing it with you. ;)
David, I enjoyed myself very much with your family in the end of year 2023. All of your kids are very smart. I hope their experience of Japan would certainly contribute to their feeling of diversity of the global culture. I hope to see you again either in Japan or Australia. Kenji