Monet's Pond, Knife‒city Seki & Washi‒hometown Mino
Joined 2015
In a small pond called 'Monet's Pond', many fancy Japanese carps 'KOI' are swimming through water-lilies and algae to make you feel relaxed. After having Unagi‒lunch at Seki and visiting the Traditional Swordsmith Museum, you move to Mino where you stroll around well-preserved traditional housing streets visiting old Washi merchant houses, paper museums and souvenir shops.
Itinerary
This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!
Meeting Point
At JR Gifu station or at JR Nagoya station
JR Gifu station
Monet's pond
Monet's Pond is located in a small village in mountains. Many beautiful colored Japanese carps 'Koi' are swimming through waterlilies and algae. It just looks like one of Monet's paintings which makes you so relaxing and feel comfortable and happy.
Seki city
you have a lunch break eating delicious Japanese dish of 'Unagi' (eel) and visit the Seki Traditional Swordsmith Museum and Gifu Cutlery Hall. You will learn why this small town has developed as one of the most famous three towns for manufacturing knives in the world.
Mino old town district
you visit Mino, a hometown of traditional hand‒made paper ’Washi’. You will stroll around the important Traditional Preserved Buildings Area dropping by some museums and shops.
JR Mino-oota station
JR Gifu station
Ending Point
At JR Gifu 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 and hotel pick-up
transportation fee about 6000yen/person for both guests and guide, lunch fee 3500yen/person for guests and guide, entrance fee 800yen/person for guests
Tour Important Information
1) Monet's Pond is located in the deep mountains and the condition of transparency is influenced by the weather since the previous day. Therefore, depending on the comprehensive situation, the destinations might be changed.
Important message from the supplier
I can guide in Kyoto in case you support transportation fee.
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 2015
About Tour Guide Tetsuji Y.
Hello everyone. I am Tetsuji. I worked as a public servant in the local government for 35 years. I belonged to the department of Redevelopment, Town-Landscaping, Preserving historical areas and Architectural Guidance. (I have a national 1st-class architect license.) I devoted myself to revitalizing the city by making plans and improving infrastructure for citizens.
Gifu is located in central Japan near Nagoya. As just being the crossroads of the West and the East, there are many unique attractions that are hard to discover in hectic big cities like Tokyo or Kyoto. I had a hand in restoring and preserving some of them throughout my career and want to introduce them to tourists from abroad. That’s why I became a guide-interpreter in Gifu.
I also enjoyed traveling around the world. My favorite part of each trip was walking around the city and talking with local residents. Traveling has taught me lots of things during my lifetime. Now, I would like to help others have similar experience in Japan. Shall we enjoy fantastic journey in Gifu?
Reviews
Rowena S.
“Great Experience”
Hello Tetsuji san, just wanna thank you for taking care of our guests, they had such a great experience during their tour. And it was also a smooth arrangement with you. Looking forward to work with you again in the future.
Tetsuji Y.
Thank you for a nice review to me. I am also looking forward to working with you again.
Sophie B.
“Very nice and flexible guide”
We planned months in advance a day with Tetsuji. When we arrived in Japan we realised it would be raining all day. We asked Tetsuji if he could propose an alternative because we were supposed to be outside all day. He came with a good back up plan. It was really appreciated. We have a nice day together and I would recammand it.
Tetsuji Y.
Thank you for your appreciation. I hope that you would come back to Japan again in order to hike Nakasendo with me under the blue sky. I will be waiting all of you. Please give my best regards to Martin, Pauline and Adrian.
Sherry W.
“The most wonderful day!”
Tetsuji-san the kindest, most thorough tour guide I think I have ever had the pleasure to know. His pre-trip questions and planning for a personal level of interest led to showcasing his wide range of knowledge for the Gifu area and more than completely fulfilling my requests for things to see. It was a day neither I nor my family will ever forget. Tetsuji-san knew where to go for the local beauty of the blooming cherry blossoms, introducing us to the Kagamigahara area away from the usual crush of visitors. There were many local festivals, the impressive Kinpozan Shoboji Temple with the beautifullly preserved indoor Buddha, the hilltop Gifu Castle via the tramway and steep steps that gave a fabulous view of the entire region, the heritage Minatomaci street that maintains the architectural history of the Endo (?) era ( but includes some wonderful shops with locally made artistic items, and more. Thank you so much, Tetsuji-san! ( my photos don’t seem to be loading up here… but you will have plenty to take on your own if you choose this wonder guide)
Tetsuji Y.
I appreciate that you gave me a chance to organize a fantastic tour. The moment you set a pebble on the corner of the site, I felt IKIGAI (生き甲斐) in my mind. I truly thought that I might have been born to share unforgettable moment with you. I surely think this 'Nostalgic tour' is an epoch-making commemorative event through my guiding career.
$126/ per group
More tours by Tetsuji Y.
Discover Authentic Japan in Tsumago & Magome, Nakasendo
You hike an old highway Nakasendo strolling through two post-towns. Magome & Tsumago. Strolling around well-preserved popular post towns takes you back to nostalgic Japan. The moment you enter these towns, you will feel as if you are in a time warp back in the Edo period, where local people spend their daily lives as well as welcoming tourists, preserving buildings and the landscape. You also enjoy hiking an old trekking route through mountains.
One-day-tour of Shirakawa-go
Shirakawa-go is a mountain settlement that is famous for uniquely designed Gassyo-style buildings and registered as one of the World Cultural Heritage sites. In Ogi-machi, over sixty Gassyo-style buildings will welcome visitors. Enjoying the whole landscape of the village from the hill, you will stroll around the village visiting some traditional Gasho-style buildings such as Wada House, Nagase House and Myozenji Temple Museum.
Best Choice for one-day Takayama tour
Takayama is a small city in a mountainous area. The tour includes some healing spots in addition to popular highlights like Miyagawa Morning Market, Higashiyama Walking, Old Town and Hida-Furukawa. I'm sure you’ll be able to see why Takayama mesmerizes tourists so much through this tour.
Cormorant fishing viewing on the Nagaragawa River
Gifu Castle standing on the Mt.Kinka provides visitors with nice panoramic views day and night. You also enjoy watching a traditional unique event Cormorant Fishing on the Nagara River while eating dinner in a viewing boat. Sir Charlie Chaplin visited Gifu twice to enjoy this unique traditional event. Besides, a photogenic street Kawara-machi and the Great Buddha statue in Shoboji-temple move you so much.
Other Popular Highlights Tours in Gifu
Takayama 4 Hour Town Walk Tour
Let's walk one of the most popular traditional town in Central Japan. Your guide will pick you up at the reception of your hotel and walk with you throughout the old town of Takayama city. There are many traditional Japanese architectures and cultural museums in Takayama. You can also enjoy talking with local store clerks via your guide's translation. And you can optionally drop by some sake breweries, food stalls and have lunch in highly recommended Hida beef restaurant
Discover the Water city/Gujo Hachiman one day tour
Gujo Hachiman a Castle town where people live with clean water. Gujo city is situated at the uppermost region of the Nagara river. Local people cherish and preserve the clean water and beautiful streams as the pride of their hometown. We would enjoy real clean water city!
Cormorant fishing on the Nagara river tour in summer night
Gifu Nagara river's Cormorant fishing/Ukai has 1,200 years long history. We can enjoy this unique fishing style on the Nagara river during May 11 to Oct 15 on every year. We would enjoy this historical fishing style on the boat. Before starting cormorants fishing, You can enjoy local food & drink on the boat. Especially Ayu fish & Gifu local sake is wonderful !
One day customized tour in The Battle filed of Sekigahara
Let's travel together to the site of the last decisive battle of the Warring States Period, some 450 years ago, and feel the hot blood of the generals together. Visit historical point, The point of decisive battle site place and encampment in Sekigahara, The eastern & western army site Tokugawa Ieyasu, Ishida Mitsunari, Shima Sakon, Otani Yoshitsugu, Kobayakawa Hideaki, Hosokawa Tadaoki, Ii Naomasa, Kuroda Nagamasa, Fukushima Masanori so on. & Gifu Sekigahara Kosenjoh Memorial hall.