Shirakawago Private Tours & Local Tour Guides

“Absolutely the best guide in Kanazawa: Shirakawago!”

I give Yoshie a well deserved 5 stars! She is a very pleasant and kind person with perfect English! She is diligent and very organised in planning our itinerary. She was flexible in accommodating our last minute requests. I can tell she did a lot of research especially on her selection of lunch at a UNESCO heritage site. It was the most memorable lunch we ever had in Japan!! It was a grilled fish restaurant using the Shirakawago’s traditional grilling method in one of 9 Gassho Houses in Gokayama. The restaurant owner showed us a photo of his father who was a mountain hiker (?). The owner carried on his father’s legacy and runs this restaurant. At the end of the lunch, the owner did a short spontaneous performance for us: he played an instrument special to this region with singing and dancing!! Wow… what an unexpected bonus to the wonderful lunch! We owe this memorable experience to Yoshie for the fantastic planning and being the best tour guide! Next time In Kanazawa, I will certainly hire Yoshie again! Widdy

Yoshie K.

(33 reviews)

Hi Widdy, thank you so much for your overwhelming and thoughtful review. I am very pleased to receive it from you. Now I understand that your family loves eating Japanese food while traveling. Of course, you are so keen about the history and culture of each country too. I would be more than happy to find good food next time you come to see me! Thank you again.

“Very enjoyable visit to Shirakawago”

Tetsuji was very professional and we had a great time!

Tetsuji Y.

(39 reviews)

Thank you for your appreciation. I hope you could come back to Japan and spend pleasant time together again.

“Excellent day in Shirakawago with Yoji K.”

Yoji K. was an excellent guide for us in Shirakawago. For a place like Shirakawago, where there is a well-trod tourist path, one looks for a guide to enhance the experience you might otherwise have on your own. Yoji did all of that and more. He met us at our hotel in Kanazawa and visited with us on the bus about our day ahead. We communicated easily because of his command of English and US educational background. In Shirakawago, he guided us along paths less traveled and less crowded, to quietly enjoy the beauty of the town. He selected an excellent small family restaurant outside the tourist-heavy area, with seemingly only locals having lunch. Yoji made sure we saw one of the well-preserved gassho house museums that was uncrowded. We also went to visit the viewpoint before we left, and Yoji kept us on a good pace to see the high points of Shirakawago. He even made sure that on the trip back we had some recommendations for our next day in Kanazawa, all of which proved excellent. I would highly recommend Yoji as a guide

Yoji K.

(26 reviews)

Dear MIcheal san, Thank you very much for your review. I truly enjoyed walking Shirakawago with both of you. It was such a beautiful and sunny day. I was very glad that you liked the lunch at the very local restaurant. It worths going and seeing the restaurant in advance. I wish I can travel with my wife like two of you in the future. It was great time for me to walk with such a lovely couple. Please have a safe trip in the rest of your journey in Japan. Yoji