Mie 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 !!

Living in the central part of Japan, I am naturally best informed about Mie, Aichi and Gifu prefectures. However, I lived in Tokyo for 12 years so I am also familiar with Tokyo, Kanagawa and Chiba prefectures. I have guided my guests to Asakusa, Ueno, Harajuku, Meiji Shrine, Yasukuni Shrine, Lake Hamana, Lake Biwa, Ise Shrine, Takayama city, Toba city, Shima city and so on. Well versed in alcoholic drinks, I can take my guests to intriguing, traditional gastropubs “Izakayas” especially selected for them with scrumptious dishes perfect for their chosen drinks! Hooked on the mysterious or spiritual? Let's visit power Spots, sacred locations and places never introduced in publications, many where tales of legendary historic heroes or spiritual icons have been worshipped for millennia! Let’s talk about Tengu, Kappa, Musashi (and Bruce Lee), marriage vow renewal, and endless topics. My command of English and understanding Western practices have been continuously polished through my 20-year marriage life with my Australian partner. My biggest pleasure to help visitors make unforgettable memories with tailor made tours.

Hi. My name is Yoshihisa. Call me "Yoshie", please. It means good or O.K. in Japanese. I live in Joyo City, Kyoto Prefecture, located just in between Kyoto and Nara. I was born and raised in Iga, Mie Prefecture. Iga is a birthplace of ninja and a renowned haiku poet, Matsuo Basho. I might be a descendant of ninja. I aim at becoming a linguistic ninja, following a part of Basho's lifestyle with the incorporation of seasonal changes into my tours. In addition to visiting famous temples and shrines, I invite you to lesser-known places of historic interest. Once in a month I go hiking or mountain climbing with some friends mainly in mountains surrounding Kyoto and Nara basins. Recently I have got intrigued by the charms of Buddhist statues, which are manifestations of people's wishes and prayers. I also like izakaya (Japanese-style taverns) hopping, tasting delicious dishes and locally brewed sake at reasonable prices. Especially I like communicating with people from home and abroad, talking face to face. Some of the above-mentioned elements are included in my walking tours. I hope you will discover new aspects of cultural and natural beauty in Kansai area through one of my tours which you could never gain otherwise. One of my favorite phrases that come from Zen Buddhism is Ichigo Ichie or this meeting-but only once in a lifetime. My interpretation goes this way: This place and this moment never cross again. Each and every good encounter, however, lingers on like the sound of a temple bell. Won't you explore a deeper world of Japanese culture in Kyoto, Nara and Osaka with me?