Tour GuidesGuides Private ToursTours Private Car ToursCars Virtual ToursVirtual Aki T.
Hi, I’m Aki, a government licensed English speaking tour guide.
I was born and raised in Kagawa prefecture, the venue of Setouchi Triennale, facing the beautiful Seto Inland Sea, in western Japan.
After graduating from a university, I had worked for a global electronics company in Tokyo for 30 years and retired early. Working with foreign colleagues gave me fantastic opportunities to learn about Japan from their points of views, and I came to think it's fun to talk about Japan with foreign people.
Also, I love traveling. I have visited a lot of places throughout Japan, amazed by its beautiful nature, great tradition, and wonderful food. I realized Japan has numerous tourist attractions.
Then I became a tour guide, hoping to entertain foreign visitors with my tours based on my experiences as a tourist.
I've been living in Yokohama and Kamakura areas for more than 30 years. I know Tokyo, Yokohama, Kamakura, and Hakone very well. I love food, nature, cultures, and architectures. I value genuineness of what to see, experience, taste and buy, which cannot always be experienced in a group tour.
I believe that participating in my guided tour will bring you a lot of fun. I can help you to explore Japan deeper and to get in touch with the locals, taking you to both popular spots and unbeaten sites where you can see the daily lives of the people.
Let’s share a joy of touring in this lovely country.
Thank you and see you in Japan!
Masato N.
Hi, everybody,
It’s my great pleasure to take you to fantastic places and explain the interesting aspects of Japan. I love this job!
The scope of my work primarily covers Tokyo and its suburbs, and I offer both one-day and multi-day tours. I can also guide you to destinations outside Tokyo, such as Kyoto, Nara, or Himeji Castle. In such cases, you will need to cover my transportation, accommodation, and meals in addition to the guide fee.
We use a taxi or a private car on my urban tours to maximize efficiency. If you prefer to use a private car, please arrange it in advance. Japanese taxis are clean, driven by professional drivers, and generally more affordable than a private car.
In 2018, I was ranked number one in popularity on this matching site, GoWithGuide, due to earning five-star reviews from many tourists. The tourists say that it is because of my cheerful personality, humorous conversations, and extensive knowledge across various fields. This expertise is grounded in my diverse professional background:
Magazine reporter.
An executive aide to the CEO of an international advertising agency.
Manager of public relations and advertising for a multinational company.
Over forty years of work experience in Tokyo.
Additionally, I sometimes appear as an actor in TV dramas and TVCM. I have also published fourteen e-books available on Amazon, including four in English.
I have suggested some ready-made travel packages, but I prefer to propose a suitable travel plan for you after discussing your preferences.
Please, do not hesitate to let me know what you would like. I’m looking forward to meeting you very soon in Japan.
P.S. I had prostate cancer and after two years of treatment, my strength has almost returned to what it was before I had the disease, so I have decided to resume guiding tourists from July 1, 2024.
Thank you,
Masato
Nobu S.
Hi, I am Nobu, a national licensed tour guide.
The main areas I guide are Tokyo and its surrounding areas including Mt. Fuji, Hakone and Nikko, but I can also accommodate custom tours according to your wishes.
I also offer tours using my minivan.
You can take a short tour by the minivan that stops at several spots on the way from Narita Airport to your hotel in Tokyo.
If you let me know your preferences, I will design a private tour that is perfect for you.
I am looking Forward to Meeting you soon in Japan!
Nobu
Shoji K.
Hi! Welcome to Japan. My name is Shoji Kitamura, a licensed English-speaking tour guide. Please call me Shoji that is the same sound as a sliding screen made of wood and paper you may have seen in a traditional Japanese room.
I was born and raised in Yokohama next to Tokyo but lived for work in several beautiful and historical cities such as Nikko, Hiroshima, and Ise which have world heritage sites and/or national park. I fully enjoyed the nature, culture and lives in each city where I lived.
I retired after 36 years with a national research institute of fisheries in 2016.
During my career, I visited 5 continents except Antarctica, more than 20 nations for attending international scientific conferences, conducting collaborative research or teaching some technologies, etc. In Japan, I often took foreign scientists and government officers sightseeing. I had great times in these opportunities.
Such experiences made me decide to become a licensed English-speaking guide interpreter after retirement to introduce Japanese nature, culture, foods, etc. properly to many tourists coming to Japan from all over the world.
For more than 20 years I’ve been living in Nikko, which is located about 150km north of Tokyo, and designated as a World Heritage site and a National Park. If you consider a day trip from Tokyo, I strongly recommend coming to Nikko by 2-hour train ride from Tokyo. I am looking forward to showing you around in this historical and beautiful town.
Besides Nikko, I can also guide you in Yokohama, my home town, and in neighboring city such as Tokyo and Kamakura.
Itsumi S.
Hello, my name's Itsumi. So, please call me " It's me " !
Enjoy Japan with me !!
Bonjour. Je m'appelle Itsumi. Appelez-moi " it's me (c'est moi) ".
Profitez du beau Japon avec moi !!
Taku M.
Hello, my name is Takuzo. I wish to welcome your visiting. What do you expect when visiting Japan? I will be here to share my historical, geographical and Japanese society's knowledge with you. I was a volunteer for Tokyo Olympics to take care of VIPs. Of course I'm a national government licensed guide interpreter in English. I hope I can see you soon!
Kazu K.
Hi! 大家好! 我是國家認證中文翻譯導遊,KaZu!
是否想從旅遊中抽出一天,添加特別的經驗!!
來,讓我為您策畫一下!
尋覓日本200年前的懷舊風景
到神社、寺廟感受神聖氣息
到日本傳統庭園走一走
體驗日本的傳統工藝
接觸日本次文化
等等・・・
我們一起來吧!
Tsutomu H.
Hi, I am Tsutomu - please call me Tom !. I am Japan’s Government Certified English Tour Guide. Living in downtown Tokyo, my guiding expertise is all over Tokyo, including but not limited to Ueno, Asakusa, Ryogoku, Akihabara, Imperial Palace, Harajuku and Ginza area. I love to show you the contrast in Tokyo from the old temple of Asakusa to the world's tallest futuristic tower of Sky Tree and Akihabara sub-culture. Other than Metropolitan Tokyo, I can guide you in Yokohama, Kamakura, Mt. Fuji, Hakone and Nikko. My goal is to give you the best of my 64 years knowledge and experience of Japan. My English is fluent at the native level as I have studied, lived and worked in the United States, Hong Kong and Singapore for many years. I do look forward to sharing my extensive knowledge of Japan with you. I will try my very best to make your Japan experience enjoyable and memorable with great hospitality. See you soon !!
Maru K.
I provide Omakase tour for you.
Please feel free to contact me if you would like to have a wonderful experience in Japan!
☆中文版在下面,请参考一下☆
Hello.
I was raised in several places, such as Tokyo, Yokohama, Kobe, Osaka, and Nagoya.
After my professional sales experience for a business machinery company in Yokohama, I pursued an opportunity to teach in China.
I worked as a Japanese teacher to foreigners in Shanghai.
The longer I lived abroad, the more I came to appreciate the unique aspects of Japanese culture. So I started learning English and Chinese to become a bridge to help bring foreign visitors closer to Japanese culture.
I would be horored to be your guide as you tour our historically rich country. I am looking forward to traveling Japan with you. Thank you.
大家好。我叫Maru, 来自东京。在上海生活过七年半。在东华大学学了两年半汉语。2012年得到日语教师资格证后一边学习日本历史文化相关知识一边从事日语教师工作。2018年回到日本开始用英语当导游。2019年终于能开始用汉语当导游了!我想成为世界各个国家和日本友好关系的桥梁。我对历史,美食、名胜古迹都很感兴趣。如果能跟大家一起旅游,我很高兴。谢谢。
Takano Y.
Obtained my National Guide License (English) in 2010 and my MBA from University of Michigan's Ross School of Business decades ago, when I had more hairs to allow me to choose variety of hair styles.
In the past, have lived outside Japan for the total of 12 years in such cities as Boulder, CO; Ann Arbor, MI; Washington DC (USA); Manila (PHI), Colombo (Sri Lanka) and Bishkek (Kyrgyz) and visited 40 countries----I stayed in Kyrgyz Republic between October 2018 and Feb. 2019 as my 40th country.
Examples of my tour destinations are Tokyo where I live, Nikko, Mt. Fuji 5th station, Lake Kawaguchiko, Aokigahara Forest, Hakone, Kamakura, Mt. Takao, Tateyama Kurobe Alpine route, Kanazawa, Gokayama, Shirakawa-go, Takayama and Niigata prefecture.
Foreign tourists/media who visited Tomioka Silk Mill (World heritage site) with me were interviewed by NHK TV crews at Tomioka, and my guests and I appeared on NHK Greater Tokyo Area evening TV news.
Since foreign travelers enjoy talking to local people who live in the areas, travelers are welcome to go out of their comfort zone and try to talk to local students on the street, housewives with shopping bags and small shop owners.
Currently live in Suginami-ku, western side of residential area in Tokyo with my wife and a Norfolk terrier. Able to reach Shinjuku or Shibuya areas in less than 30 minutes, Tokyo station area in 45 minutes, door to door from my residence by train.
Tours will be conducted using public transportations or taxis or private cars in some cases as needed. According to your interests, physical/health conditions and duration of your tour, I will tailor-made your tour and arrange destinations. I can meet you at your hotel and take you back when the tour concludes.
Consider myself as one of the most experienced travelers who have survived many difficult situations without getting into any serious trouble. Can be a good tour guide for business persons or retired business persons or travelers who like walking/outdoor activities/taking photos/wine or sake tasting/finding healthy food ---fresh seafood such as sushi, sashimi--soba or buckwheat noodles. Also, at the end of tours, travelers will be bringing home their photos taken by my CANON R6 camera during the tour.
Yukiko K.
My name is Yukiko . I have a national license for a tour guide in English. I live in Tokyo on weekdays and go back to my house in Kamakura on weekend. I like both cities.
Tokyo is one of the most exciting cities in the world. Kamakura is a traditional city with history and nature. I like communicating with people.
My family and I had homestay students from all over the world and my children call me "mother of the world." I like learning foreign languages. I speak a little German and I learned a little Italian last year. I also have a license for teaching Japanese to foreigners as a second language. It would be a great pleasure for me to make your trip to Japan more valuable and impressive through my explanation of Japanese culture and history,
I am looking forward to seeing you.
Takahiro I.
I grew up in the UK, and have lived more than ten years in the UK and USA on overseas assignments.
While I lived abroad, I started to realize how shallow my knowledge on Japanese culture, beliefs, history and food was for a Japanese resident, whenever I tried to respond to the questions my foreign friends had about Japan. For the last 20 years I’ve been doing a lot of domestic travel visiting areas that I’ve never been before, and studying history and culture, as well as enjoying Sake from all parts of Japan.
From 2015, I intensified my studies of Japan, and in 2017, successfully received government certification as a qualified guide on Japan.
Thinking it would help my studies as well as be beneficial for visitors to Japan, I opened a website titled “Rediscovering Japan” in 2016 to record my travels and share my experience with travelers to Japan. To date I have covered 25 of the 47 prefectures in Japan.
I have found that rather than just visiting tourist spots at random, it is much more interesting if you have a clear theme of the places you are going to. I hope you'll enjoy the visits with me to rediscover Japan!
Rie T.
Guten Tag, mein Name ist Rie.
Nach zweieinhalb Jahren hat Japan seine Isolationspolitik endlich beendet.
Liebe meine Gaeste, danke fuers Warten !
Was moechten Sie sehen, wenn Sie nach Japan kommen ?
Was moechten Sie wissen ? Was moechten Sie essen ?
Sie koennen beruehmte Tempel und Schreine vielleicht mit der App ohne Fuehrer besuchen. Was Sie wirklich brauchen, ist eine Reisefuehrerin, die freundlich und genau erklaeren kann, wie die durchschnittlichen Japaner im Alltag leben.
Ich habe 25 Jahre lang an der Uni als Juradozentin gearbeitet und junge Studenten in schwierigem Recht unterrichtet. Ich denke, ich kann Ihre Wuensche erfuellen. Treffen wir uns in Tokio. Bis bald.
Yasuko Y.
Welcome to Shizuoka in the central area of Japan.
I was born in Hakone, Kanagawa Pref. and grew up in Izu Peninsula, also studied English at Kanagawa University in Yokohama.
After graduation, I have traveled to a lot of countries such as Europe, U, S., Asia and lived in Australia for a year. I had a great time to visit there to have a wonderful experience.
So I decided to become a licensed tour guide for introducing Japan to foreign tourists.
Now I live in Izu which is close to Mt.Fuji and Hakone.
I'm interested in Arts, Hot Springs, traditional places and of course delicious food.
I would like to introduce beautiful Izu which has lots of Geopark sites and traditional Hot spring resort "Shuzenji, Nagaoka, and so on.
Please Enjoy this area together!!
Bienvenidos
Ai M.
Hello! Thank you so much for your interest in having me as your tour guide.
I have guided over 200 tourists for the past years, as a guide of the bar hopping tours, hidden gems tours, and private tours. "Tokyo Hidden Gems", a community I made has over 400 members.
I have been fortunate enough to have opportunities to visit 33 out of 47 prefectures in Japan since I was a child, thanks to my parents who are passionate travelers, which has raised my interests in traveling and let me work in the tourism industry after graduation. I have experiences of working at a stylish hostel, and at the largest travel agency in Japan.
As one of the young tour guides, I can show you not only historical spots but also trendy spots based on the subculture of ordinary young Japanese people.
I love art, design, fashion, vintage clothing, taking photos with my film camera, and coffee.
If you are looking for someone who knows well about good vintage clothing stores/ cozy cafes, or interested in traveling throughout Japan, please feel free to let me know!
Toru I.
Hello to all of you on the screen.
My name is Toru Ishii and I am a licensed national interpretater of English language.
I have been guiding scrolling around a Japanese landscape garden designated as Scenic Beauty in Yokohama city for the last 2 years. I would like to explain about time-honored Japanese architectures, transfered from Kyoto and Kamakura, designated as Important Cultural Property.
I am also interested in Tea Ceremony and in the ritual of serving powdered green tea in the garden.
Yokohama opened its door to overseas comers in 1859 after the Meiji Restoration. The port of Yokohama shared about 70 percents of overseas trading in Japan. The main export was raw silk thread. Now the beautiful city of Yokohama has become historically exotic and ranks as one of the most fascinating internationally trading city that attracts many foreign tourists.
I am always happy to guide tourists around this historical region and Introduce the delights of Japanese cuisine and Chinese cuisine in China town according to the visitor's requests.
Stepping further out from Yokohama, I would recommend Kamakura city,
a 20 minutes train ride on the JR Line, where the visitor can feel the fresh ocean breeze. The nearby Zen Buddhist temples and the Great Buddha are main attractions and souvenir shopping adds the excitement.
Kamakura was established by the first Shogun, Yoritomo Minamoto, in 1192 and the shogunate government lasted till 1333. He established his Samurai government which ruled over Japan.
After arriving at Kamakura or Kita-Kamakura station, the visitor can easily walk around the city. This city is easily accesable by train from Yokohama (less than 30 minutes) and Tokyo (less than 1 hour).
As for my background, I have experienced staying in Louisiana in the United States and studied at the university there. Now I am 60 years old and I am still working for a company, while at the same time, I work as a volunteer guide a few days a month in Yokohama city.
I like traveling in foreign countries, and have experienced short time staying at several European countries, North America as well as some Asian countries.
Last January, I travelled San Fransico and Merced city, California.
I would be delighted to exchange cultural experience with many visitors from all over the world.
If you happen to be visiting my country and if you are interested ,
please feel free to contact me.
Toru Ishii
Kunio N.
I usually play tennis with my friends every weekend and am tough enough to take you around everywhere you would like to visit in Tokyo area. I've studied at the university and worked for the company located in Tokyo total over 40 years, and so I know main popular sightseeing spots and fantastic spots though not so popular.
Day and Night in Shinjuku, Meiji shrine and Takeshitadori in Harajuku, Crossroads in Shibuya, Imperial Palace in the center of Tokyo, High brand shopping street in Ginza, Several Museums and quiet Forest in Ueno and Oldfashioned Nakamise and Sensoji temple in Asakusa.
Of course, I can take you to 5th station of Mt. Fuji, Ropeway and Pirate Ship in Hakone, Shrines and Temples in Kamkura or Gorgeous Toshogu Temple in Nikko. Since I 've already done bus tour guide several times for H.I.S. and JTB, I can take care over 10 people at the same time around Tokyo using public transportation.
Please send message to me, so I can make original tour course just for you, for 4 hours, 8 hours or all day long.
Takeshi H.
Hello! My name is Takeshi.
I am a National Licensed Guide Interpreter in English.
I was born in Tokyo. I worked for Canon for more than 30 years including a 5-year assignment to the U.S. office. Before joining Canon, I received a master's degree in engineering in the United States.
After retiring from the company, I began working as a volunteer guide for foreign visitors in Kamakura and Yokohama for a while.
However, I became fascinated by the beautiful nature of Nagano prefecture and decided to move here to the Yatsugatake Mountains, 1000m above sea level in Nagano a few years ago.
Since then I go out to look at the breathtaking mountains, lakes, and shrines every day. I would like to guide you to these special sites and also share with you the Japanese culture in my guided tours.
I am flexible and can customize the tour based on the customer's request.
I am also a Certified Travel Service Administrator. My hobby is Aikido and I hold the 2nd Dan black belt.
Hope to see you soon.
Kazuharu K.
Hola y sea bienvenidos a Japón. Soy Kaneda y les invito a compartir con las mejores experiencias en Japón, en especial en Tokio y sus alrededores. Estoy seguro de que mi variedad de vida en los países latinos se podrá ayudar para profundizar su gusto e interés a la cultura y la vida del Japón.
Hello and welcome to Japan. I am Kaneda and I invite you to share with the best experiences in Japan, especially in Tokyo and its surroundings. I am sure that my variety of life in Latin countries could be helpful to deepen your taste and interest in the culture and life of Japan.
Olá e bem-vindo ao Japão. Eu sou Kaneda e eu convido você a compartilhar com as melhores experiências do Japão, especialmente em Tóquio e seus arredores. Tenho certeza de que minha variedade de vida em países latinos pode ser ajudada a aprofundar seu gosto e interesse pela cultura e pela vida do Japão.
Junichiro K.
I started tour guide for guests in 2016. My expertise is in Hakone and would be happy to extend tours to Kamakura, Mt.Fuji and Tokyo area. Motivation for me is to interact with guests from various countries in the world and to provide "only one experience" in Japan. My hobbies are playing soccer, watching sport games, reading history books, travels with family, and movies. I'm expecting to meet you and talk about these topics.
Hisako S.
Hi, everyone! I'm Hisako, a Government Certified Guide Interpreter. Since 2014, as a volunteer guide, I have taken more than 100 foreign tourists from about 30 countries to many famous spots around Tokyo such as the East Garden of the Imperial Palace, the Asakusa area, the Meiji-Jingu shrine and Harajuku area, Tsukiji fish market, and so on.
I used to be an exchange student and had lived a foreign country with local people. The experience taught me how interesting the differences between countries were. Now I am glad to share these interesting things with many foreign tourists.
I love to study about our history and culture such as Kimono, the Japanese traditional clothes, Kabuki, the Japanese traditional musical, Ukiyo-e, the traditional wood-block printing, etc. If you join my tour, I would like you to show and enjoy them.
I really look forward to meeting you here in Japan, and hope I would be your good helper, so please feel free to ask anything.
Thank you, see you SOON!
Rieko T.
Hi, I am Rieko, you can call me Ricky. I am a National licensed English speaking tour guide.
I was born in Yokohama, the neighboring city of Tokyo, and have lived there for a long time. So, I know a lot about Tokyo and the surrounding cities, such as Yokohama, Kamakura, Hakone, and Nikko.
My favorite things to do are traveling and talking with people. I have traveled more than 30 countries in the world and talked with a lot of people worldwide. And it is fun to host people from all over the world.
Cooking and eating are also one of my favorite things to do. Japan has a unique and a great food culture, and it is a great pleasure if I can introduce you various kinds of food you have never eaten before, and help you enjoy your stay in Japan.
I have a lot of recommended destinations, yet flexible about them. I can make your own plan according to your requests. Let's enjoy a tour in Japan with me!
I am really looking forward to meeting you!
See you soon.
Hiroshi Y.
My name is Hiroshi Yasuo, but Hiro is good enough to call me.
I used to live in abroad total 8 years and visited more than 30 countries for business and pleasure.
And through my experience of visiting all over Japan from Hokkaido to Okinawa, I am very knowledgeable about major tourist places. It means I can help you to make your visit to Japan a very enjoyable one. Also, I like Japanese history and it helps me to explain not only surface explanation of places, but also their background of stories or history of each place. Addition to that, I am very familiar with Japanese railway system. If you give me places you wish to visit, I can tell you the best way to reach those places.
As of Mar 2021, I got Wildness First Aid certification which means I have knowledge of how to treat under emergency situation. Addition to WFA, I understand importance of LNT( Leave No trace) philosophy. It means I respect nature and can help you how to conduct less stress tour for nature.
I understand my role is to make your tour more valuable and enjoyable one.
I hope I can see many people from all over the world.
Joji T.
Hello!
I am Joji. Please call me Bonjoji, because Bon Jovi is one of my favorite Rock music groups. I was born and raised in Kyoto until 19 years old. I studied English and graduated from University of South Carolina with Statistic major. During my work at a precision equipment company, I have lived in California and New Jersey in the states for 12 years. While I was in the States, I have been treated as a family by many local American people. So, it is a time that I treat you back well while you are traveling in Japan.
The period I like in Japanese history is the war period when many local lords were challenging and fighting each other to expand their lands. I recommend that you should see their castles, since you can see their ambition and their survival strategy. The sports I like are American football and Sumo. Sumo is not just a wrestling game but deeply rooted in Shinto ritual, which is closely related to our daily life. These are the things I can talk about more when we meet. My hobby is visiting old ruins in the world so that I have been to Vesa Merde in the States, Macchu Picchu in Peru, Easter Island in Chile, Volbilis in Morocco, Tikal in Guatemala, Angkor Wat in Cambodia and etc. I have worked at the Japanese company as a salary man for 35 years, so that I can also talk about business, only if you wish.
Anyway, I am National Government Licensed English Guide Interpreter authorized by Japan Tourism Agency and my goal is simply to make your journey more enjoyable while you are in Japan. Please feel free to contact me and let's enjoy the tour together.
Bonjoji
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