Joined 2016
Yoshihisa T.
Available Areas
Kyoto (Living), Nara, Osaka, Kobe
Languages
Japanese (Native), English
Response Time
4 hours on average
Availability Updated
4 days ago
Tour Categories
About Tour Guide Yoshihisa T.
Hi. My name is Yoshihisa. Call me "Yoshie", please. It means good or O.K. in Japanese. I live in Joyo City, Kyoto Prefecture, located just in between Kyoto and Nara. I was born and raised in Iga, Mie Prefecture. Iga is a birthplace of ninja and a renowned haiku poet, Matsuo Basho. I might be a descendant of ninja. I aim at becoming a linguistic ninja, following a part of Basho's lifestyle with the incorporation of seasonal changes into my tours. In addition to visiting famous temples and shrines, I invite you to lesser-known places of historic interest.
Once in a month I go hiking or mountain climbing with some friends mainly in mountains surrounding Kyoto and Nara basins. Recently I have got intrigued by the charms of Buddhist statues, which are manifestations of people's wishes and prayers. I also like izakaya (Japanese-style taverns) hopping, tasting delicious dishes and locally brewed sake at reasonable prices. Especially I like communicating with people from home and abroad, talking face to face. Some of the above-mentioned elements are included in my walking tours. I hope you will discover new aspects of cultural and natural beauty in Kansai area through one of my tours which you could never gain otherwise.
One of my favorite phrases that come from Zen Buddhism is Ichigo Ichie or this meeting-but only once in a lifetime. My interpretation goes this way: This place and this moment never cross again. Each and every good encounter, however, lingers on like the sound of a temple bell. Won't you explore a deeper world of Japanese culture in Kyoto, Nara and Osaka with me?
Important
It is desirable to carry overseas travel insurance because the guide is not liable for any damage or loss incurred during the tour. It is also requested to bring enough Japanese yen with you because some restaurants and taxis do not accept credit cards.
Tours
All tours can be customized for you. Send me a message with your requests!
My Favorite Golden Route: Kyoto One-day Tour
This tour is designed for those who would like to visit major scenic sites in Kyoto and off-the-beaten spots as well in a single day. The route is the one that has been favored and admired by many of my guests for the past few years. The itinerary mainly consists of three areas; Kitayama, Arashiyama and Fushimi areas. You will surely have unforgettable memories through the tour with me.
My Favorite Silver Route: Kyoto One-day Tour
This tour is designed for those who have finished My Favorite Golden Route: Kyoto One-day Tour and would like to make a second-day tour in Kyoto. The tour covers most of the main tourist attractions in the eastern area of Kyoto. It also has a couple of choices according to your needs and wishes. I hope you will have a very pleasant tour with me.
Nara Sightseeing & the World of Buddhist Statuary
Through this tour you will be intrigued with the charm of Buddhist statuary, which represents people's wishes and prayers. Figures of statues vary according to the development of eras from Asuka period to Muromachi period. At the same time you can visit Nara Park, where you can feed deer. Also you can visit a nice sake tasting place after the tour if you like.
Izakaya Hopping & Sightseeing in Minami Area, Osaka
This tour is meant for those who would like to enjoy sightseeing in Minami ( South ) Area, Osaka and eating and drinking at three izakayas ( Japanese-style taverns ) for relatively reasonable prices in a friendly atmosphere.
Kobe Arima Rokko One-day Tour
This tour is designed for those who would like to enjoy a variety of experiences in Kobe in a single day. The tour includes a visit to Ijinkan Town ( a former foreign residence area ) in Kobe, hot spring bathing in Arima Onsen, an aerial cableway riding from Arima to Rokko and taking in a splendid view of Osaka Bay from the top of Mt. Rokko.
Cherry Blossom Viewing Walking Tour
The tour starts at JR Kyoto Station at 9 AM. You will go to Demachi Yanagi Station by JR Nara Line and Keihan Line. From there you will begin walking. The main tourist attractions of this tour are Ginkaku-ji Temple ( the Silver Pavilion ), the Philosopher's Path, Nanzen-ji Temple, Heian Jingu Shrine Garden and Maruyama Park. The tour ends at Gion Shijo Station of Keihan Line.
Reviews
“Best Guide for Kyoto”
Yoshi-San was an extremely polite, organized and passionate tour guide. He’s extremely efficient too as he’s able to cover major sites in a timely manner. He’s always helpful even helping us to plan our onward journey to Osaka, which he’s not involved in. Thank you again Yoshi-San
Yoshihisa T.
Hi Sam-San. Thank you very much for your nice review for my tour in Kyoto. I am pleased that you and your family had a pleasant tour with me, viewing some of the late autumn foliage in Ryoan-ji Temple. I hope you had a nice tour in Osaka, too. I wish all of you good health and the best of luck this year. Yoshie
“Wonderful Tour of Kyoto!”
We had a great experience with Yoshie on his Kyoto Golden Route tour! From start to finish, his knowledge, enthusiasm, and friendly personality made the day unforgettable. I only wish we had more time to spend with him—one day wasn’t enough! It was such a pleasure to learn about many of Kyoto’s famous places and he even took photos for us that we’ll enjoy for years to come. He packs in a lot, so be ready for an active day with plenty of walking and public transport. And don’t miss the chance to visit his friend’s izakaya—it’s the perfect way to end the day. We’ve been recommending Yoshie to everyone we know who’s planning a trip to Japan. If you’re visiting Kyoto, don’t miss the chance to explore it with such a knowledgeable and kind guide. He is truly the best!
Yoshihisa T.
Happy New Year, Sean. Thank you so much for your wonderful review for my tour, My Favorite Golden Route. It was a big delight that you were able to view the best autumn foliage on Dec. 2nd thanks to the exceptional summer heat last year. I am also pleased that you enjoyed the tour from the beginning to the end, including the dinner at my favorite izakaya. I hope to see you again at a cherry blossom season, if possible. With best wishes. Yoshie
“Golden Route with Yoshie on Christmas Day!”
Spending time with Yoshie, taking my family and I around the main sites of Kyoto on Christmas Day was a positively memorable one! He was a consummate guide! Without Yoshie, we would not have seen half as much and learn as much as we did! Yoshie knows how to take great pictures of my family and I, as well as the sweet spots for fantastic photos of the sites we visited. He took us to a lovely place for lunch and a great izakaya for dinner! (optional) It was a real pleasure to have been acquainted with Yoshie for the day.
Yoshihisa T.
Hi BB-San. Thank you so much for your excellent review and nice photos. I am delighted to learn that you and your family enjoyed every minute of my tour in Kyoto. It was great to have been able to see some of the beautiful autumn foliage in Ryoan-ji Temple at Christmas time. I hope our paths will cross again someday in the future. Best wishes. Yoshie
Posts By This Supplier
Tips for the Appreciation of Buddhist Statuary (4)
Kyoto, Japan
This time let's learn about myo-oh that is believed to be a messenger or an incarnation of Dainichi Nyorai in esoteric Buddhism. Myo-oh is characterized by angry facial expressions and multiple faces, eyes, hands and feet. By these strange and dreadful ...
Tips for the Appreciation of Buddhist Statuary (3)
Kyoto, Japan
This time let me write about bosatsu that is in the process of achieving enlightenment or Buddhahood. Bosatsu represents the figure of Shakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism, who was disciplining himself to attain enlightenment. At the same time, bosatsu t...
Tips for the Appreciation of Buddhist Statuary (5)
Kyoto, Japan
This is the last section about Buddhist statuary. This time let's learn about ten-bu ( Deva ) deities that have a role of guarding Buddha's Law. Most of the ten-bu were originally deities of Brahmanism and Hinduism and were incorporated into Buddhism. ...
Tips for the Appreciation of Buddhist Statuary (1)
Kyoto, Japan
You may have visited Tohdaiji Temple in Nara and seen the statue of the Great Buddha. Probably you were surprised at the big scale of the statue, but maybe you didn't pay much attention to other Buddhist statues. That's mottainai (a shame) in Japanese. ...
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Yasuhisa K.
I have worked in the multi-national organizations including UN agency for around 30 years and stationed at various cities including Rome, Bangkok and Hanoi. Although I have retired from those international carriers, I wish to keep the international cooperation and develop the friendship with people who visits our country. As I like history and am practicing Noh song and wood curving of Buddha images, I have decided to live in Nara where is surrounded by many historical places and traditional cultures, when I returned back to Japan in 2017. I wish to offer you custom made trip ideas to be able to enjoy the atmosphere of old city, Nara. I am also planning to develop trip plans to enjoy the local cultures. Please call me Yasu.
Hiroyuki T.
Hi! I had been working for Wakayama Prefectural Government for 38 years, mainly in the field of cultural heritage management and international relations. I am a national certificated English guide and I have a lot of knowledge and experience in the field of cultural heritage management and international relations. I am very good at cultural heritages. And Koyasan and Kumano in Wakayama Prefecture are inscribed in the World Heritage List as parts of “Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range". I was a project manager of "the Koyasan and Kumano World Heritage Inscription Project” at Wakayama Prefectural Government. I know inside and out of Koyasan, Kumano, Wakayama and other places in the Kansai area. I have a lot of experience of guiding as I was also in charge of international relations for a long time at the government. I will be able to provide interpretive guiding service for you around Koyasan, Wakayama, Osaka and other places in the Kansai area as I am a cultural heritage management and international relations professional. I am sure you will be able to get deeper understandings on Japanese culture and that your trip with me will be memorable one.
Koichi W.
Hi! I'm Koichi. I was born in Osaka, I studied in Kyoto when I was a university student. Now I live in Shiga next to Kyoto. I am a national government licensed tour guide. I have been guiding about 160 groups over the past twelve months. I usually guide my customers mainly in Kansai region including Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, Kobe and Shiga by public transportation systems. Well, I am curious about Japanese history, especially the history of Japan's ancient times since I was raised next to the world biggest mausoleum of the ancient Emperor called "Nintoku" in Sakai city Osaka which has just become one of the world cultural heritage sites. I dug out some ancient earthen ware vessels around there when I was a primary school student like the adventure archaeologist “Indiana Jones" (It’s our secret!!). That was my hobby. Now, one of my hobbies is outdoor activities such as mountaineering, kayaking, skiing and others. So I would like to take you to some good places where you can enjoy Japanese unique nature. I love to guide foreign visitors from all over the world. I think it is my calling or heavenly given job. Let's go and enjoy together! I hope to see you soon.
