Private tour
There's no fixed course to choose from. You tell me what you're curious about and how you like to travel; I build the tour around it and send it to you before you arrive. Slow or active, temples or shops, one city or two — it's your call, and it can still change on the day.
How it works
The form, or a message on Instagram. Your dates, how many of you there are, and anything you already know you want.
A few questions from me about pace, food and interests. From your answers I draw the day and send it over before you travel.
We meet at a station and walk. Nothing is locked in — if the day wants to go somewhere else at lunchtime, it can.
The shape of it
Some ways a day can go
01 · Unhurried
Three or four places, chosen for the hour they're at their best. Time to sit down properly, a long lunch, and no walking between stops that a train can do for us.
Good for first days in Japan, for anyone who'd rather see less and understand more, and for groups with children or someone who can't walk far.
02 · On foot
Backstreets, hills, and the shortcuts between them. We keep moving, eat standing up when it's worth it, and cover the ground that tour buses can't reach.
Good for people who want to see how much of a city they can hold in a day, and for anyone who has already done the famous places once.
03 · Deeper
A day built around temples and what they mean. I studied Buddhism at university, so we can go further than the plaque by the gate — who built this, why it looks the way it does, what people came here to ask for.
Good for anyone who wants to understand what they're looking at, not just stand in front of it.
Kyoto and Osaka are where I spend most of my days, but I take enquiries for anywhere in western Japan — Nara, Kobe, Hiroshima, the Seto Inland Sea. Ask me and I'll tell you honestly whether it's worth the travelling time.
Your dates, how many of you there are, and one thing you're curious about. That's all I need to start drawing the day.