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Kitakamakura: Travel for Finding Oneself
Joined 2019
This tour takes you to historical sites in Kitakamakura (Northern Kamakura), letting you enjoy the traditional culture of Zen Buddhism and seasonal natural beauty in a quiet atmosphere. While visiting Zen temples, you experience a Zen-meditation session as well as Kaiseki-ryori, a set menu of Japanese traditional dishes for a party. This will surely purify your mind and be a once-in-lifetime experience.
Itinerary
This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!
Meeting Point
At Kitakamakura Station
Meeting
Engakuji Temple
One of the most important Zen Buddhist Temples, ranked the second among Kamakura's Five Mountains (great Zen temples)
Japanese restaurant
Have lunch of kaiseki-ryori, a set meal for a Japanese dinner party with healthy and delicious ingredients, at one of the most popular Japanese style restaurants in Kamakura
Kitakamakura Old Private House Museum
The museum inside an old private house built about 100 years ago to see its architecture and see a seasonal exhibition
Kenchoji Temple
Ranked at the top of Kamakura's Five Mountains (great Zen temples) and the oldest Zen training monastery
Zen Meditation Session at Kenchoji Temple
Join the one-hour Zen meditation session for beginners.
End of the tour
Ending Point
At Kamakura Station
Want to personalize this tour?
This tour can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Click below to send me a message with your requests.
Inclusions & Exclusions
guide fee
transportation fee of guide
entrance fee of guide
lunch of guide
transportation fee (guest)
lunch (guest)
entrance fee (guest)
Tour Important Information
1. Zen meditation sessions are held every Friday and Saturday, so the tour starts only on those days of the week.
2. Since Zen meditation sessions are held in a tatami or straw mat room, you need to take off your shoes at the entrance. Casual clothes which are suitable for sitting on a tatami mat such as trousers and long skirts are recommended. You don't have to kneel on the floor in the formal sitting position. You can sit down the way you feel comfortable.
3. For lunch, a meal is served as a set menu. You will select one from some set menus but cannot order an individual dish.
Important message from the supplier
I have changed the day when I am available.
Cancellation Policy
- Free cancellation - 8 days prior to meeting time
- 50% Refund - 3 to 7 days prior to meeting time
- No Refund - Within 2 day(s) prior to meeting time
Joined 2019
About Tour Guide Haruo T.
I live in Yokohama, Kanagawa prefecture. I have a license to teach in high schools and was admitted to the degree of Master of Arts in Teaching English as a Second Language in the University of Birmingham. Until 2015 I had been teaching English at public high schools in Kanagawa for 37 years. During that time, I had some experience of guiding students from overseas through sister-school relationship around Tokyo and Kanagawa. Therefore, I had good command of English with the TOEIC score of 935.
As for a tour guide experience I earned the certificate of National Government Licensed Guide-Interpreter in English and since then I have guided tourists to the popular sites around Tokyo, Yokohama, Kamakura and Yokosuka. My guiding focuses on introducing not only Japanese historical and cultural backgrounds but also giving tourists some tips to travel Japan only by themselves, such as how to use trains and subways, find good restaurants, reserve tickets, buy survenier, and speak basic Japanese. In addition, my tour includes opportunities to experience Japanese culture like Zen meditation, ninja performance, visiting anime's location sites based on tourists' request. Besides, by means of my hobbies of writing English Haiku and Waka (traditional Japanese poems) and performing Rakugo (traditional Japanese funny story telling) in English, I can surely entertain tourists during the tour.
My moto as a tour guide is let the tourists have a once-in-a-lifetime experience in Japan with my profound, intelligible and interestiog guiding.
Reviews
Stacey H.
Tokyo: First Day on Your Trip to Japan Kasai and Odaiba for Stacey
Customized
“Tokyo Bay walking tour ”
Haruo was a great guide - took us to do and see what we asked for and more - explained points of interest on the way - would do another tour with him
Haruo T.
(12 reviews)Thank you for the thoughtful and heartwarming review even though I made some mistakes during the tour. This encourages me a lot. Please enjoy the tour in Japan. I’m always wishing your safe and wonderful trip in Japan.
“This truly was our first day on our trip to Japan”
Although one member of our Family is able to speak a basic level of Japanese, he had never been to Tokyo before. So having a private guide was the top reason why we booked this tour. Haruo was very responsive, both before and during the tour. Before our arrival, contacting us and confirming the sites we wanted to see. The morning of, we confused our start time to an earlier time and Haruo left his home early to get to us. He picked us up at the train station by our accommodations, which we greatly appreciated. We chose Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, Tokyo Tower, lunch in the Shopping Mall at Ginza, Asakusa Sensoji Temple and Sumida river cruise. Unfortunately, the Garden was closed the day of our tour, so we went to see the giant Shinjuku 3D cat billboard! Since we chose attractions that were not close to each other, Haruo had to navigate the trains and subways for us, which even for a local can be confusing. Our Family has food issues - and Haruo spoke with the staff at the restaurant we chose on our behalf to ensure we could eat there without issue. And we did and it was a lovely lunch! One recommendation would be to select attractions that are closer to each other than we did. Especially if you haven't recovered from jet lag! I would highly recommend Haruo and this tour!
Haruo T.
(12 reviews)Dear Sharon Thank you for heartwarming review though I made some mistakes and confused you during the tour. This encourages me to improve my future tour. Take care of yourselves and enjoy the rest of summer. Haruo
Travis V.
Kamakura & Yokosuka: History of War and Peace Tour
“Great locations, great guide”
We really enjoyed traveling to Kamakura and Yokosuka with Horuo. It was generally overcast (with a bit of rain) so we were often alone at some of the most popular tourist destinations in the area, and we were able to generally avoid the crowds with Haruo. Travel was very easy for us, and we learned a lot about Japan's history while on our adventures with him. Haruo is very knowledgeable about about the locations he took us to, and was able to bring each bridge and path to life with background we would have otherwise been oblivious to - stories of royalty, faith, assassination plot, wars, peace, and daily life for residents throughout history. There is so much we would have otherwise missed without Haruo, and we are deeply appreciative that we were able to share our travels with him.
Haruo T.
(12 reviews)Dear Trevis Thank you very much for your heartwarming review. This encourages me to improve my guiding. I was also very happy to have a tour with you. Please take care of yourselves. Best Regards Haruo
