Joined 2023
Shuji O.
Available Areas
Kyoto, Nara, Osaka (Living), Wakayama, Mount Koya, Kobe, Himeji
Languages
English
Response Time
4 hours on average
Availability Updated
5 days ago
About Tour Guide 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!
Tours
All tours can be customized for you. Send me a message with your requests!
Categories
Bamboo grove and Arashiyama area, three World Heritages.
Arashiyama is the hottest tourist destination. It is incredibly beautiful in spring and fall because of its cherry blossoms and autumn leaves. In the fall, the leaves turn brown or red! In the outstanding Tenryuji, you will see a beautiful garden with beautiful mountains in the background. There are many other beautiful places with touching stories in this area. On the way back to downtown, we can visit two world heritage sites, Kinkakuji and Ryoanji. What a wonderful route!
Visiting Nara from Osaka ～truly the must-see place in Japan～
Nara: the must-see place in Japan. Nara was the capital of ancient Japan before Kyoto became the capital. In the Nara era, Buddhism played an important role in stabilizing the country. So you can see many big old temples there. Many of these are listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites and are concentrated in a small area. So, if you have only one free day to spend in the Kansai area, I highly recommend visiting Nara.
The best of Kyoto in any season
Kyoto has been the capital of Japan for more than 1,200 years! There are so many historic sites and beautiful places that you will be at a loss for what to choose. Please tell me about your favorite. Considering the access, the season, and the time, I will make a suitable plan. I recommend some hidden gems if you like going off the beaten track. And also the charming famous popular tourist spots worth visiting when it is so busy. I will tell you stories to help you appreciate the place.
Walking tour in Eastern Kyoto
Since there are so many beautiful places densely in eastern Kyoto, we can take a walking tour there. Please add or skip some. This is an example of a walking tour in eastern Kyoto, emphasizing history and culture. We will use the train only once or twice.
Half-day eastern Kyoto must-sees and a hidden gem
There are so many beautiful places for visitors in Kyoto. If you don't have enough time or don't want to be bothered with a lot of research, I will show you how to travel more comfortably by taking the non-standard route. This is an example of a half-day trip to Kyoto in the fall. You can easily visit hidden gems and must-see places when you book my tour.
A day trip to Hiroshima from Osaka
The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum is the place every human being should visit. Itsukushima Shrine, which looks like floating on the sea, is one of the best scenic beauties in Japan. We can eat the local food of Hiroshima, like Hiroshima yaki. You can make a day trip to Hiroshima from Osaka.
Reviews
Beate H.
“„Wonderful Day“ in Kyoto”
My wife Beate and I had a wonderful day with Shuji. He is a perfect guide and very knowledgeable in respect of tradition and history. He took us to many wonderful places and hidden gems around Kyoto. The Tofu lunch was wonderful. We had such an enjoyable day. Thank you.
Shuji O.
Thank you for your great review. I also enjoyed this "hidden gem" that was the best time to visit there. Yes, we rarely experience such a beautiful tour. If it was not so crowded, we could have enjoyed more. I hope this would be a dream like memory for both of you.
Katherine L.
“Fantastic ”
Shuji is a wonderful tour guide spoke English very well. I would recommend him to anyone. He is very knowledgeable and excellent historian explaining the history of temples and shrines as we visited. Lunch was lovely. Thank you
Shuji O.
Thank you for your kind words. We enjoyed eastern Kyoto with the cherry blossoms in full bloom. Every place was so beautiful and you were so curious about the history. I also enjoyed the tour very much. It really was the best season to visit Kyoto!
Michael M.
“Wonderful day tour of Kyoto with Shuji”
Shuji was a fantastic, caring guide who listened to our wishes and took us on a mix of the top spots along with some hidden gems including. Lunch which was incredible.
Shuji O.
Thank you very much for your kind words. Your preparation for the tour was perfect. We enjoyed the cherry blossoms everywhere we went, making it a very happy day for us all. I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed it very much. We rarely see the full-bloomed cherry blossoms in such beautiful places on such a beautiful day. Please enjoy the rest of your tour in Japan.
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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.
Tatsuhiro N.
It took me some 20 years to be qualified for this job and I feel honored for being able to help tourists from abroad understand our nation and culture. Japan is a beautiful country with a long history, tradition and rich cultural heritages, having various features in each of the four distinct seasons. Although there are now many visitors from abroad, mainly from Asian countries, they are mostly interested in shopping taking advantage of cheaper yen rather than understanding our people and culture. Kyoto and Nara are the two cities best known by foreign tourists, but not all the aspects of Japanese culture are concentrated there. If you visit the countryside other than these two cities, you will never fail to see the beautiful natural surroundings and people who will warmly welcome you. I wish to work as the bridge between Japanese people and tourists from all over the world.
Hiroko D.
Hi, I'm Hiroko. I was born in Kyoto and currently live in its suburb. My parents are also from the ancient capital city, so some of its historic places were like my playgrounds when I was a child. Now, as a national certified tour guide, I would like to show you around not only Kyoto but also Osaka and Nara enjoyably and time-effectively. For your reference, I lived in New York, U.S.A. for about 20 years and worked there for about 17 and a half years, so I believe that I will be able to communicate and speak well with you in English. My motto as a guide: If you are happy, I'm happy. Please don't hesitate to ask me to customize your tour. I'm looking forward to seeing you soon!
