Fukuoka (Living), Kumamoto, Nagasaki, Oita, Saga, Yamaguchi
English, Japanese (Native)
1 day on average
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Hi! My name is Yasuhiko Ikeda, your CEO (Chief Entertainment Officer). Please just call me "Yasu", meaning "hello" in Greek. As I am also an active backpacker, (have been to 50 countries mostly in Asia and Europe over 30 years) I will be able to introduce Japan well from a local point of vies.
I live in a small town called "Moji", Kitakyushu city, Fukuoka prefecture, at the north edged of Kyushu island (west part of Japan).
Our home, Fukuoka, has a lot to show you around. So many nice places, cultures, and nice local people with delicious local foods. Taking advantage of my personal travel experiences, I know more of what you want to see than the other guides in Japan.
We have been experiencing a bad time because of COVID-19. However, finally, Japanese government seems to open the country for tourists! Why not coming to Japan, and why not contacting me to make your travel fun and memorable.
I am looking forward to guiding you soon! :)
Basically I am flexible and I will be able to respond your request. The faster, the better.
I had a really magical day in beautiful Kamakura with Yasuhiko exploring zen temples and Shinto shrines. Everything went smoothly during the day and Yasuhiko’s English is outstanding. The day just went by too fast! I highly encourage using Yasuhiko for your private guide when in the Tokyo region. Your trip will be very much worthwhile. Also since Yasuhiko is an avid runner I believe you can book running adventures in the Tokyo region. Highly recommend and this is my 5th trip to Tokyo area.
Oh, thank you very much for your words, Kurt-san. I am so happy you liked our tour. It was very nice and impressive, and I even enjoyed the visit to Kamakura. See you soon. :)
Yasu is such a great guide. He guided me to the cosy tearoom and I was learning so much about japanese tea culture. Thank you for your planning and awesome information, Yasu! I wrote a story about him on my blog, but story is in Finnish: menaiset.fi/yasu
Haha! Thank you from me, too. It was such a lovely moment to visit a tea shop in Fukuoka. I am really happy you enjoyed the tour. See you later on. I live in Tokyo now, and you may want to be here as Tokyo Olympic 2020 is just around the corner. :)
I contacted Yasu only a couple of days before I visited Fukuoka, and in rapid correspondence he agreed not only to suggest solo activities for my very brief visit but also agreed to meet me the next day in Nagasaki. This involved a considerable round-trip train journey on his part. He met me on time; he had the day all planned out; and we saw and did much more - and at a much better price - than I could have either solo or on an excursion from the cruise ship I was traveling on. We saw several of the important memorials and peace institutions; the glorious Glover Gardens; shops; surviving pre-war neighborhoods; and the harbor. We walked, and used the excellent tram service. Throughout, Yasu, with fluent English and humor, engaged in casual conversation about travel, Major League baseball, Japanese history and cultures, his own extensive world-wide travel, and, in detail, the places we visited; he treated me like a friend, not a mere customer. I'd recommend his service to anyone. I understand that he will soon provide guide services in Tokyo, too, where he has long work experience, and I'm sure he'll provide the same professional and pleasantly informal service there that I was fortunate to experience in Nagasaki. I consider myself very lucky to have chosen him from the guides available.
Dear Martin, Thank you very much for your complement. I was also happy to have guided you in Nagasaki. And I also realized that Nagasaki is such a lovely town with history, many temples, gardens, parks, etc. Your review gave me a power to move forward. Please contact me when you come to Japan again, also in Tokyo. (Up to Tokyo Olympic Games 2020. :) May the Force be with You. Regards, -Yasu
Throughly enjoyed the tour Yasuhiko went out of his way to accommodate our wishes nothing to much trouble. We were on a cruise and wish we had a guide of his quality in every port we visited. He kept us fully informed before we arrived. Thank you Yasuhiko Ray and Caz
Thank you for your review, Ray and Caz. I am so happy you enjoyed the stay in Fukuoka. As we talked along the way, your point always give me a new aspect and it was so nice and memorable experience. Thank you very much and see you again! Yasuhiko