Japan Private Tour Guides

“History and Udon Noodles in Kurashiki”

Mack met me at Kurashiki Station for the start of our tour. We walked through the shopping street, and I was fascinated by the shops but decided to visit them on the return leg. Kurashiki is wonderful, so well preserved with the historical house and warehouses. We also walked along old, cobbled street in the quieter areas, away from the canal area which was quite busy with tourists. Mack explained the history of Kurashiki and the family that made it successful textile manufacturing centre. But not only that, it was an early model of social enterprise, hiring women and providing them with education opportunities. We stopped at a couple of shops along the way back to the station, with Mack obliging me with a visit to a Bizan ware shop and a local snack shop selling freshly made red bean pancakes. We then proceeded to the udon shop for Bukkake Udon which is a local speciality. Mack is a wonderful guide, full of knowledge about Kurashiki. He tailored my tour to suit my interests, and we had a great time chatting about many different subjects.

“An amazing trip to Ino and the Yasui Valley”

Hiroshi met me at the Kochi Bus Terminal and off we went to our first stop, the Ino-cho Paper Museum. It's an amazing museum, full of information about the history of the manufacturing of washi paper. It has a wonderful workshop where visitors can make their own washi paper using traditional methods. It was great having Hiroshi as a guide as most of the displays were in Japanese. We then visited the Yasui Valley, following the Niyodo River. The river is amazing and Hiroshi timed our visit such that we were able to see the clear blue water that the river is famous for. The mountains were beautiful, and I learned much about the produce the area is famous for, Tosa tea. Back to Kochi, with a quick stop at Kochi Castle, and then Hirome market where we had Katsuo Tataki, seared skipjack tuna, and the best gyozas I have ever had. We ended the day, wandering Kochi's shopping street, visiting a small tea shop, which has been operating for three generations. The owner is a wonderful man who was happy to talk about the shop's history and the different types of tea in his shop. It's the one place where you can purchase Tosa tea. If you are ever in Kochi, Hiroshi is an excellent guide. He knows the area well, being local, and is able to tailor your tour to fit your interests.

“A beautiful day on Teshima and Naoshima”

Yoko met me at Uno Port for the fast passenger ferry to Teshima. I love Teshima, such a beautiful quiet place, with small villages and terraced rice fields. There is not much in the way of public transport on Teshima, so we walked to all the sites we visited, including Les Archives Du Couer and Teshima Art Museum, taking the bus back to the port. The Teshima Art Museum is an amazing experience. It is hard to put it into words. You really need to experience it. Off the Naoshima after lunch, visiting the Noashima New Art Museum. We managed to fit in all the Art House Projects before finishing for the day. Yoko was a wonderful guide, full of knowledge about the Art Islands. I enjoyed her company and appreciated her efforts for such a wonderful day.