“A moving day in Hiroshima ”

Prior to meeting us, Naomi devised this tour to try to fit in the sort of things that we wanted to do. Naomi met us in our hotel and briefly outlined the plan for the day and whether we were still happy with this. We then walked to the Shukkeien garden. It was a lovely day and the garden was beautiful. It is full of ornate trees, including cherry blossoms. It has a small lake with koi carp and terrapins. After a leisurely walk around the garden, we took a taxi to Schome House. The house was built as part of a charitable scheme run by an American, Floyd Schome, to provide housing for some of the people made homeless by the Hiroshima atomic bomb explosion. It is now run as a museum and includes lots of information and photographs of Mr Scome and his housing scheme. We were lucky enough to meet a Hiroshima survivor who works as one of the museum attendants. For lunch, we sat around the hot plate of a nearby restaurant and watched the proprietor make us some traditional okonomiyaki (pancakes). These were delicious. We then went to the Peace Park and listened to an English presentation given by the niece of a Hiroshima survivor. This was extremely interesting and very moving. We were able to chat with her afterwards. Following the presentation, Naomi took us up to the museum. She did not accompany us on the tour around the museum as there is plenty of written information for each exhibit and visitors are discouraged from talking. Audio guides are also available. We thoroughly enjoyed our day with Naomi. She was always professional but also very helpful and friendly. Her knowledge was excellent and, as well as learning about Hiroshima, we found out quite a bit about Japanese life. Naomi obviously enjoys meeting visitors and talking about Japan. If we had been staying for longer in Hiroshima, we would have loved to have visited her rice farm for the day - this is another of her tours.

Naomi K.

(3 reviews)

Thank you so much for such a wonderful review. I’m truly touched and deeply grateful. It was a very memorable day for me as well—learning about peace together and sharing those moments. Thank you for taking the time to reflect on the tragedy that happened in a foreign country 80 years ago, and for opening your heart to Hiroshima’s story. I was especially moved by the way you listened so attentively to the speech about A-bomb survivor. The sight of you quietly and sincerely paying attention left a strong impression on me. And the okonomiyaki was delicious! I was so happy to have lunch together. We were also lucky to have such beautiful weather, and I’m glad we could enjoy the cherry blossoms together. I learned a lot from you as well—your calm smile and gentle presence meant so much to me. I’m truly grateful that I had the chance to meet you. Please come back to Japan someday. I’ll be waiting for you. And I would love to hear you play the guitar one day! Wishing you continued good health and many wonderful days ahead. Thank you again from the bottom of my heart. Warm regards, Naomi

Julie W.

5 / 5

Mar 24, 2026

A Canny Day in Hiroshima

Mar 24, 2026

Hiroshima

8 hours

“A Fabulous Day in Miyajima and Hiroshima ”

Naomi was a wonderful guide. Her warmth and personality made it feel like you were spending a day with a friend . We took the ferry across to Miyajima which was wonderful ! Everywhere you turn the scenery is amazing and we were blessed to witness a wedding ceremony which made the day even more special. I did not know that deer roamed freely across the island and they are very friendly . We then caught another ferry to Hiroshima Peace Park where Naomi recounted the history of what had happened. The Park itself is a beautiful tribute to those who died . Naomi also took us to a very small restaurant that specialises in okonomiyaki and it was the best meal I have experienced so far in Japan, I could it it every week ! Naomi is kind, courteous, patient and explains everything in such a way that you come away having learned a lot, without having felt that you’d sat through a history lesson- which has happened many times with other guides. There were four of us - all in our mid sixties- and the pace of the tour was perfect .

Naomi K.

(3 reviews)

Even now, when I think back, the time I spent with the four of you was truly wonderful. Both Miyajima and the Peace Memorial Park are very familiar places to me, but thanks to your friendly and thoughtful company, I was able to enjoy them as if I were traveling myself. We were also blessed with beautiful weather, and seeing a wedding on Miyajima was such a special and lucky moment! From Hiroshima, I truly hope that you will continue to stay close and enjoy life in your own wonderful way. Thank you so much for coming to Hiroshima and for choosing me as your guide.

“Unforgettable experience! Worth the trip!”

My family only spent a week in Japan so we had to be very picky about how we spent our time. My parents are originally from a small village in Mexico, so a bucket list item for them was to visit a rice paddy and a Japanese village. I was initially nervous about dedicating a whole day of our trip to visiting a village but now I wouldn’t trade it for the world. Naomi is an incredible, warm and welcoming guide. Her English is also quite good. She welcomed me and my family to spend a day with her and her family. Her community was about an hour drive away from our hotel in Hiroshima. We had a fantastic time seeing the sights in her mountainside community and visiting the Ini Tanada rice terrace. It was February and we knew the paddies wouldn’t be full of greenery but seeing the cool terraces was still worth it. I especially recommend the terraces if you are coming in late spring/summer when the rice has been planted. Even in February, we got to see beautiful plum blossoms and other natural wonders. We also can’t stop talking about the incredible food that we got to make alongside Naomi and the 80 year old matriarch of her family. It was some of the best food we has in Japan - there is nothing like a home cooked meal. We got to try onigiri made with rice from the farm, fresh baked bread made with rice flour and other incredible local items. At the end of the end of the tour, Naomi also took us to a local sake shop where we bought some very tasty local sake to take home. I can’t recommend this tour enough for anyone looking for an authentic taste of culture. I only hope future visitors treat this family with the warmth and humility they shared with us.

Naomi K.

(3 reviews)

Thank you so much for your incredibly kind and thoughtful review. Reading your words truly moved me and my family. I read it again and again. It was a great honor to welcome you and your parents to our small community. My kids and my mother were also so happy enjoying the food, celebrating your father’s birthday and taking a stroll. Thank you for spending such a precious day of your trip with us and for appreciating our rice culture and rural life. We will always remember your visit. I miss you all. You will always be welcome here, and we hope to see you again someday. Take care. Good luck to you and your family until then.