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Steve R.

Joined 2025

Steve R.

5.00 / 5

(39 reviews)

Identity Verified

Interview-Based Quality Checks

Date

People

Available Areas

Kumamoto (Living)

Languages

English (Native), Japanese, Spanish (Native)

Response Time

2 hours on average

Availability Updated

2 days ago

About Tour Guide Steve R.

Hello! I'm Steve and I’m originally from Sydney, Australia, but I’ve lived in Kumamoto City for the past 28 years. I hold a Gold license. I’d love to take you on a tour of some of the region’s most historic and stunning sites. I took my profile picture on the balcony of my home, which sits high on a hill, offering great views of the city both day and night, with majestic mountain ranges in the distance.

I was a school teacher here for 25 years, starting in Japanese public schools before transitioning to an American institution.

I understand that when traveling abroad, many people prefer a local tour guide. While I wasn’t born in Japan, after nearly three decades here, I consider myself as local as it gets! Not only can I share insights about the local culture, but I can also offer a unique perspective as a foreigner who has grown to love this country as my own.

With our comfortable 4x4 full leather interior SUV, we’ll explore hidden gems that typical tour buses can’t reach, making your experience even more special.

On our way to the sites, I’ll describe anything that catches your eye so you don’t miss a thing. I know that returning back from a great trip can feel like the end of something special, so if there’s anything I can do to make the ride more enjoyable, just let me know. On the way back, feel free to play any music you like on the BOSE sound system in the car.

Important

It’s very important that you inform me of any food allergies you may have. This way, I can make sure to notify the restaurant staff and ensure your safety and comfort.

Tours

All tours can be customized for you. Send me a message with your requests!

ONE PIECE Statues Tour. All 10.

All 10 statues in one tour. All your favorite ONE PIECE characters are in Kumamoto. As part of a collaboration with Eiichiro Oda, author of ONE PIECE born and raised in Kumamoto City, a total of 10 statues of the Straw Hat Pirates of ONE PIECE have been installed throughout Kumamoto Prefecture. The One Piece statues are part of a larger project to help Kumamoto recover after the 2016 earthquakes and are being built thanks to the cooperation of and extremely generous donation from Mr. Oda.

ONE PIECE Statues Tour. All 10.

FROM$360/ per group

Kumamoto

7 hours

Mount Aso Full Day Tour

Join me for a full-day tour of Mount Aso, the most active volcano in Japan. We’ll have plenty of opportunities to stop and capture photos or videos of anything that catches your eye. With a 4x4 SUV, we will be able to access places that tour buses are not capable of.

Mount Aso Full Day Tour

FROM$386/ per group

Kumamoto

7 hrs 30 mins

ONE PIECE Statues Tour. All 10.

All 10 statues in one tour. All your favorite ONE PIECE characters are in Kumamoto. As part of a collaboration with Eiichiro Oda, author of ONE PIECE born and raised in Kumamoto City, a total of 10 statues of the Straw Hat Pirates of ONE PIECE have been installed throughout Kumamoto Prefecture. The One Piece statues are part of a larger project to help Kumamoto recover after the 2016 earthquakes and are being built thanks to the cooperation of and extremely generous donation from Mr. Oda.

ONE PIECE Statues Tour. All 10.

FROM$360/ per group

Kumamoto

7 hours

Mount Aso Full Day Tour

Join me for a full-day tour of Mount Aso, the most active volcano in Japan. We’ll have plenty of opportunities to stop and capture photos or videos of anything that catches your eye. With a 4x4 SUV, we will be able to access places that tour buses are not capable of.

Mount Aso Full Day Tour

FROM$386/ per group

Reviews

Tatiana P.

5 / 5

Nov 19, 2025

ONE PIECE Statues Tour. All 10.

Nov 19, 2025

Kumamoto

8 hours

“Amazing Tour!! Amazing Tour Guide!!! ”

Steve made this tour so easy! From picking us up from our hotel to helping us purchase each statue at each stop. He made us laugh the whole time and shared his experiences as a Kumamoto local! Thank you so much Steve!

Steve R.

Hi! Thank you for choosing me as your guide. It was an awesome trip for sure!. I’m really glad you enjoyed your trip to this city that not many tourists know about. Thanks to Mr. Oda, that’s about to change!!!

John P.

5 / 5

Nov 17, 2025

Mount Aso Full Day Tour

Nov 17, 2025

Kumamoto

7 hours

“Amazing Tour”

Steve went above and beyond in our day tour. We booked the tour for Mt. Aso, but when there were any other landmarks on the way, such as One Piece statues, that we were interested in, Steve was happy to show us. It was a great and memorable day.

Steve R.

Hi there!, great to hear from you again. It was an absolute pleasure driving you around this wonderful city!. I’m really glad you enjoyed your time here, there’s so much to see that tourists don’t know, as they usually got to Tokyo or Kyoto. My city rocks!!!

Diane A.

5 / 5

Nov 15, 2025

4 day tour

Nov 15, 2025

Kumamoto

7 hours

Customized

“Private, Personalized, Punctual and Personable ”

The main purpose of our time in Kumamoto was to visit the place where our great-grandparents immigrated from in 1891. In my research, I added on other sites to explore in the area. I had thought I would rent a car and drive, but my better instinct took over and I wondered if I could hire a driver who would take us to these places. I found Steve on this site, and told him of my needs. He gave me a quote, and I accepted it. Steve exceeded my expectations. He was always punctual and prepared. It was odd that this Aussie, a very gaijin looking man would be a translator for 3 very Japanese looking women, but such was the case. As 4th generation Americans from Hawaii, our Japanese is very limited and he was an enormous help with providing that service. He was a great problem-solver, such as checking in early at our inns, leaving our luggage, and finding what accommodations were there so we would know what we needed to buy at the market for our evening meals. He made suggestions to my planned itinerary, which proved to be impressive, such as to the Earthquake Museum and Ikeyama Spring, and for places to eat lunch. I cannot say enough good about our time with Steve. The most important reason for our trip, to connect to the place where our ancestors came from, was accomplished. He brought us to an address that had been given to us, and saw that there was a haka, graveyard, nearby. We went there and found the family vault that other cousins had visited a couple of years ago. That was one of the many highlights of our trip. It was our main goal, and it was accomplished, with Steve's help. The other places we visited were out of town and quite a far drive, and Steve drove us to our destinations with ease, information, and humor.

Steve R.

Aloha my 3 Hawaiian friends!. Thank you so much for your kind words. I’m so glad we were able to accomplish your main goal of finding your ancestors ( without having to interrogate the locals ) haha!. Maybe next time one of you can be my guide in Hawaii. I hope there’s a Joyfull there!. It’s been an absolute pleasure being with you all for 4 days.