Japan Private Tours & Local Tour Guides

“Our Favorite Guide - Bobby Gave Us an Unforgettable Day in Hakodate!”

Bobby was the best tour guide we had during our travels! From the moment we met her, she was energetic, welcoming, and incredibly hospitable. Her friendly personality made us feel instantly comfortable, and her passion for sharing her city made the entire day special. We absolutely loved our time with her and honestly didn’t want it to end! She put together a wonderful day that was perfect for our group of five. We visited Hakodate Morning Market, explored the star-shaped Goryokaku fortress, enjoyed lunch at Shunka, and took in the views from Mount Hakodate. We also explored the Motomachi historical area and the Kanemori Red Brick Warehouses. The variety gave us a wonderful introduction to Hakodate, with a mix of food, history, scenery, and time to enjoy the city. Everything was taken at our own pace, which made the day feel relaxed and enjoyable. Bobby was attentive to our group, and her enthusiasm and energy brought so much fun to every stop. What truly set Bobby apart was her warmth. She made us feel like welcome friends, and it was a pleasure to experience Hakodate with someone so passionate about her hometown. We cannot recommend her highly enough! Thank you, Bobby, for a wonderful day and some of our favorite memories from our trip!

“A Wonderful Day in Kanazawa with Yogi!”

We had a wonderful day exploring Kanazawa with Yogi! He was an excellent guide for our group of 5 —informative, easy to understand, and very hospitable. He shared so much about the places we visited and helped us appreciate the city’s history and culture. Our tour included Kenrokuen Garden, Kanazawa Castle, the samurai residential district and Nomura Samurai House, and Higashi Chaya, the historic geisha district. We really enjoyed seeing the beautiful gardens, and exploring the castle and samurai houses was a highlight for me. Learning about how people lived and the culture of that time made these visits especially interesting. Higashi Chaya was also a very pleasant place to walk around, take in the atmosphere, and enjoy the traditional surroundings. The itinerary offered a lovely combination of history, culture, and beautiful scenery. Yogi’s warm hospitality and the information he shared made our day memorable. We felt very welcome and truly enjoyed having him introduce us to Kanazawa. We would highly recommend him to anyone visiting the city. Thank you, Yogi, for giving us such a wonderful day!

“Fish, Fire, and Fantastic Tour!”

Our guide, Chiaki, organized the most wonderful day in Tokyo, and we're still talking about it! We left the itinerary to her discretion, and she arranged a tour far beyond our expectations! First of all, we went everywhere on the tour via the Tokyo subway system, which was an experience all by itself. The subway system was immaculate and easy to navigate with Chiaki's direction. Our first stop was the fish market, which really is a vast open air market that sells everything from fish to kitchenware, to prepared food, to candy. We purchased the one souvenir of the trip, a beautiful chef's knife that my wife is still raving about. Chiaki knew the best knife shop, and the owners were so helpful. After the fish market, he asked if we wanted to see a Buddhist fire ceremony, and we said, "sure!" I can't begin to explain how complex and fascinating that was, seeing first hand a ceremony that had probably been performed for centuries. All I can say is, if Chiaki suggests going to the fire ceremony, just go! We also visited the grounds of the imperial palace, had lunch at a small family owned restaurant, (our request), and visited one of Tokyo's largest shopping areas. Chiaki was a wonderful guide, informative, patient, well-organized, and kind. We are from the Seattle area and learned that she had studied at the University of Washington as part of her English Language studies, so we got to compare notes about Seattle today compared to Seattle in 1986 when she studied here. We would give Chiaki a ten star rating if that were possible. As it is, five stars and highest recommendation!