Kobe Private Tours & Local Tour Guides

I have been an Interpretive Tour Guide for over 20 years. I have lived in Japan for nearly that amount of time broken up by a 12 years stint in Hawaii for 12 years. Still came over every month bringing tours though. I provide private, interpretive guiding services for English-speaking visitors in the Kansai region of Japan. I am a Shrine and Temple professional. As an ex-Executive Assistant Food and Beverage Manager/Director, I know food and I know Japanese Sake and I want to show you how fun and interesting Japanese food and sake can be! My minimum is eight hours and I do not do half day tours. I promise your time with me in-depth and informative, but we will make some amazing memories while we are at it. I also do KYOTO, NARA, ISE, as well as OSAKA.

Hi, I'm Mari, a government certified English Tour Guide. I attended high school in Georgia, USA, then studied Biology at State University of New York. My lifelong passion has always been traveling and meeting people; it would be my sincere pleasure to show you JAPAN! If you wish, as we travel, I can provide mini cultural lectures introducing you to such things as Origami (Japanese art of paper folding), and the writing of Kanji - those complex Chinese characters you see in our Japanese sentences.

Hello, I'm HIDEo YOSHIda. Please call me HIDEYOSHI, the same name as the famous shogun who built the Osaka Castle in 1585. I was born in Kobe and worked in Osaka for nearly 40 years. I would like to introduce the Kansai region to you ,including Kobe, Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, and Wakayama. Kobe is one of the two largest ports in Japan, along with Yokohama. After the opening of the Port of Kobe in 1868, foreigners built their residences on the hillside of the Kitano-cho area, overlooking the ocean. Many of the foreign residences are now open to the public as museums, including the Weathercock House, with it's symbol weathercock on the triangle-shaped roof. In Meriken Park, the red Port Tower (the city's landmark), creates a beautiful contrast against the white Kobe Marine Museum. The museum's design was inspired by the waves and sailing ships. When you have a chance to visit Osaka, please join my tour. I'm sure you'll enjoy the interesting and historical, scenic spots. For example, Shin-Sekai is a downtown area with a strange mix of nostalgic atmosphere and contemporary energy. You can try local foods (kushikatsu, sushi, tempura) at a reasonable price. Billiken (a famous statue of the spirit of luck) will be waiting for you!!. Dotombori is a popular street with a lot of flashy signboards. Osaka is widely known as a "Kuidaore-no-machi", or literally "drinking and eating luxuriously to death." Osaka Castle was built by Toyotomi HIDEYOSHI in 1585. Oh, it's my residence, isn't it ! These days "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter" area in USJ, or Universal Studios Japan, is also attracting more and more people. I'll be looking forward to seeing you !!

Hello! My name is Kaori. When I was young I was interested in tourism. I was studying and working as tour conductor around Kanto area in Japan. I lived abroad from my early 20s to mid 30s. Australia, Taiwan, Central America, Great Britain, Spain and Italy. Now I came back and live in Osaka where I was born. The reason why I applied for the tour guide is because I was pleased when I guided my foreign friends around Japan. Me personally love traveling a lot. Especially trekking in the mountains and MTB trip by myself! I’ve done El Camino De Santiago in Spain 4times! Camino francés, Vía de la plata, Camino Norte, Camino de Madrid, Camino de San Salvador, Camino primitivo. I’ve done Kumano Kodo pilgrimage, too. I’ve travelled around Morocco, Greece and Italy by MTB :) I love adventure! I love to look up sightseeing informations and listen to the story of travelers! In japan I also lived in several different prefectures such as Osaka, Nara, Wakayama, Tokyo, Kanagawa. I might be able to guide you not only popular touristic sites but also to local hidden sights! Please focus things what you like and want!! I promise to do my best to organize a tour that is consistent with your interests! Thank you for paying attention for my self-introduction. I’m looking forward to see you soon. LOVE Kaori