Joined 2015
Kenji M.
Available Areas
Hyogo, Kyoto (Living), Nara, Osaka, Kobe, Himeji
Languages
English, Japanese
Response Time
15 hours on average
Availability Updated
2 days ago
About Tour Guide Kenji M.
Hi I'm Kenji
I have a government license of tour guide interpreter in English.
I was born and raised in Kyoto, an old capital of Japan over one thousand years
So I'm very familiar with many sightseeing spots and attractions of the city
Kyoto is a fascinating and picturesque city drawing lots of foreign tourists every year
I can show you around not only popular historical sites and relics
but also its various attractions such us Zen silent meditation, traditional sweets cooking,
kimono-clad walking and so on.
I can also provide tailored tours fitting to your liking.
I like a famous Zen phrase "Ichigo Ichie" meaning "Treasure every encounter
for it will never recur"
So I always try to enjoy guiding every tourist with my best hospitality.
Zen concepts have greatly influenced many aspects of Japanese culture
I will explain some of them and allow you to explore Zen world through some of my tours
Please contact me any time.
I'm looking forward to seeing you and spending wonderful time with you.
See you soon !
Important
I can customize any private tour if you give me the information of your request in advance.
Tours
All tours can be customized for you. Send me a message with your requests!
Categories
Customized Private Tour in Kyoto
This is customized private tour in Kyoto which guests can create easily by selecting any spots from a list of popular tourist destinations. The list consists of 16 tourist destinations (S01-16) that are very popular especially among foreign tourists. After the guest's selection the guide will arrange best itinerary with tour cost and feedback proper offer to the guest for formal booking.
Highlight Tour of Kyoto
The tour includes five typical tourist destinations in Kyoto city. We will start with Kiyomizudera of the panoramic view from its huge stage jutting over a cliff. From Kiyomizudera to Gion Gasha district we stroll through picturesque paths. In the afternoon we will visit Nijyo Castle, the huge residence of the Tokugawa shoguns in Kyoto. Next we will visit Kinkakuji, known as Golden Pavilion. The last visit is Ryoanji very famous for its mysterious rock garden.
Osaka Highlight tour
We visit symbolic Osaka Castle, the 1st state-established Buddhist temple (admission fee of 600 yen needed) and Umeda Sky Building, a popular skyscrapers with 360° panoramic view on top (admission fee of 1500 yen needed). My guide fee is 56000 yen / 8hours (up to 8 persons)
Customized Private Tour in Osaka
This is customized private tour in Osaka which guest can make easily by selecting any spots from a list of recommended tourist spots. The list consists of 17 tourist destinations divided by 3 area,North, South and Bay area that are popular among foreign tourists. After the guest's selection guide will arrange best itinerary with cost and feedback the guest proper offer for formal booking.
Customized Private Tour in Nara
This is customized private tour in Nara which guests can create easily by selecting any spots from a list of popular tourist destinations. The list consists of 8 tourist destinations (S01-S08) that are very popular especially among foreign tourists. After the guest's selection the guide will arrange best itinerary with tour cost and feedback proper offer to the guest for formal booking.
Exploring Himeji Castle with Sanctuary and Huge Bridge
Guests can combine any of the following tourist destinations depending on their needs and tour time. 1) Himeji Castlea (magnificent fortress ) 2) Engyo-ji temple (a unspoiled Buddhist sanctuary) 3) Akashi Kaikyo Bridge (the world's longest suspension bridge) 4) Japanese garden Kokoen (various type of Japanese gardens)
Reviews
Gerald D.
“Kind, knowledgeable professional ”
Kenji was punctual. Very kind & flexible with making adjustments to the itinerary on the fly. It was a most edifying & memorable experience overall
Kenji M.
Gerald-san, Thank you for your great review of my tour. I'm very glad that you liked my guiding and facinating spots we visited in Nara. I enjoyed myself spending a wonderful time with you and appreciate your attitude always to pay respect to our history, culture and society. If you have another chance to visit Japan, please let me know so as to offer any customized tour for you. Arigatogozaimashita Kenji
Henry F.
“Wonderful visit to Kyoto”
Kanji guided my wife and me for 3 days in Kyoto. He tailored our tour to our interests. He is knowledgeable, passionate and energetic. He took us to all the important sites explained it’s history and significance and really helped us become much more knowledgeable about Japan its people ,culture and beauty We unequivocally recommend using him to anyone visiting the city.
Kenji M.
Henry-san, What a great review of my tour you gave me! I'm very glad to hear that you liked my guiding and fascinating spots we visited. Despite of cold weathers we managed to visit major attractive tourist spots because you gave me 4-days tour in total. Off course I could also enjoy myself spending a wonderful time with you and your wife. If you have another chance to visit Kyoto, please let me know so that I can tailor any tour to meet your needs. Arigatogozaimashita, Kenji
Taylor F.
“Best day in Kyoto with Kenji!! ”
Today was my husband and my first day in Kyoto and we feel so grateful that Kenji was able to show us around. Kenji arranged the perfect day for us and provided ample information, wonderful supplemental materials and was able to answer all of our questions. He is incredibly kind and has a great sense of humor, and he took us to lunch at a delicious local Soba restaurant. We would 100% recommend him to anyone visiting Kyoto. Thank you Kenji!
Kenji M.
Taylor-san, Thank you for your great review of our customized private tour in Kyoto. I'm very glad that you liked my guiding , local restaurant and the most popular tourist spots we visited. I could also enjoy spending a wonderful time with you and your husband today. As we have many fascinating sites whose charms differ in each season, I recommend coming back to Japan in future, Arigatogozaimashita!! Kenji
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Yasuhisa K.
I have worked in the multi-national organizations including UN agency for around 30 years and stationed at various cities including Rome, Bangkok and Hanoi. Although I have retired from those international carriers, I wish to keep the international cooperation and develop the friendship with people who visits our country. As I like history and am practicing Noh song and wood curving of Buddha images, I have decided to live in Nara where is surrounded by many historical places and traditional cultures, when I returned back to Japan in 2017. I wish to offer you custom made trip ideas to be able to enjoy the atmosphere of old city, Nara. I am also planning to develop trip plans to enjoy the local cultures. Please call me Yasu.
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.
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.
