About Tour Guide Atsushi T.

“Atsushi: a perfect guide!”

My daughter and I were very pleased with Atsushi as a guide; he accompanied us between Kyoto and Osaka for six days. What can I say about Atsushi? Nothing but praise comes to mind! He is incredibly kind, personable, helpful, very considerate and an excellent driver, too. He proposed itineraries that were very well-structured in terms of timing and daily organization, flexibly and expertly accommodating our wishes. He gave us excellent recommendations, including restaurant choices, and shared fascinating historical details that really brought the places and monuments he showed us to life. Atsushi helped make our trip even more interesting and comfortable; we are very grateful to him and highly recommend him.

Atsushi T.

(11 reviews)

Dear Stella, thank you so much for the heartwarming review. It is truly helpful for me! Over those six days, guiding you and your daughter was a genuine pleasure and honor. I am so glad that you were interested in my explanations. I also learned a great deal myself from hearing your stories about your hometown and the current situation in Europe. As you settle back into your daily routine after the trip, I would be truly happy if your time in Japan and my tour remain wonderful memories that bring a little extra color to your everyday life.

“Pleasant and timely private tour”

We were looking for someone to drive us to places outside of Kyoto it would have taken too long to get to in a day by public transportation, and Atsushi was very accommodating, timely and flexible in taking us where we wanted to go! From the bamboo forest to the Saiho-ji moss temple, then all the way up through the stunning cedar forests to Miyama and my favorite, the Little Indigo Museum, Atsushi provided a pleasant and efficient ride. Like another reviewer noted, he didn't share much about the historical or cultural significance of the sites, but while I would like more of that when I have a local guide showing me around, my partner was happy to be chauffeured in comfort and peace. He is very sweet and offered to purchase a magazine for me that we saw in the museum which was a lovely gesture. I've now learned it's always good to know and articulate expectations before hand - between traveling partners and with a private guide! Overall a very good experience.

Atsushi T.

(11 reviews)

Thank you very much! I also really enjoyed traveling with both of you. I apologize for the lack of explanations. I was so focused on sharing the experience of the time and space together that I ended up neglecting the commentary. I realize I still have a lot of room for improvement, and I will keep working hard to become a better guide. If you ever have any requests in the future, please don't hesitate to let me know!

“Good kid, not great as a historical guide though. ”

Atsushi drove us everywhere we wanted to go, which made the trip very convenient and flexible. He was friendly, accommodating, and willing to adjust the itinerary based on the places we wanted to visit, including a few locations he visited for the first time with us a couple of days ago. One of the highlights was definitely his food recommendation, the place he suggested in Kyoto was excellent, and this is clearly one of his strengths. If you are looking for someone to take you around comfortably and point you toward good local food spots, he does that well. That said, he seemed to know very little about the history, cultural significance, or background of many sights in Kyoto. Even for some of the more well-known Kyoto locations that he regularly takes visitors to, there was only rudimentary information provided. It appeared that his experience is more centred around Osaka, with only a basic familiarity with parts of Kyoto. He was willing to take us wherever we wanted to go, which we appreciated, but the experience would have been greatly improved if he had put a bit more effort into learning about importance Kyoto and various sights / locations have in Japan before guiding visitors there. For travelers looking for historical or cultural insights during the tour, that is something to keep in mind.

Atsushi T.

(11 reviews)

Hi Lakshmi Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a detailed and honest review! I’m really glad to hear that you enjoyed the flexibility of our drive and that the food recommendation in Kyoto hit the spot for you. At the same time, I really appreciate your constructive feedback regarding the historical and cultural insights. To be completely transparent, as it was my first time visiting a few of those specific spots, I wasn't able to share the deep background stories you were hoping for, and I'm sorry for falling short on that. I’m taking your words to heart. I love sharing the best of our region, so I'm already hitting the books to dive much deeper into Kyoto’s rich history and cultural significance so that my future guests can get the full experience. Thank you again for helping me grow as a guide. If you ever come back, I’d love the chance to show you a much more insightful version of Kyoto (along with more great food spots!). Warm regards, Atsushi