Joined 2019
Yoko T.
Available Areas
Gifu (Living), Kyoto, Takayama, Shirakawago
Languages
Japanese (Native), English
Response Time
11 hours on average
Availability Updated
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About Tour Guide Yoko T.
Hi! I am Yoko, a friendly regional Licensed Guide Interpreter. This area is my home! This is why I've been sharing beauties of this prefecture with my guests from around the world.
This area is great fun: local, historical, culturally important, sometimes mysterious and beautiful! If you are already in love with Japan, then let me personalize your experience here. Visit the best places, venues, spots and locations with me. You will enjoy neighborhood full of hidden local treasures.
I am a mother of two girls. I'd be happy to welcome families and I can arrange a tour depending on your situation. Please feel free to ask me any.
I also translate and teach English. And I am a host of an Internet radio show. I like meeting people and all these experiences allow me to be good at communicating as a guide.
I look forward to exploring this beautiful culture with you.
Thank you!
Important
Let me help you have a day tailored to you!
MINO (handmade papermaking which achieved UNESCO status), SEKI (samurai sword making) and GUJO (life with clean water) and GIFU (old townscape of a river port) are perfect places to visit, related to a pristine water situated in the center of Japan.
MAGOME-juku and traditional fish catching method "Ukai （cormorant fishing）" in the Nagara River are also popular for many tourists.
I can also guide you around Shirakawa-go (UNESCO heritage site), Nagoya and Kyoto.
Some days of the week are available only limited hours. Please ask when you contact. Thank you.
What's NOT included in the fee:
Food and drinks, tickets to any attractions, transportaion costs and the guide's accommodation when necessary. Please feel free to ask any.
What's included in the fee:
Guide fee
Tours
All tours can be customized for you. Send me a message with your requests!
Categories
Magome-Tsumago Nakasendo Hike One-day Private Tour
The Nakasen-do, or Central Mountain Road, is one of the five highways that connect between Edo (present-day Tokyo) and Kyoto. You can walk and experience the atmosphere of a way old travelers passed, Probably it is one of THE things to do in Japan. I will accompany you for exploration of beauty and nature from Japan's old times.
Seki City Highlights (Swords & Knives)
Day 1 in Takayama, Day 2 ... there are guests who would also like to explore other places from Takayama as a day trip. I'd love to help you plan & realize such an excursion. It's a 1.5 hour Highway Bus ride from Takayama. Seki is one of the top-quality cutlery producers in the world and historically blessed with its perfect surrounding for making samurai swords with a history of over 700 years.
Takayama Full-day Private Tour (6 hours)
You can visit the old town area in Takayama with a friendly, Hida area Government-licensed Guide Interpreter. Walk around "Miyagawa Morning Market", where you can find locally grown foods and handcrafts. Koi (carp) fish welcome you. Experience the feel of "Takayama Festival" at the Festival Floats Exhibition Hall. Skilled artisans’ works, traditional structures seen in Takayama old town are must-see, too. Also why not try talking to locals? Your guide is more than happy to help you.
KANAZAWA ITINERARY (A Day Trip From Kanazawa) Shirakawago 4H
If you are staying at a hotel in Kanazawa, why not explore Shirakawa-go (with UNESCO recognition) with a popular guide in a day trip? It is a 4-hour private tour. I can meet you at Shirakawago Bus Terminal and start the tour at eleven. You can take a bus from Kanazawa arriving at Shirakawago at around 10.00 am (Nohi Bus) and return with a bus leaving Shirakawago for Kanazawa at 3.10 pm. (as of January 16, 2023) Lookout point Farm House Museum Lunch Deaibashi Bridge Photo spots
MINO WASHI papermaking (Unesco status) Half day Private tour based on your requests
For 1300 years, the Mino region has specialized in the production of washi, a traditional handmade paper, and it is now one of the three remaining major centers of papermaking in Japan. Explore the wonder of paper! ・Two or three places where you would like to go in Mino, Gifu. ・For ideas of places to go, please see the images or the highlights.
Reviews
Kimberly K.
“Amazing a must do”
This post town trek was excellent. Our guide Yoko gave us some history of the Nakasendo before we started and we began our trek at a leisurely pace through the beautiful post towns and forests. It was so relaxing parts are hilly and a little challenging but not difficult.
Yoko T.
Thank you for your kind words. I too had a great time hiking the Magome-Tsumago Nakasendo trail with you that day. Lots of enjoyable conversations and good local food. I hope to see you again sometime in the future. Best regards, Yoko
Paul B.
“Yoko was a wonderful guide for us in Takayama!”
We spent a very nice 6 hours with Yoko in Takayama. She was very knowledgeable about the city and region, the history, and special events that take place there. We don't speak Japanese, so it was very nice to have someone fluent in English as our guide. Yoko is very kind, easy to talk to, and she was great with our two kids, aged 7 and 10. Despite having almost constant rain during our tour, Yoko found many interesting things for us to see and do. She also knew some excellent places for local foods and treats, and we all had an amazing lunch together. I really feel like Yoko would be able to cater a tour experience to your exact tastes and wishes. I highly recommend Yoko to be your tour guide!
Yoko T.
I appreciate your kind words. Spending six hours with the charming and lively family made me happy too. I’m glad that you could all enjoy Japanese cuisine and culture. Best wishes.
Jianan Z.
“Had a amazing time with Yoko, She knows a lot about takayama”
we have spend 2 days with Yoko in takayama aera. She knows those places so good . we had a really good time with her.
Yoko T.
I am glad that I could help you enjoy your time in Takayama and Shirakawa-go. It was energizing for me to hear about your experiences traveling around the world. Thank you. Have a great remainder of your stay in Japan. Yoko
Other Popular Tour Guides in Gifu
Yuichi W.
Hello, I'm Yuichi, an English tour guide in Hokuriku region. If you are thinking about traveling to historical places such as Kanazawa, Shirakawa-go and Takayama, I am willing to offer a tour. I can bring you to those popular destinations from my base, Toyama city. These are the examples of my tour: Kanazawa - Shirakawago - Takayama Takaoka - Gokayama - Shirakawago - Takayama Toyama - Tateyama Kurobe Alipne Route - Omachi (Nagano Pref.) During the tour I like to provide simple explanations about Japanese history, and small tips for using the Japanese language on your request. My interests are food, cooking, sake and wine as well as Japanese novels and movies. It would be possible to add those tastes to our tour including a visit to local wineries, movie scenes, etc... Finally, I will do my best to give you a pleasant stay. Looking forward to seeing you in Hokuriku!
Tetsuji Y.
Hello everyone. I am Tetsuji. I worked as a public servant in the local government for 35 years. I belonged to the department of Redevelopment, Town-Landscaping, Preserving historical areas and Architectural Guidance. (I have a national 1st-class architect license.) I devoted myself to revitalizing the city by making plans and improving infrastructure for citizens. Gifu is located in central Japan near Nagoya. As just being the crossroads of the West and the East, there are many unique attractions that are hard to discover in hectic big cities like Tokyo or Kyoto. I had a hand in restoring and preserving some of them throughout my career and want to introduce them to tourists from abroad. That’s why I became a guide-interpreter in Gifu. I also enjoyed traveling around the world. My favorite part of each trip was walking around the city and talking with local residents. Traveling has taught me lots of things during my lifetime. Now, I would like to help others have similar experience in Japan. Shall we enjoy fantastic journey in Gifu?
Akiko W.
Hello! My name is Akiko from Gifu prefecture. I am a National Government Licensed Guide Interpreter. I like going out with my family, talking with my friends over coffee at a cozy cafe, reading books, baking bread and cake when I have time. I passed the national tour guide test in 2017 and have worked as a guide since then. I have guided in Gifu city, Seki city, Takayama city, Shirakawago , Mino city and Nagoya city. I have lived in Gifu for more than forty years. Gifu prefecture is rich in nature so you can enjoy the rural atmosphere. Gifu city has a beautiful river 'Nagara river' and Mt.Kinka which has Gifu castle on the top. You can go up the mountain on foot or use a ropeway. The view from Gifu castle is so fantastic. At the foot of the mountain , there are many places to visit such as parks, a temple having a big image of Buddha, and a street preserving the historic atmosphere. At Nagara River, you can enjoy seeing a traditional way of fishing ‘cormorant fishing’ which is thought to have started 1300 years ago. Many cafes have unique service called 'morning service' in Gifu along with Aichi In the morning (until about ten thirty or eleven) when you order a cup of tea or coffee, they serve toast and salad ! Near Gifu park , you can find a nice Japanese style cafe where you enjoy good coffee and seeing a Japanese style garden. Seki city is a small city but so famous for its cutlery. At Japanese sword museum in Seki, you can see authentic Japanese swords! Mino city next to Seki city is well known for its hand made Japanese paper 'Hon minoshi' designated as intangible cultural asset by UNESCO . Until recently it was not easy to guide guests because of COVID-19 pandemic; however the situation is getting better. Some strict rules about COVID-19 have been lifted. Please visit Gifu. I am looking forward to seeing you. Please feel free to ask me when you need information about Gifu. Thank you for reading my introduction.
