“A life-changing day in a quiet mountain village in Hiroshima”

This special tour by far became the gem of my time in Japan.  If you're searching for something deeper than the usual tourist experience, I can't recommend this enough! Naomi invites you into her home, her way of life, and lets you experience the culture of a quiet mountain village with unbelievable kindness, and at a place of breathtaking beauty.  I was greeted at my hotel by Naomi and her daughter, who so kindly drew a welcome card for me - I will cherish this forever! Naomi then drove me to her village in the Hiroshima mountains. We walked around the rice fields, and the neighbouring forest which is nice and cool, dripping with mildew, and scattered with the occasional traditional graveyard. It reminded me of the forests in My Neighbour Totoro! We also checked out the local bridge which has an amazing view of the river and village. During our stroll, we talked about life, family, art, the history of the village, and everything in between as we watched the river steam past, and her children threw pebbles into the water.  But despite all the natural beauty and Ghibli-esque atmosphere of the village, it was the kindness and welcoming nature of Naomi and her family that will stick with me forever the most.  They cooked me the most DELICIOUS tempura lunch with sake, and I had a traditional tea ceremony with them. There was lots of laughing, stories, and being shown how the farming is done - I was almost in tears at how kind they were and the effort they made for me.  All these wonderful moments of nature, calm and human connections have made this the most special trip of my life.  OH, and Naomi is a writer too! Ask her about her awesome publications which feature life stories from the local community - it's incredible!  I couldn't recommend this tour enough, though it didn't really feel like a tour. It felt much more special and profound than that, and I am forever grateful to Naomi and her family for letting me into their world for a while in the mountains!

Naomi K.

(4 reviews)

Thank you so much for your wonderful review. Even though it has already been a few days since your visit, the happiness you brought to our family is still with us. Your thoughtful gifts, including the adorable koala for my kids, meant so much to us. But more than that, I was truly touched by your intelligent, calm, and respectful attitude throughout the day. You showed genuine respect for everything you saw and experienced here, and that made our time together even more special. I was also deeply moved by how seriously you talked about wanting to share and support this tour. I learned so much from you, and honestly, I never expected to meet such an amazing guest. Meeting you reminded me why I created this tour in the first place, and it made me feel that all the effort was truly worth it. Before your trip, you sent me many messages, and I could feel how much you love Japan. You were always so friendly, and that made me want to welcome you with the best hospitality I could offer. Looking back, of course there are a few things I wish I could have done even better, but I truly hope I was able to provide you with a unique and meaningful experience that you could only have here. I’m sure you will visit Japan again someday. And now, I think you have a place here that feels like home. We’ll be waiting for you anytime. With warmest wishes, Naomi

“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.

(4 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.

(4 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.