Dear Kristen Thank you very much for your nice review of our tour in my hometown. Thanks to you, I had the opportunity to visit a shrine that was famous locally but that I had never visited before and learn about its historical significance. I really enjoy customizing tours to suit my guests’ interests rather than simply visiting the popular tourist spots that everyone goes to. If you have a chance, I also recommend visiting Omi Jingu Shrine, which was one of the filming locations for “Chihayafuru,”  about competitive karuta, a traditional Japanese card game. Like the shrine we visited, Omi Jingu is a prestigious shrine with “-gu” at the end of its name, and it’s well known among local people. I’ve only watched the Karuta competitions on TV news, but I’ve never actually visited the shrine myself! I also recommend Ishiyama-dera Temple, which is associated with Murasaki Shikibu and is especially beautiful during the autumn foliage season. Thank you Mana

Dear Michelle, Thank you very much for sending such a wonderful review so quickly. Because the weather is often unpredictable at this time of year, I normally do not accept many full-day tours during this season. However, thanks to you, yesterday turned out to be a truly wonderful experience for me as well. The crowds were astonishingly light—probably less than one-third of the usual number of visitors. Everything felt surprisingly peaceful and relaxed. Most importantly, we were able to enjoy beautiful flowers in shades of blue, such as hydrangeas and gentians, as well as lovely lotus blossoms. They offered a completely different kind of beauty from the pink cherry blossoms of spring or the red and yellow autumn leaves. And perhaps the best bonus of all was seeing the newborn baby monkeys! In Japan, when we are blessed with good weather and good fortune, we often say, “It is thanks to your daily good deeds and efforts.” So I would like to say the same to you. Thank you, thank you very much! I truly appreciate it. Mana

Dear Jose, Thank you very much for your wonderful review, even though Kyoto’s unique hot and humid weather meant we could not finish the tour to the end. Kyoto, known as the thousand-year capital, has inherited many traditional and unique cultural customs. Bamboo is considered a symbol of long life in Japan. Next time, I hope you can visit Japan — the country of longevity — during a more comfortable season. I wish you both good health and happiness for many years to come. Thank you Mana