Joined 2024
Yosshi S.
Available Areas
Kyoto, Nara, Osaka (Living)
Languages
English, Japanese (Native)
Response Time
1 hour on average
Availability Updated
Today
About Tour Guide Yosshi S.
Thank you for visiting my page.
I will guide you to the ancient capital cities with 1000 years of urban development and 100 years of filming and screening history.
I grew up in Osaka, studied in Kyoto, and worked for 20 years as an urban planning expert for the national and local governments. During this time, I surveyed many community development sites throughout Japan. I welcomed business leaders to encourage investment in the cities.
After quitting my career, I became a film-loving professional engineer. I visited unique cities in foreign countries to see urban planning and locations that appeared in picturesque film scenes and posted photos on social media (90 cities in 30 countries up to now). The more I saw foreign cities, the more I loved my hometown. I wanted to know about the travel industry and got a national license as a Guide-Interpreter and Travel Service Manager. I have started guiding based in the old capital cities.
The entire area of old Osaka, Kyoto, and Nara has been a Metropolitan area centered on the Imperial Palace, and the actual location of the Palace has changed 15 times since the 7th century. This area has many historical spots and hidden attractions in different times and places: the townscape, temples, shrines, landscaped gardens, and historical drama locations (SAMURAI drama).
I will create your favorite tour using my list, and guide you leisurely. I look forward to hearing from you.
Important
>I can work only during the day, from about 10:00 am to 7:00 pm.
> If you want a customized tour, please message me in advance. I will confirm facility availability in the itinerary dates: opening dates/hours, need a reservation or not.
>Please note that my tours are leisurely, on foot and by public transport
Tours
All tours can be customized for you. Send me a message with your requests!
Categories
Spiritual Tour in Temple Town, Osaka
Visit an image of paradise in this world and the afterlife. Osaka began around the 7th century when the Imperial Palace and the Temple were built on the hill. In the Middle Ages, aristocrats believed that the paradise (Pure Land of Buddha) of the afterlife was beyond the setting sun, and built hermitages for Sunset Meditation. Time passed, and merchants enjoyed the performing arts in a paradise-like entertainment zone below the hill. Movie Palace was also built, and the slopes became locations.
Mixed Scenery with Towns and Temples, Nara
Enjoy the beauty of the temples in rural scenery and old townscapes. Ikaruga is Japan's oldest temple town, dating back to the 7th century. Even today, the pagodas from that time rise and create a beautiful rural landscape surrounded by mountains. Naramachi is within the grounds of a temple built near the Imperial Palace in the 8th century. Commercial and industrial houses lined its grounds from the Middle Ages, and the temples blended into the traditional townscape.
Experience the Birth and Growth of Osaka
Visit the temple and castle on the hill. Osaka began around the 7th century when the Shitennoji Temple was built on the hill. In the Middle Ages, aristocrats believed that the paradise (Pure Land of Buddha) of the afterlife was beyond the setting sun, and Shitennoji Temple was regarded as the east gate of the paradise. Osaka Castle and large-scale Castletown were built 1000 years later. Osaka Castle and Castle Park with cherry blossoms have been popular with locals and tourists.
Short Hike in a Peaceful Temple and Forest in Eastern Kyoto
Experience the charm of tranquility in a mountain temple. Seikanji is a temple in Mt. Kiyomizu (242m high), which enables us to look down a fan-shaped view of the Kyoto area from the temple grounds covered with green moss. The temple retains such anecdotes as the emperor’s tragic love and the Waka poem composed by the incarnation of Buddha. We hike along a path at the mountain's edge from the less crowded tiny Seikanji temple to the heavily crowded huge Kiyomizu-Dera temple.
Stroll through Nara Park stopping here and there
Experience the unique charm of the old capital. Nara was the capital in the 8th century and was marked by splendid cultural assets. In the 19th century, its heart area and surrounding hills were developed into Nara Park. It has been a fabulous place among locals, tourists, and deer with religious rituals, a giant Buddha statue representing the emperor’s and people's wishes, chill out with divine messengers of deity, and a conventional townhouse renovated into a museum, gallery, and café.
Film Tour with Matcha in Cine City, Kyoto
Aesthetic Sense and Matcha at a garden villa designed by a SAMURAI star. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Uzumasa/Arashiyama area had about 10 film studios (2 and a theme park still alive), and outdoor filming took place on temple grounds and riverbanks. A star (Ohkouchi Denjirou) built a garden villa to represent the aesthetic sense that he had. This tour takes you on the tram that runs through the center of the area, tracing the history of film production in the glory days.
Reviews
Thomas F.
“Highlights of Osaka”
We had a great experience touring Osaka with Yosshi. He was knowledgeable, friendly, and really brought the city's highlights to life. From Umeda Sky to vibrant neighborhoods of Osaka castle, he made sure we saw the best of Osaka in a fun and efficient way. He also the bought entrance tickets in advance for us, so that saced a lot of time! Highly recommend his tour if you want to get a solid overview of the city with a local expert!
Yosshi S.
Dear Thomas Your heartfelt review reminded me of the fun tour we had. When you messaged me, you tried to visit three observation decks, three shopping streets, and a temple in Osaka in one day, I was a little worried because of the time constraints and physical fatigue. However, you young and energetic tourists managed it with ease. I had a delightful tour, fueled by the fun conversations with you on the tour and the eel bowl we had for lunch. Thank you very much. I hope to see you again. Regards Yosshi
Lisa M.
“So helpful, flexible and knowledgeable”
Yosshi was great and rolled well with our ad hoc requests. We landed in Osaka on our first day in Japan, so we decided to stop in the city for a few hours before heading to Kyoto. He gave us so much help navigating the Japanese transport system for the first time and met us at the station directly so everything was a breeze. He had a lovely tour planned for us, but husband was tired from the jet lag so we reduced the cultural hops and headed to Dontonburi for ramen. It was great! A final stop in Shitennoli Temple was special and worth the effort, very peaceful and beautiful. I enjoyed climbing to the top of the 5-level pagoda (earth, wind, fire, water, void) and seeing the hundreds of golden towers encased in glass on each level. Thank you, Yosshi!
Yosshi S.
Dear Lisa, Thank you for your heartwarming review. I hope you were able to experience the various charms of Osaka, such as Shitennoji Temple, which tells the story of Osaka's long history, Osaka Castle with its beautiful cherry blossoms, and the shopping streets where you can experience the tastes of the citizens, such as ramen and takoyaki. I felt I was touring movie studios such as Hollywood, Cinecitta, and Babelsberg with our fun conversation. I look forward to the opportunity to guide you on another leisurely trip. Regards Yosshi
Sofia B.
“Extremely kind guide with lots of knowledge!”
We had the absolute best experience with Yosshi-san! He’s incredibly knowledgeable, friendly, polite and went above and beyond to make sure we had an amazing day. He answered every question we had, kept everything organised, and even created a customised itinerary just for us. We visited beautiful historical sites, discovered hidden gems we’d never have found on our own, and even popped into a charming toy shop with traditional Edo-style toys. My family and I had such a wonderful time - we can’t recommend Yosshi-san highly enough!
Yosshi S.
Dear Sofia, I am glad to see your heartwarming review. During the tour, I felt I was part of your family with the deer in Nara Park. However, there are too many deer to be part of your family. We chatted about the types of cherry blossoms, different languages, daily life, and more. When I visited your country 10 years ago, I had a fulfilling trip with the help of the local people. I hope that yesterday's tour could help you and your family experience the charm of Nara, which has a long history. Best regards. Yosshi
Other Popular Tour Guides in Osaka
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.
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.
Makoto Y.
Hello, I’m Makoto (Mac) and I'm a national-licensed tour guide. My previous career as an automotive engineer, gave me the opportunity to learn English and to live in the US, Germany, and England. After I retired, I learned more about the Japanese history especially focusing on Nara and Kyoto to become a historical specialist of the Nara area. I now live in Ikaruga town in Nara prefecture, where the UNESCO World Heritage, Horyuji temple is located. I regularly offer guides on the Fujinoki tumulus, which is located near the Horyuji temple. It contains very interesting Archaeological findings from the end of the Kofun Period. Recently, there are many foreign tourists who come to Japan, and I hope they enjoy learning about the culture and history of Japan. I would like to help tourists have a broader and deeper understanding of the Japanese culture and that is the reason why I decided to become a tour guide to help and support their experience in Japan. Nara is the place where Japan started. The capital was located in Asuka, Fujiwara and Nara before it moved to Kyoto. Therefore, there are many places to visit in Nara to trace the original history of Japan, which I have a depth of knowledge. Let’s explore the roots of Japan together!!
