Koichiro Y.

 

Available Areas

Tokyo (Living)

 

Languages

English

 

Response Time

1 hour on average

 

Availability Updated

Today

 

About

Hello! I’m Koichiro. Please call me with my family name as “Yamada san” or just “Yamada” as the most typical Japanese way to call each other.

I had been working for a machinery company as a project engineer and manager for mechanical and electrical projects both domestic and overseas for over 35 years. I recall my first overseas project in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia when I was 26, and the second was in Singapore. I visited many countries for surveys, meetings, commissioning, project handing over, and so on.

In 2014 and at my age of 60, I had decided to retire from the company, and to live expected further 30 years’ life with a new career and experiences. I, then, studied translation and guide interpretation. I passed the national examination for licensed guides (English) in 2015, and registered to Tokyo Metropolitan Government in February 2016.

Until now, I have been guiding many beautiful guests mainly to popular sightseeing spots such as Asakusa, Tsukiji, Omote-Sando, Meiji Jingu Shrine, Tokyo Skytree, and also Sumo training watch and cultural experiences of Origami making and Furoshiki wrapping.

Now, I am very happy that I can freely arrange a customized tour together with you, or can propose my own tours to you. I want to show you some parts of daily Tokyo life, and introduce you Bunkyo City that is located in the heart of Tokyo, just north of Chiyoda City where the Imperial Palace and Tokyo Station are. The city is Tokyo’s typical residential and academic area where I was born, grown up, and live my happy life.

We are still in a serious situation, but we shall overcome COVID-19 someday not so far. Now winter is approaching to my city in Tokyo, and leaves have started to change their color to beautiful red and yellow. We should be concerned about double attack by COVID and the flu here in Japan, but are getting back our normal life. Please take care of yourself and your family. Hope to see you soon. (November 2020, KY)

Important

Inbound tour has been resumed. A mask is must still, but you can enjoy tour and cultural experience in Japan now.

Tours

Your First Origami Online Workshop

Tokyo
1 hour

Touch a tip of Japanese culture prior to your post-Covid 19 tour picking this online experience of Origami up. It is an art and a joy of paper folding which can be enjoyed by everybody interested in this oriental culture. Just with one hour workshop, you will be able to create your own Origami works such as a great samurai helmet, a pretty butterfly, a joyful jumping frog, a paper container for candies, a traditional Japanese crane (orizuru) from square sheets of paper.

FROM$36/ per group

Japanese Gardens and Tokyo Life: Bunkyo City Customized Tour

Tokyo
7 hours

Bunkyo City is in the heart of central Tokyo, just north of Chiyoda City where the Imperial Palace and Tokyo Station are. The city is Tokyo’s typical residential and academic area where I was born, grown up and live now. We'll move around the city with a Bunkyo City Community Bus, B-guru ( “beagle”, the mascot character of the bus), and visit Edo-Tokyo Japanese gardens and other calm and pleasant sites. You'll also catch a glimpse of Tokyo citizens’ life during the tour.

FROM$227/ per group

Japanese Gardens and Origami Workshop in Central Tokyo

Tokyo
3 hours

The tour consists of two characteristic Japanese cultures; typical strolling style Japanese gardens, Rikugien and origami paper folding. Rikugien is one of nine Japanese gardens of Tokyo Metropolis. Its strolling style garden has fine and warm touch with images of scenery in classical Japanese poems. After the visit, you will be invited to the guide’s residence nearby, and have one hour joyful origami workshop.

FROM$76/ per group

Tokyo Sake Brewery Tour plus One

Tokyo
9 hours

You are interested in Sake, aren’t you? Sake is popularly explained as “rice wine”, but the expression is not correct. In this tour. we will visit Ozawa Shuzo in Ome city, Tokyo, and learn various issues on sake. After the brewery visit and beautiful Japanese lunch there, you will touch nature in a suburban area in metropolitan Tokyo.

FROM$272/ per group

Online Introduction to Sake World

Tokyo
1 hour

Sake, or Nihon-shu, is the most representative alcohol beverage in Japan. Sake may be available at your place, but I'm afraid that some of them are different from real sake, or you have taken sake only at a sushi restaurant. I offer this online introduction to the Sake World with a private lesson via Zoom meeting system for you to get basic understanding of sake before your tour to Japan (I hope it will be soon).

FROM$29/ per group