Kyoto Private Tours & Local Tour Guides

I have been an Interpretive Tour Guide for over 20 years. I have lived in Japan for nearly that amount of time broken up by a 12 years stint in Hawaii for 12 years. Still came over every month bringing tours though. I provide private, interpretive guiding services for English-speaking visitors in the Kansai region of Japan. I am a Shrine and Temple professional. As an ex-Executive Assistant Food and Beverage Manager/Director, I know food and I know Japanese Sake and I want to show you how fun and interesting Japanese food and sake can be! My minimum is eight hours and I do not do half day tours. I promise your time with me in-depth and informative, but we will make some amazing memories while we are at it. I also do KYOTO, NARA, ISE, as well as OSAKA.

Hello, I'm HIDEo YOSHIda. Please call me HIDEYOSHI, the same name as the famous shogun who built the Osaka Castle in 1585. I was born in Kobe and worked in Osaka for nearly 40 years. I would like to introduce the Kansai region to you ,including Kobe, Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, and Wakayama. Kobe is one of the two largest ports in Japan, along with Yokohama. After the opening of the Port of Kobe in 1868, foreigners built their residences on the hillside of the Kitano-cho area, overlooking the ocean. Many of the foreign residences are now open to the public as museums, including the Weathercock House, with it's symbol weathercock on the triangle-shaped roof. In Meriken Park, the red Port Tower (the city's landmark), creates a beautiful contrast against the white Kobe Marine Museum. The museum's design was inspired by the waves and sailing ships. When you have a chance to visit Osaka, please join my tour. I'm sure you'll enjoy the interesting and historical, scenic spots. For example, Shin-Sekai is a downtown area with a strange mix of nostalgic atmosphere and contemporary energy. You can try local foods (kushikatsu, sushi, tempura) at a reasonable price. Billiken (a famous statue of the spirit of luck) will be waiting for you!!. Dotombori is a popular street with a lot of flashy signboards. Osaka is widely known as a "Kuidaore-no-machi", or literally "drinking and eating luxuriously to death." Osaka Castle was built by Toyotomi HIDEYOSHI in 1585. Oh, it's my residence, isn't it ! These days "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter" area in USJ, or Universal Studios Japan, is also attracting more and more people. I'll be looking forward to seeing you !!

I was born and raised in Kyoto.Kyoto has a lot of things to see and experience. Kyoto is an ancient city with a lot of world heritage. I am happy to show you both traditonal aspects of Japan and modern things. I use public transportation and I am good at walking. Also I am very flexible.

*Please note that we use public transportation for regular tours. If you need a private transportation, please contact me. Hi! I'm Masaki Mori. Please call me Makoon. I was born in Japan and have lived in Vancouver, Canada for about 10 years. I'm a National Government Licensed Guide, guide trainer a professional program organized by Kyoto city, English teacher,translator, professional breakdancer, and father of two young kids. I used to be a business planner in a manufacturing company. After working in the corporate world for 6 years, I made a decision to quit the company because I found a perfect job for myself: tour guide. I love my city Kyoto, and my mission now is share this very unique city with people from all over the world. I'd love to guide you to this city of 1200 years of history, share what I know about the modern and tradition, connect you to Japanese history and culture, take you to beautiful scenic locations, and support you making your trip UNFORGETABLE!! I conduct over 100 private tours a year, and proud to say about 35% of my guests are either returning or by referral as of today (Jul. 2019). Please join my tour, I will only try my best for you to make some great memories here in Kyoto. See you soon. Note: Seasonal price applies from Nov.15th to 30th, Mar. 15th to Apr. 20th, and Jun. 1st to Aug. 30th in 2020.