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
1 day 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.
Day trip to Mt. Koya from Osaka ~ Another world ~
There are so many temples on Mount Koya. The famous graveyard is also massive. The scene is mysterious. It takes about two hours by train from Osaka, but you are in another world once you arrive. You can learn about Buddhism in Japan while immersed in a unique atmosphere there. Mt. Koya is the headquarters of the Shingon sect of Japanese esoteric Buddhism. High Priest Kukai founded it and began building temples here. I will explain why the Japanese people love Kukai.
Reviews
Eric K.
Enjoy the early spring in Kyoto from Suiran
Customized
“Wonderful day in Kyoto”
Shuji was a fantastic guide and helped us explore the temples and shrines of Kyoto. His thoughtful planning and insights helped us do everything we wanted to, and he even selected a wonderful, local spot for lunch. Shuji’s background as a history teacher was fantastic as he was able to easily explain every site, and the history behind it. Overall, we had an amazing time, and Shuji could not have made it simpler, more educational, or more enjoyable.
Shuji O.
Thank you so much for your kind words. Yes, we enjoyed the tour very much. Although it was an icy day with sleet and snow, we enjoyed many historical sites. The Ume, Japanese plum blossoms, were not yet bloomed, but we could enjoy the beautiful views. Everyone was very friendly, like my old friend. We had lunch in the traditional area, watching the snowfall. I remember the tour as a beautiful dream. Have a nice trip to Mount Fuji. See you again in another season!
“Wonderful Day”
We had a lovely day with Shuji . He was the perfect guide. Knowledgeable, respective of tradition and history and took us to many wonderful places in Kyoto. We had such an enjoyable day. Shuji and I decided our itinerary together and we saw most of the places we were interested in and had a full day. He also helped us to learn the subway, bus and train system so we were pretty efficient afterwards. He also took many excellent photos of our group and shared them with us that day so we had a perfect memory album of photos! I would highly recommend a day with Shuji.
Shuji O.
Thanks for the great review. Yes, we had a wonderful time. Even though the ume, Japanese apricot blossoms, weren't in bloom yet this year, we were able to visit beautiful places. I was very happy to see that you all enjoyed the tour. We talked about many things and enjoyed the foods (thank you very much). The time went by so fast, we could have had more time. I hope this trip will be a nice memory for all of you. Thank you so much!
“Shuji-san's way is the right way!”
First off I wanted to thank Shuji-san for a wonderful experience in Kyoto with my family and friends. We live in Tokyo and decided to take a 1.5 day trip down to Kyoto with out of town guests from the US. Shuji-san was extremely accommodating and was able to help adjust his suggested itinerary with a customized agenda to help ensure that we could see some of the primary sites that were more crowded in addition to the lesser known shrines and areas that across Kyoto. We traveled also with our 2 x boys aged 13 & 10 years old and Shuji-san was also connecting with them to make sure that they were also having a great experience as well. We trusted Shuji-san to help us deliver an experience for our friends and he was able to surpass our expectations. His knowledge and experience was super helpful and our Kyoto visit would not have been the same if it wasn't for him. Even though we have been to Kyoto several times ourselves, this added experience and help navigating the locations was a great way to compliment our exploration. Highlights included an appreciation of the beauty of temples, the fall foliage as noted by the agenda, spontaneous photos and a less traveled aqueduct bridge through one of the temples. Thank you Shuji-san. It was a pleasure meeting you and we hope to cross paths again. ありがとうございました。お時間を割いていただき、会話も楽しめ、素晴らしい経験ができました。どうぞ良いお年をお迎えください。
Shuji O.
Hi Richard, Thank you for a very thorough review. I'm happy I got it. I called this tour 'Less Crowded, Stunning Fall Foliage - Kyoto'. But since you were with your friends who were visiting Kyoto for the first time, I changed it on the spot. But the most exciting thing was that you and your kids chose 'Adventure' from my last suggestions. It was already a little dark, but we enjoyed the last place. You made our tour very great. Yes, I enjoyed it a lot too. Even though you live in Japan, guides can make your trip to Japan different. See you again in the near future again. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
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