Joined 2017
Koichi T.
Available Areas
Kyoto (Living)
Languages
Japanese (Native), English
Response Time
2 hours on average
Availability Updated
Today
About Tour Guide Koichi T.
★Enjoy not only Guided tour but also Professional photo shoot in Kyoto!★
"Hi, my name is Koichi.
I am a licensed tour guide specializing in Kyoto. I can take memorable picture of you by using my own authentic camera and lens. Photo shoot experience is included in guide fee.
I have a great love for Kyoto City, from its major tourist attractions to some of its lesser known, tranquil and peaceful sites. I would be glad to conduct the tour according to your interests and share with you my knowledge of the city's rich history as well as its cultural and seasonal events.
Since both my high school and university days were located in Kyoto, I know not only all the city’s shrines and temples but also great local restaurants that serve traditional Japanese cuisine at a reasonable price. So, for example, if you are interested in a traditional Izakaya experience, please let me know, I know the perfect place and I will be glad to escort you there after the tour.
As an added bonus, I am an experienced, award winning photographer and I would be happy to take photos of you during the tour with my DSLR camera and then email them to you after the tour.
Additionally, I love motorcycle touring as my hobby and I enjoy taking pictures of Kyoto’s beautiful landscape. Therefore, talking about and showing off Kyoto’s scenery with my guests is one of my pleasures as well as explaining the traditional Kyoto culture.
My native city of Otsu is famous for Lake Biwa which is located just 10 minutes train ride from Kyoto station. It is not only an ideal location for the easy access to the ancient capital city but also for having an amazing visitor’s viewing location.
Therefore, whether you are wishing to explore Kyoto’s traditional heritage, sample the fantastic food that Kyoto offers or take a trip off the beaten path, I am the guide for you!
Tours
All tours can be customized for you. Send me a message with your requests!
Categories
Guided tour with Photographer at popular destinations and local, peaceful garden in Kyoto
This tour will take you to the most famous temples such as Fushimi Inari and Sanjusangendo, as well as local gardens and temples less visited by tourists. Recently, Kyoto's famous tourist spots have become much more crowded with tourists. That is why this tour includes not only popular places but also peaceful and local places on the itinerary. I am also a professional photographer, so at the recommended places, I am glad to take some photos that bring back to memories of travel in Kyoto.
Half day Guided tour and memorable Photo shooting in Kyoto
I would like to introduce you Highlights of Kyoto city with my authentic portrait lens equipped camera.I will send you memorable shoots after the tour.
Reviews
Marco S.
“Memorable photos and tour”
Koichi took us on a great tour with lots of great locations, some of which allowed us to avoid the large tourist crowds. He did a great job with our photos and and taught us about the locations we went to.
Mikael K.
“Amazing guide ”
Speaks good English, know the town well with many uncrowned space. Great photographer
Susan S.
“Wonderful day in Kyoto”
We had a lovely tour with Koichi in Kyoto that included seeing several of the temples and sites as well as a short tea ceremony and education. It also included walking around several neighborhoods and festivals, and even a lovely lunch at a local tempura restaurant. We were delighted with his knowledge of the area and his ability to personalize the tour to our interests. He's a gifted historian and creative photographer as well as coming from a family with deep ties in the community of Kyoto. We especially valued his education around the different religious offerings in the city (past and present). We highly recommend him for anyone wanting a curated and bespoke experience and local offering. We loved that many of the spots he took us to didn't have tourists and it gave us an added appreciation for the beauty of the expansive Kyoto area.
Other Popular Tour Guides in Kyoto
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.
