Before arriving in Tokyo, Kahoko helped us choose an hotel close to transportation. Kahoko met with us, as scheduled, at our hotel. Map in hand, she explained the train and Subway service. She had purchased ICOCA cards for our travelling on different train options. We reimbursed her the pre-charged cards ans she also showed us how to add more funds to it. She is very friendly and will adjust the schedule to your personal interest. We visited the Tokyo Skytree, Sensoji temple, had a delicious ramen lunch and then, walked through the Imperial gardens, and shopped in Ginza. We will be using her guide skills again tomorrow night as we do a night tour with dinner. Thank you Kahoko, we are forever greatful for your help in visiting Tokyo.
We met Chiaki in our hotel lobby and reviewed our plans- we had initially booked a tour of the fish market but decided to shop for gifts instead since it was our last day in Japan. Chiaki was kind, flexible and accommodating. She planned the most efficient route given our priorities and we set off- she is very knowledgeable about the entire Tokyo transit system and we wished we had met her earlier in our trip! She suggested extra stops along the way that had authentic items such as paper goods and local foods. She helped us find a specific item and facilitated the tricky process to secure a tax free purchase at a department store. She kept it real by ensuring we were mostly on time and had the opportunity to end our tour in a park to unwind a bit. We highly recommend Chiaki!!
From the moment we met Yoji at the train station we knew we were in good hands. He is kind, attentive and patient. He spent time prior to our visit contacting the 4th generation craftsman, Yoshinori san, to plan our tour. We stopped along the way at a sushi “conveyor belt” restaurant, which was quite entertaining! Once we got to the Orin workshop it was clear it was a magical place. Yoshinori san explained how he forms the bowls and “tunes” them to the sound they are meant to have. He provides Orin bowls to many Buddhist temples throughout Japan and beyond. We each got to experience a bowl singing around our head and on our abdomen while lying on our backs. We took all the time we needed to select a bowl to take home. It was a very meaningful experience and we appreciate Yoji’s willingness to do the extra work to make it happen and to be our interpreter with the craftsman.
Touring with Tomoko felt like visiting a friend. She listened to our requests and turned them into a casual but intentional stroll through various parts of Tokyo, sprinkling in a few surprises, including a visit to her own neighborhood. She is extremely well informed about history and culture and genuinely proud of her city and country - we learned a few Japanese phrases that increased our enjoyment interacting with shopkeepers and other locals. We recommend her wholeheartedly!
With a real local of your choice
Just contact your favorite local
So no group tours with strangers