About Tour Guide Shuji O.

The best of Kyoto, tailored to your requests.

Kyoto has been the capital of Japan for more than 1,000 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.

The best of Kyoto, tailored to your requests.

Osaka

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.

Visiting Nara from Osaka ～truly the must-see place in Japan～

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.

Walking tour in Eastern Kyoto

Himeji

5 hours

Day trip to Himeji Castle from Osaka

Among the many castles in Japan, Himeji Castle is truly special. You will feel happy just to be there when you see its beautiful figure over the surrounding cherry blossom or maple trees. It has a long and touching history. It is definitely a must-see in Japan.

Day trip to Himeji Castle from Osaka

FROM$228/ per group

Day trip to Mt. Koya from Osaka ~ Another world ~

9 hours

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.

Day trip to Mt. Koya from Osaka ~ Another world ~

Bamboo grove and Arashiyama area, three World Heritages.

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!

Bamboo grove and Arashiyama area, three World Heritages.

The best of Kyoto, tailored to your requests.

Kyoto has been the capital of Japan for more than 1,000 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.

The best of Kyoto, tailored to your requests.

Osaka

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.

Visiting Nara from Osaka ～truly the must-see place in Japan～

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.

Walking tour in Eastern Kyoto

Himeji

5 hours

Day trip to Himeji Castle from Osaka

Among the many castles in Japan, Himeji Castle is truly special. You will feel happy just to be there when you see its beautiful figure over the surrounding cherry blossom or maple trees. It has a long and touching history. It is definitely a must-see in Japan.

Day trip to Himeji Castle from Osaka

FROM$228/ per group

9 hours

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.

Day trip to Mt. Koya from Osaka ~ Another world ~

Reviews

Andrew I.

5 / 5

Nov 4, 2025

Customized Tour in Kyoto 2

Nov 4, 2025

6 hours

Customized

“Excellent guide for Kyoto”

Shuji helped us organise a tour for approximately 25 people when our organisation visited Kyoto for a conference. Shuji displayed an excellent knowledge of the sites we visited; not once did we feel like he as lost or didn't know the way. He had a good strategy for keeping track of so many people and ensuring that no one got lost. We appreciated that he helped us navigate the logistics including getting so many people to the different places by subway. I would definitely book a tour with Shuji again if I were in the area.

Shuji O.

Hello Andrew, Thank you for the great review. I'm so glad to read this. Yes, we had many things to consider.But you got ready for it really well. You were a great leader, and the other staff members also helped us a lot. Your group was from different countries, but you were very disciplined. You all had a great time. I hope your conference was successful. Yes, I would be always ready to welcome you. Thank you so much!

Wyatt L.

5 / 5

Nov 3, 2025

The best of Kyoto, tailored to your requests.

Nov 3, 2025

8 hours 30 mins

“Private tour of Kyoto”

Shuji hosted me on a spectacular one day custom tour of Kyoto. I only had one day coming in from Tokyo and he built a schedule that maximized my time in a relatively relaxed manner. Shuji proposed a great itinerary and was flexible to make changes that suited me. He was a wealth of knowledge about the temples, the neighborhoods, and the history. Most importantly, he took me for a wonderful lunch where I had the best pork chop I have ever eaten!

Shuji O.

Thank you so much for your excellent review! I'm pleased to hear you liked it. Yes, we met on the Shinkansen platform and said goodbye at the Shinkansen station. It was a kind of whirlwind tour, but enjoyable nonetheless. I hope you enjoyed Kyoto, despite having only one free day in Tokyo. I hope you have fond memories of it! Thank you very much again!

Martha N.

5 / 5

Nov 3, 2025

Bamboo grove and Arashiyama area, three World Heritages.

Nov 3, 2025