Nori I.
Available Areas
Kyoto, Mie, Shiga (Living)
Languages
English, Japanese (Native)
Response Time
5 hours on average
Availability Updated
2 days ago
Tour Categories
About Tour Guide Nori I.
I have lived in the US, UK, and India for approximately 20 years, and I’ve also traveled to many other countries. Living abroad for such a long time made me realize Japan’s value and sparked my interest in working as a translator/guide for foreigners. I’m truly passionate about introducing people to historical sites, authentic Japanese culture, and stunning natural spots that may not be widely known to people outside of Japan. There are countless places that I believe people would love.
Originally from Nagoya, I cover areas around the city and the Kansai region including Kyoto, Shiga and Mie. I’m here to ensure your trip to Japan becomes an unforgettable memory. Looking forward to meeting you!
Important
For some tours I can not guide everyday due to store closings. Please check my availability on each tour page. Thank you!
Tours
Fully customizable your own private tour in Kyoto
There are so many great places in Kyoto that you probably want to visit but perhaps not enough time. Also, Kyoto is getting very crowded due to a lot of foreigners visiting there. It is best to have a local person guiding you to come up with a plan that suits your preference. I can create a tour with you which includes not only popular places like the Golden Pavilion and Fushimi Inari but small temples with Wabi Sabi such as those in Sagano and the oldest Japanese sweet shop in Murasakino.
Fully customizable private half day tour in Kyoto
There are so many great places in Kyoto that you probably want to visit but perhaps not enough time. Also, Kyoto is getting very crowded due to a lot of foreigners visiting there. It is best to have a local person guiding you to come up with a plan that suits your preference. I can create a tour with you which includes not only popular places like the Golden Pavilion and Fushimi Inari but small temples with Wabi Sabi such as those in Sagano and the oldest Japanese sweet shop in Murasakino.
Enjoy the authentic castle town and famous Oumi beef just outside Kyoto
Oumihachiman was once very flourished town under Hachimanyama castle back in the 16th century. Still you see a beautiful town with traditional style houses as well as the moat used for the castle. The area is also famous for Oumi beef which is one of the 3 best beefs in Japan similar to the famous Kobe beef. We will go up the mountain by the cable car. Will see the beautiful view of Lake Biwa, the biggest lake in Japan together with the rice paddies.
Serene zen gardens and the oldest sweets in Kyoto
First we will go to Daitokuji which is a collection of small zen temples. We will visit three temples there. Each one has its own uniqueness with differently designed stone gardens. We go early in the morning, so you can feel the serenity and authenticity without too much crowd. After that we go to a store which was established in the year 1000. There you will have aburimochi which is known as the origin of all the Japanese sweets. After the break, we will visit Imamiya Shrine.
Enjoy the authentic castle towns and famous Oumi beef just outside Kyoto (Private Car Tour)
First, while it is early enough, we will drive and hike a little bit on the ancient steps to one of the oldest temples in Kyoto and Shiga called Hyakusaiji. After that, we will explore a castle that has a tower that is one of the five originals remaining in Japan, Hikone Castle. We will enjoy Oumi beef for lunch. Oumi beef is if not better, as good as Kobe beef known as one of the three best beefs in Japan. We will enjoy the scenery in Oumihachiman from the mountain top and the old moat.
Nori I. Japan Tour Reviews
“Best day trip in Kyoto and Arashiyma”
Nori planned the perfect day trip, based on our general guidelines to experience the traditional Tokyo. Nori took us to beautiful zen temples and gardens, that are less popular to the western tourists, as well as to some common attractions as we asked - the golden temple and the bamboo path. We also experienced the local food and sweets - based on Nori’s excellent recommendations. Nori is very knowledgeable and has a very good English. Thank you Nori for Planning this wonderful day trip for us!
Nori I.
(6 reviews)Thanks Maya! It was a pleasure exploring Kyoto with you all. I am really glad that you liked my tour. It is amazing to see how eager you guys are to learn all the new things here in Japan. I learned a lot from you and was able to see the things I need to improve on too. There is a lot more to see here in Kyoto and surrounding areas. Hope you will come back sometime and we take another great adventure together. Thanks again!!
“An Expansive Experience”
Nori, my wife, and I must have taken a cosmic compatibility test before meeting The moment we engaged Nori, we knew Nori understood the essence of what we desired to experience in Kyoto Nori reviewed our list of gardens and temples and orchestrated a schedule with an intuitive sensitivity to what we wanted to experience as well as what we wanted to see (I hope you can understand the nuanced distinction.) Having lived in the US, we were not foreign to him...and Nori never felt foreign to us Nori knew that, after several hours of contemplative exploration, we would enjoy shopping We encourage you to engage Nori Create your Kyoto experience together--your "tour" will be an experience imbued with awareness. Arigato gozaimasu, Nori!!
Nori I.
(6 reviews)Thanks so much for the thoughtful comments! I was concerned about the rain that day but the rain made the day even more precious. I also enjoyed so much by going around the town with you two. I just love thinking of what each person would like to experience the most here in Kyoto. When I see happy faces of my guests, I get more motivation to study further about all the wonderful places surrounding me here. I hope you guys can come back in near future to take another adventure. Also, I appreciate you leaving out your favorite incident just outside Sanjyusangendo! LOL Hope to see you again soon!
“We love Nori!”
If you need a guide in Kyoto, Nori is your man. So lovely, knowledgeable, thoughtful, accommodating… the list goes on! We had the best day of our trip so far and genuinely enjoyed Nori’s company. Thanks for everything (including those delicious sweets)! You really are the best!
Nori I.
(6 reviews)Thanks so much for your kind words. I really appreciate it! I felt bad that I thought I was tiring everyone out with all the walks but I am so glad that you all enjoyed my tour! Please come back in the fall to see the amazing foliages! I will take you to the places even more secluded and nice! Have a safe and happy rest of the trip!!