Joined 2017
Yoko M.
Available Areas
Okayama (Living)
Languages
English, Japanese
Response Time
12 hours on average
Availability Updated
--
About Tour Guide Yoko M.
Hello. I'm Yoko Miyake. Please call me Yoko. I'm a licensed guide. I love travelling. I have visited all the prefectures in Japan. Though Japan has many good places to visit, I hope many foreign travellers will visit my hometown Kurashiki and enjoy their stay there. Because I was born in Kurashiki, and I have lived there since then, I know a lot about Kurashiki. Of course I can show you other good places in Okayama Prefecture and near Okayama Prefecture.
Important
I can guide you according to your request.
Tours
All tours can be customized for you. Send me a message with your requests!
Okayama Korakuen Garden , Okayama Castle, and Yumeji Museum
Korakauen Garden is one of three most beautiful gardens in Japan. It was constructed by the lord of Okayama Castle. We can walk and enjoy the beautiful view. Okayama Castle is covered with black board, so it is called crow castle. Yumeji Museum is the art museum of Takeshita Yumeji, who was born in Okayama and a very popular painter.
Art Island "Naoshima” one day trip
Naoshima is an art island. There are good art museums in this island, Chichu Art Museum, Benesse House Museum, Valley Gallery, Lee Ufan Museum, and so on. Art House Project in Honmura Area is also interesting. Some of them are made by a Japanese architect, Tadao Ando. They are very wonderful. You can enjoy outside works in the island. The most famous outside works are two red and yellow pumpkins by Yayoi Kusama.
Kurashiki Bikan historical area and Korakuen Park and Okayama Castle in Okayama
We visit Kurashiki Bikan historical area and walk along the stream with willows beside it. You see old houses and rice warehouses. Now they are used as a museum or shops. After that we visit Korakuen Park. It was one of three most famous parks in Japan. It was created for Tsunamasa Ikeda , the lord of Okayama Han in Edo Period. We also visit Okayama Castle.
Kurashiki Bikan historical area and Seto Inland Sea and Seto Ohashi Bridge from Washuzan Hill
First we will go to Kurashiki Bikan historical area. We will walk along the stream called Kurashiki River. We will see big and old merchants' houses and old warehouses. We will watch and buy Japanese folkcraft there. We will go to Ivy Square and eat lunch. After that we will go to Washuzan in Kojima by bus and taxi. We will see many small islands and Seto Ohashi Bridge in Seto Inland Sea.
Traditional Bizen ware and Kurashiki Bikan historical area
Bizen ware is one of six most popular potteries in Japan. Superior clay is used and put in the tunnel kiln unglazed and fired with pine wood at 1250°C for 20 days . It acquires various subdued colors. You visit the potteries and learn the process of Bizen ware. You can make your own china with the help of the potter. You also visit Kurashiki Bikan historical area.
Reviews
Viktoria S.
Okayama Korakuen Garden , Okayama Castle, and Yumeji Museum
“Very good guide! ”
Yoko was very informed and provided a lot of information. It was the excellent tour!
Yoko M.
Thank you for a nice comment. I am very happy to hear that. I had a good time with the guests.
Jon H.
Okayama Korakuen Garden , Okayama Castle, and Yumeji Museum
“Above and Way Beyond Expectations, Yoko!”
Yoko was tremendously helpful both long before our custom tour and even after! She patiently answered so many questions I had as a first time visitor to Soja City/Kurashiki, Okayama in the weeks before our tour. She set up a taxi driver and helped me navigate Japanese gravesite customs. Someone in the taxi compoany even happened to know my family and where my family's grave was located! Her English is excellent and she is a caring and capable guide that w connected with so easily. Our visit to my family's grave in Soja City was magical for me, my wife, and our daughter and granddaughter. Our granddaughter asked me if she could meet a relative her age. Yoko and the ancestors made that happen. (See picture with two happy 10 year olds, one from the US, one from Soja CIty, Japan). We bid our newly found relatives goodbye and returned to Kurashiki. After a refreshing lunch, we had a wonderful (and cooling!) visit to the Ohara Art Museum and Ohara houses. After our tour, Yoko was once again such a star! My cousin wanted to visit our family grave a couple days after us. Yoko helped arrange a taxi for them and my cousin got to spend additional time with our Soja City relatives! Yoko is such a caring, generous, knowledgable and helpful guide! Words cannot express our deep gratitude to her. Our request was complex and she delivered! We cannot recommend her to you enough!
Yoko M.
Thank you for a nice review. I also had a nice time with you and your family. I appreciate you.
“A wonderful day in Okayama!”
We saw a lot on this tour. Important to have an umbrella on hand if touring in June as it rained a bit. Yoko packed a lot into this day which was good. Because it rained the river boats were not operating. We instead walked along the beautiful river bank. Yoko understood and spoke good English.
Yoko M.
Thank you for your nice review. I am very happy to read it. Is your leg all right? We walked long. So I am worried about that. I wish you can get Nintendo tickets. Yoko
Other Popular Tour Guides in Okayama
Hugh C.
Hi! Thanks for reviewing my profile. I am Australian, from Sydney originally but my life with Japan and its culture and history spans 30 odd years and I have been a Hiroshima resident for 18 of those 30 years. I joined GoWithGuide just recently but be assured I have led many tours in Hiroshima and more widely throughout metropolitan and regional Japan, sharing conversations about the unique society, its fascinating culture and history. I also have written several tourism blogs for inbound tour companies and also the Hiroshima Prefectural Tourism Bureau. I speak fluent Japanese and I have immersed myself in the experience of living here in modern and traditional culture and spent many years studying martial arts Aikido and Iaido. I also have a strong interest in Buddhist teachings. My Japanese calligraphy work over the years has been received recognition and several awards and commissions both in Japan and elsewhere. I'm looking forward to spending a great experience sharing the culture and history of Hiroshima with you.
Kenji O.
I lived in Seattle, WA US for several years to study public policy and urban planning at University of Washington and Washington State Department of Transportation . The US life has awakened me to realize its beauty and value of the Japanese nature and culture. After coming back from US, I have started my professional career of the infrastructure development in both developed and developing countries as a Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) expert for more than 20 years. I have provided hospitality and honesty as a Japanese during my professional career. I can give you not only sightseeing tours but also technical tours with my expertise. I live in Osaka where an ancient capital city, Kyoto is located within a hour by train. I can show you how Japanese has developed the capital city with urban planning and infrastructure development. I look forward to seeing you here in Japan.
Keiji M.
Hello everyone. My name is Keiji living in Okayama. Okayama is located halfway between Hiroshima and Osaka. Nowadays a lot of people are attracted by Naoshima that is a small island famous for Art and Architecture. Okayama is the entrance to the island therefore I often show international guests around Naoshima. Okayama itself has many tourist attractions such as Kurashiki famous for Bikan historical quarter, Korakuen garden, Okayama castle and so on. If you'd like to include Hiroshima or Osaka on your plan, I can show you round them as these cities are in the distance of an hour train ride. I'm an easygoing and extrovert person. I'm always waiting for you to contact me..
