Frequently Asked Questions

A typical sightseeing tour moves you through a checklist of famous sights on a fixed schedule. My tours start before we even meet: I ask about your interests, pace, and what kind of experience you’re hoping for, then build the day around that.

On the day itself, I don’t work to a fixed script. If something catches your attention, we can adjust the plan. The result isn’t simply a more comfortable version of the same itinerary everyone else does — it’s a day built specifically around you, your interests, and the way you want to experience Japan.

Every private tour I offer is tailored around your interests, travel style, and preferred pace. As part of the inquiry process, I’ll ask you to complete a short questionnaire — about 14 questions covering your interests, must-see priorities, travel pace, and more — which becomes the foundation for your custom itinerary, rather than asking you to choose from a fixed template.

Whether your interests are history, food, nature, architecture, traditional culture, or something more specific, I can build the day around them. During the tour itself, I’m also flexible: if new ideas or preferences come up as we go, we can adjust the plan together, as long as changes are feasible and we can still finish within our agreed time frame. I don’t rush you from place to place, though if we’re at risk of missing a must-visit spot, I may suggest moving between locations by taxi at additional cost to keep the day on track — always with your agreement first.

Yes. Alongside Japan’s major landmarks, I enjoy introducing guests to neighborhoods, small shops, restaurants, temples, gardens, and other places that are less familiar to international visitors.

Depending on your interests, this may include places that are more commonly visited by Japanese residents than foreign tourists. The famous sights are famous for a reason and I’m always happy to include them, but I like to balance them with experiences that feel more personal and connected to the Japan you want to discover.

A group tour follows a fixed itinerary and schedule shared with other travelers. With a private tour, the day is built around you.

You can spend more time somewhere that interests you, move on quickly when something isn’t for you, ask questions whenever they arise, and adjust the plan during the day. For travelers with limited time in Japan, a private guide can also help make each day more focused on what matters most to them rather than following a standard sightseeing schedule.

Yes. I am a National Government Licensed Guide-Interpreter (通訳案内士), Japan’s official national qualification for professional guides working in a foreign language.

The qualification involves examinations covering subjects such as Japanese history, geography, culture, tourism, and foreign-language ability. While guiding for pay no longer legally requires this qualification, the title remains a government-recognized professional credential.

For me, the license is the foundation of my work as a guide, combined with more than 20 years of experience working internationally and listening carefully to what clients are really looking for. You can read more about my background on my About Me page.

Rates vary depending on the itinerary, destination, and tour length. As a general guide, my private full-day tours start at ¥70,000 for Kyoto, Nara, and Osaka, and ¥90,000 for longer-distance days such as Hiroshima.

For the complete and most up-to-date pricing, including additional fees and booking terms, please see my Rates page.

In many respects, yes. Japan is safe, clean, and generally easy to travel around, with good public transportation and English signage in many major destinations.

But getting around is not always the same as understanding what you’re experiencing. I help guests experience Japan, not just visit it — from the history and etiquette behind a shrine to neighborhoods and local experiences that guidebooks may overlook.

Many of my guests are experienced independent travelers. They don’t hire me because they cannot travel around Japan on their own; they hire me because they want to make the most of their limited time and experience Japan in a more personal way.

Yes. Food, sake, whisky, and nightlife can all be incorporated into a private tour depending on your interests.

I can include casual local eateries, neighborhood restaurants, and food experiences (see my Japanese Foodie & Nightlife page), as well as sake or whisky tasting, either as part of a broader itinerary or as a major focus of the day. Let me know what you enjoy, your preferences, and your budget, and I’ll build suitable experiences into the plan.

Yes, and I especially enjoy doing this. A number of my guests are visiting Japan for a second, third, or even fourth time, and their priorities are often very different from those of first-time visitors.

Instead of simply repeating the major highlights, I can design an itinerary around specific interests, lesser-known destinations, local experiences, or places guests have been wanting to explore in greater depth. You can read more about why many of my guests choose to return and book with me again.

I primarily guide in the Kansai region, including Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, and Kobe & Himeji. I also offer tours to destinations such as Hiroshima, Okayama, and other areas across Japan, including the Japanese countryside.

If you have a specific destination in mind, let me know. I can advise whether it works well as a day trip from Osaka, or whether a longer multi-day itinerary — starting from and ending in Tokyo, for example — would make more sense; I also regularly guide 8- to 10-day tours built around a Tokyo start and finish.

Osaka is one of the best-located bases in Japan for day trips. Within about an hour, I can guide you to Kyoto, Nara, or Kobe & Himeji, as well as to lesser-visited areas around Osaka itself, such as Minoh, Ikeda, Sakai, Kishiwada, Tondabayashi, and the Kawachi wine country.

A little further afield, Hikone and Nagahama in Shiga and Iga Ueno in Mie both work comfortably as one-day trips. The Naruto Whirlpools in Tokushima can also be visited in a day, though it’s a longer outing than the others — if the whirlpools are your main focus, a roughly 7-hour tour is workable. That said, I’d recommend an overnight stay in Tokushima (a 1-night, 2-day itinerary) if you’d like to see more of the area beyond the whirlpools themselves.

Okayama and Hiroshima also work comfortably as day trips on their own. And if you’d like to cover two destinations in one day, I offer combo itineraries such as Kyoto & Nara, or Hiroshima combined with Kobe & Himeji — see my Rates page for pricing details.

Kyoto is beautiful throughout the year, but cherry blossom season, roughly from late March to early April, and autumn foliage season, generally from mid-November through early December, are the busiest periods.

If you prefer pleasant weather with somewhat fewer crowds, May and October can be excellent choices. June brings the rainy season, July and August are hot and humid, and winter is generally quieter and more atmospheric, with occasional snow at temples and shrines.

I can help you plan around the season you are visiting and suggest which places and experiences are particularly worthwhile at that time of year.

I open my calendar for a given year’s tours starting from the second week of January of that same year — this applies even during the busy cherry blossom and autumn foliage seasons. If you have travel dates in mind, I’d recommend reaching out as soon as that window opens, since popular dates can fill up quickly.

Your booking is confirmed with a 50% deposit, with the remaining balance due seven days before the tour.

My tours are conducted in English, and I am also a native Japanese speaker, so Japanese-speaking family members or in-laws are not a problem.

Outside of English and Japanese, I am not able to guide directly in other languages. If your group includes guests who do not speak English, please let me know when you inquire so that I can advise you on the available options. You can read more about my language background on my About Me page.

Most tours can continue comfortably in light rain, and some destinations are actually more enjoyable with fewer crowds. If conditions make part of the itinerary unsafe or unsuitable, I’ll adjust the plan and suggest suitable alternatives. If I ever need to cancel a tour for a reason on my side — whether due to weather, a safety concern, or a personal circumstance — you’ll receive a full (100%) refund.

A 50% deposit secures your dates and is non-refundable, except in two cases: if Japan is closed to international travelers under government travel restrictions, or if you’re unable to reach Japan due to a natural disaster, war, or similar force majeure event. Please note the deposit is not refundable if your flight or cruise is cancelled by the carrier for operational reasons (such as mechanical issues, schedule changes, or overbooking) — this is one of several reasons it’s important to have comprehensive travel insurance in place.

The remaining 50% balance is due 7 days before your tour. If you cancel more than 7 days before the tour, the balance is refunded minus a 10% handling fee; if you cancel 7 days or less before the tour, it is non-refundable. This also applies if Japan’s borders are open as normal but you’re personally unable to enter the country due to your own visa, entry, or travel circumstances — this is treated the same as any other guest-side cancellation. If your plans change, please contact me as early as possible; I’m happy to help reschedule to alternative dates where available.

Travel insurance is mandatory for all guests. I do not provide or arrange travel insurance, so please arrange your own coverage before your tour, including medical expenses, personal accident, emergency medical evacuation and repatriation, and trip cancellation.

Guests are responsible for ensuring that they have adequate insurance coverage for their individual travel needs. While I take reasonable care to provide a safe and professionally managed tour, travel and sightseeing involve risks that may be beyond my reasonable control.

I cannot accept responsibility for illness, injury, accidents, or losses that are not caused by my negligence or other circumstances for which I am legally responsible.

During the inquiry process, I’ll ask about any dietary requirements, allergies, foods you avoid, and general preferences, as well as any health conditions you feel I should be aware of, to make sure your tour is both safe and enjoyable. I take all of this into account when planning restaurant stops and food experiences.

That said, please bear in mind that the availability of vegetarian- and vegan-friendly restaurants in Japan is still somewhat limited compared to many Western countries, so advance notice is always helpful in finding the best options.

Yes. I’ve guided many guests who need special attention or assistance, and I adjust the pace and itinerary around your group’s needs — this is especially helpful for families with young children, older travelers, or anyone who prefers a slower, less rushed day.

By understanding your needs during the inquiry stage, I can suggest whether a private vehicle or public transportation suits you best, and I carefully choose places and attractions that work well for your group. Please let me know about any mobility concerns in advance so I can plan accordingly.

All ages are welcome — if you’re looking for a kid-friendly day, just let me know and I’ll put together a suitable proposal.

No — a sample itinerary is exactly that, a sample. What I actually offer is a tailor-made private tour, carefully crafted together with you. I don’t want you to miss the places you’re truly hoping to see, so I combine your must-visit destinations with seasonal highlights and limited-opening sites specific to when you’re visiting. My goal is for you to leave Japan impressed and full of happy memories, so please don’t hesitate to tell me exactly what you’d like to do during your tour.

I primarily use Japan’s public transportation network — trains, subway, and buses — since it’s efficient and the most economical way to get around. In Kyoto specifically, I generally avoid buses: at peak times they’re prone to delays and can become too full to board, so I rely on taxis and the subway/rail network there instead to keep the day running smoothly.

Elsewhere, I may use a taxi for convenience or to save time, but only with your agreement (I’ll check with you during the tour). Please note that Japanese taxis typically seat up to 4 passengers.

If you’d prefer a private car or van for the day, this can be arranged for an additional cost covering the vehicle, tolls, and parking — please let me know in advance so I can arrange payment.

Tipping isn’t part of everyday culture in Japan, and for most everyday situations — restaurants, taxis, hotels — it simply isn’t the norm (see Japan’s official tourism site for more on tipping customs). Part of the reason is structural: hotels, ryokan, and higher-end restaurants often already add a service charge, sometimes around 15%, directly to the bill.

You may have heard that tipping a Japanese person can be seen as insulting, or that it hurts their pride — this is a common misconception among visitors, not something I’ve found to be true. It’s more accurate to say tipping simply isn’t expected as a routine practice here, rather than that it’s unwelcome.

That said, there are situations where a small gesture of appreciation — known as kokorozuke (心付け) — is genuinely welcomed, even where a service charge already applies. The clearest example is a nakai-san (仲居さん) attending to you personally in a private dining room or during a ryokan stay: her care is individual and goes beyond what the standard service charge covers, so a small kokorozuke, discreetly offered, is a considerate way to acknowledge that. The same applies to a taxi driver who goes out of their way for you. It’s worth keeping this in mind especially because international guests often make requests that are less common for Japanese customers — for example, asking for extra wasabi, substitutions, or other small adjustments — and a modest gesture like this helps acknowledge that extra effort.