Joined 2023
Miyuki O.
Available Areas
Wakayama (Living), Mount Koya
Languages
Japanese (Native), English
Response Time
1 hour on average
Availability Updated
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About Tour Guide Miyuki O.
Hi! I'm an official English guide in Wakayama prefecture. During the Covid-19 pandemic, I got a job as a teacher. I currently teaches at a cram school while also working mainly as a guide.
I also obtained the national guide licence. I would like to expand my guide area to cover the entire Kinki region, but I like Wakayama the most because of its spiritual nature.
Important
I can pick you up in Osaka, but I would rather guide you on how to get to Koyasan from Osaka and help you get to Koyasan.It is safe because there are many foreign tourists on the train.You might be able to join me by the time we get on the cable car.
Tours
All tours can be customized for you. Send me a message with your requests!
Categories
Koyasan Spiritual Experience Tour
Kobo Daishi (Kukai) founded this sacred place of Shingon Esoteric Buddhism about 1,200 years ago. Koyasan is the sacred place in the sky. Even if you are not interested in esoteric Buddhism, you can enjoy its spiritual atomosphere. This tour includes the three most important areas, Okunoin, Danjo Garan Complex and Kongobuji Temple. Immersed yourself in the splendid atmosphere of Okunoin, you will feel your mind and body cleansed to the very core.
Half day Koyasan Highlight Tour
Kobo Daishi (Kukai) founded this sacred place of Shingon Esoteric Buddhism about 1,200 years ago. Koyasan is the sacred place in the sky. Even if you are not interested in esoteric Buddhism, you can enjoy its spiritual atomosphere. This tour includes the two most important areas, Okunoin and Danjo Garan Complex. Immersed yourself in the splendid atmosphere of Okunoin, you will feel your mind and body cleansed to the very core. Danjo Garan Complex is a world of three-dimensional mandalas.
Reviews
Joann T.
“Koyasan tour”
Miyuki-san is a friendly person who guided me in Koyasan. There is a lot to see in Koyasan and it is a bit of journey to get there. Without a good guide, it is not easy to know where to go, to decide what to see, or to understand the significance and details of the various temples and sights there. Miyuki is very knowledgeable about Koyasan and she clearly loves the area. She was very organized, with train and bus schedules always on hand so that we could keep moving without wasting time. She guided me on the train to Koyasan, and when we got there, we covered a lot of sights over several hours. Miyuki gave detailed explanations about each place. She also had booked a good restaurant ahead of time where we had lunch, and she showed me some of the best shops in Koyasan for wagashi and souvenirs. In addition, she gave me suggestions on what I could go see myself on the following day. One minor issue I had is that I sometimes had to ask her the same question several times over before she answered; I think it was maybe because she was so absorbed with taking in the sights and thinking about where to take me next. If you communicate clearly and ensure you are understood, this should not be a problem. Aside from this minor issue, I do definitely recommend her as a guide if you would like to make the most of your trip to Koyasan. I could not have had as good of an experience as I did at Koyasan without her. Thank-you, Miyuki-san!
Miyuki O.
Thank you for your wonderful and heartfelt comment. It will be helpful for me to continue to hone my career as a guide in Koyasan. It seemed that you were jet-lagged and tired, but I think you were healed by the clean air and scenery of Koyasan, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Many people enjoy the atmosphere of Koyasan and then go back, but I think you can fully enjoy its charm by staying at a temple lodging and listening to the guide's explanations while touring the famous sites of Koyasan. As you pointed out, my weakness is that when a question is suddenly asked that is unrelated to the flow of the conversation, I can hear it as audio but I can't keep up with it. This happens often in Japanese too. I lost my husband and my children have become independent, so I live alone now and don't have many opportunities to communicate with people. I really enjoyed myself when I was able to show around an intelligent and wonderful woman like you.
Simon j. R.
“Amazing Insigths into Koyasan”
Miyuki is a great, friendly and competent Guide. As someone with a lot of Japan exoerience, i have got to say, i couldn't be happier to have taken this Tour with Miyuki. She engaged with my every request and was incredibly informative and knowledgeable to boot! She gets my highest recommendations.
Miyuki O.
Thank you for your kind comment. Koyasan is my favorite place, and I'm happy to meet someone who understands its greatness. You know a lot about Japanese history and religion, and it was worth explaining to you. It was a day trip, but with 7 and a half hours, you were able to enjoy it at your leisure. Koyasan is not a place to rush around and see things. It has a special atmosphere that you won't find in big cities. I think you were able to feel refreshed and healed by breathing in the clean air, purifying your mind and body.
Stefan S.
“Nice tour, but Koyasan a mixed bag”
We had very bad weather which was of course not very nice. Miyuki was such a nice person and gave us great insights in the history and religious background of Koyasan. She really did her best but her English was not always easy to understand for us. The graveyard is really impressive, a magical place, but I was underwhelmed by Danjo Garan. So If I would do it again I would probably sleep at a temple and do all the ceremonies there and spend as much time as I can at Okunoin on my own and skip the rest of Koyasan, as Kyoto has more interesting places.
Miyuki O.
Thank you for your good evaluation. I remembered the first time I heard a story from a monk at Koyasan a long time ago and was overwhelmed. I think it is difficult to explain about religion. I need to explain things in a simple and easy-to-understand way, and if it's difficult to explain, I also need to prepare pictures or materials. Thank you for your opinion. Unfortunately, it had rained since the day before as a typhoon was approaching. During the tour, we were lucky that it wasn't raining heavily and we had time to fold our umbrellas. The Kii Mountains are also known as"Land of Trees'' because of the abundant rain and growth of trees. It would be nice if your camera captured the moss-covered stone towers and green trees vividly as compensation for the rain. Koyasan is part of the sacred mountain range, and the Kumano Kodoーpilgrimage route is also located in the Kii Mountains. Daimonzaka slope, which leads to Nachi Falls, is popular with photographers and nature lovers. It's true that the cities of Kyoto and Tokyo are more exciting, especially for young people. Koyasan may be a place where you seek peace and relaxation.
Other Popular Tour Guides in Wakayama
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.
Shuji O.
Hi, I am Shuji, a licensed tour guide living near Kansai International Airport. I taught world history in high schools for four decades. So, I can explain Japanese culture or history in an easier way tailored to you who have different cultural and historical backgrounds. I also practiced Kendo, Japanese fencing, for more than four decades, and now I enjoy growing vegetables and going fishing. Therefore, I can also share some Japanese culture and its nature. I have traveled to more than 25 countries and all over Japan. I’m also passionate about photography and know many photogenic places in Japan. If you prefer to go off the beaten track, I can take you to hidden gems, including some cozy restaurants. Of course, I also know how to enjoy the crowded, most popular tourist sites. I am here to make your trip stress-free. See you soon!
Akari Y.
I have started guiding in the Kansai area since 2023. I am passionate about introducing the history of Japan. I am happy to introduce guests from overseas to the Japanese culture established by our predecessors. I will introduce Japanese culture, food, cuisine, sake, nature, manga, spiritual culture, history, Buddhism, Shinto, Shugendo, pilgrimage paths, and other topics of interest. Let me introduce myself. I was born in Osaka and grew up in Osaka and Kyoto. I have lived in the U.S., China, and Australia when I was young.
