Charms of Japan

This site introduces the attracting things that you will find in Japan. This site is made by an English tour guide & Museum curator in Japan.
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I will provide guiding service all over Japan for foreign travelers.

02/09/2024

I took American family to Tokyo sightseeing. We visited typical places such as Asakusa, Imperial Palace Plaza and Tokyo Tower. They enjoyed shopping and eating sweets like dumplings and shaved ice😋

30/08/2024

I visited Sannomaru Shozokan, the Museum of the Imperial Collection for the first time after the renewal as part of the guide training. The theme of the exhibition was “Wild Wonders”. They exhibited the art works with animals, birds and insects.

29/08/2024

I enjoyed maid cafe in Akihabara with my guest from the US. They served very cute curry rice. We made a magic to make the food tasty, “Moe Moe Kyun”😃

27/08/2024

Nogi Shrine in Tokyo. They enshrined Army general Nogi Maresuke who fought against Russia at the beginning of the 20th century. We visited there for the guide training.

20/08/2024

After the Noh Experience, I went out for dinner with my guide colleagues. At the dessert time, they celebrated my debut as a novelist. It was a big surprise that they prepared special plate for me!

19/08/2024

Tokyo Ginza Noh Weeks event is held at the Noh Theater in GINZA SIX until August 25th. I attended with my guide colleagues. It was very informative and also interesting. They explained the basics of Noh very clearly and interesting way by interacting with guests. I recommend this event for the foreigners.

13/08/2024

We had a late checkout and visited Washo Market for lunch. They have a special meal called Kattedon. You buy the rice and choose seafood from the display to make your original dish. Guests enjoyed it.
Then we flew back to Tokyo from Kushiro Airport and finished the tour.

12/08/2024

We enjoyed nature and garden in Tokachi and Kushiro areas. Manabe Garden was very interesting with variety of garden. Lake Onneto was beautiful with Mt Meakandake. We also stopped at Ainu Kotan village. The last stop was the Kushiro Wetland where we had a comfortable walk.

11/08/2024

Very peaceful day in Tokachi area of Hokkaido. We visited Millennium Forest which has a huge area with different types of garden. Rokkatei Art Village has several art galleries and sculptures dotted in the forest. Both very nice places.

10/08/2024

Free day in Furano. I visited several places to familiarize the area. Gallery “Kamigamino Asobu Niwa” was a very nice place with the great view from the window. I ate lunch at the winery. Then I came back to hotel area and visited Kazeno Garden, Cafe “Morino Tokei” and Ningle Terrace. All there places were used in the Japanese dramas.

09/08/2024

We visited Biei and Furano in the middle of Hokkaido. Beautiful Blue Pond, colorful Shikisaino-Oka flower garden, Farm Tomita lavender garden. Unfortunately lavender flowers were over, but we enjoyed lavender food. Roller Coaster Road on the way was very unique!

08/08/2024

After lunch at the Asahikawa Ramen Village, we went to Mt Daisetsu area. We went up to Asahidaira by rope way and enjoyed short hiking. There are several ponds and valley with volcanic fume. Very comfortable hike!

08/08/2024

We visited two gardens around Asahikawa. Nasu Farm was amazing with 200,000 sunflowers! The owner makes the garden for free just for tourists. Ueno Farm was also a beautiful garden with many different flowers and nice installation.

07/08/2024

We visited Nikka Whisky Distillery. After the visit, we tasted 3 types of whisky and apple wine, so we (including me) were already drunk in the morning😵‍💫
Then to Otaru. We visited the beautiful canal and had free lunch and shopping time. I ate delicious sushi😋

06/08/2024

We visited Upopoi in the morning. It is a very nice museum to know Ainu culture not only by the exhibits but also their performance. Then to Sapporo. We walked in the Botanical Garden of the Hokkaido University. Dinner was at the Sapporo Bier Garten. We enjoyed lamb barbecue and of course beer🍻

05/08/2024

We walked around the Hakodate Morning Market. There were a lot of crabs, salmons, squids and melons. Squid fishing seemed very interesting. Then to Noboribetsu. We walked around the Hell Valley and now staying in the hot spring hotel♨️

04/08/2024

After driving through Mt Hakkoda area, we took Shinkansen to Hakodate. We visited Goryokaku Fort and Hakodate Art Museum to see Ukiyoe paintings. After dinner, we went up to Mt Hakodate to see the magnificent night view!

03/08/2024

We came into the nature avoiding the heated city. Oirase Gorge and Lake Towada was so beautiful under the blue sky. We enjoyed walk along the gorge and lakeside. It is cool near the waterfalls! We stay at the hotel in the area.

02/08/2024

We continued the sightseeing around Hirosaki. We visited apple orchard and Iwakiyama Shrine which is a starting point of Mt Iwaki trail. In the evening, we saw another festival, Hirakawa Neputa. First we visited the starting point, so we saw all the Neputa floats and participants. Then we saw the parade. It is similar to Hirosaki Neputa, but they have more variety.

01/08/2024

In the evening, we saw the Neputa Festival in Hirosaki. The parade of the illuminated floats was very beautiful. The sound of valiant drums and calls gave lively atmosphere. Guests were fascinated by them!

01/08/2024

We visited gardens and old town near Hirosaki in Aomori Prefecture. Lotus flowers were beautiful in the Saruka Park. Seibien Garden was interesting with unique building. We also walked in the old town of Kuroishi. Some enjoyed sake tasting. Rice paddy art was also very interesting. They describe Hokusai’s “Great Wave”.

31/07/2024

The tour to Tohoku and Hokkaido started. Our guests are lovers of nature, flowers and gardens. We were welcomed by the big fake tuna at the Aomori Airport. There were many TV and Newspaper reporters! Then we visited Hirosaki Castle and Fujita Garden. Welcome dinner was at the Shamisen show restaurant.

23/07/2024

We visited Hakone and Kamakura. We were lucky to see Mt Fuji! It was comfortable in Hakone with cool breeze, but it was too hot in Kamakura. Anyway we enjoyed visiting two beautiful areas.

22/07/2024

I went to Nikko with Slovakian guests. It was sunny but not too hot at the lake and waterfalls. The Yomeimon Gate of the Toshogu Shrine is known as Sunset Gate because you never get tired of seeing it even if you stay there all day long until sunset.

19/07/2024

We visited Miyajima and Hiroshima Peace Park using tram. It was interesting to use public transportation for sightseeing. It was hot, but peaceful sunny day. Guests enjoyed famous oyster lunch in Miyajima. We offered paper cranes that we made on the bus hoping for the peace.

18/07/2024

We visited beautiful Himeji Castle and Kokoen Garden. Then headed to Hiroshima. We had a okonomiyaki cooking class and it was our dinner. It was a lot of fun! We will stay in Hiroshima for two nights.

17/07/2024

We saw Gion Festival in Kyoto. There was a parade of floats in the morning. There were 23 floats, some of them are very tall, 25 meters! There was a Mikoshi (portable shrine) parade in the evening. It was very energetic!

16/07/2024

After the normal tour in Kyoto and Nara, I took my guests to Yoiyama which is a part of the Gion Festival. They decorate the floats with lanterns. Very beautiful! There were a lot of food stalls and we enjoyed eating junk food😃

15/07/2024

We enjoyed sightseeing in Kyoto. Arashiyama, Kinkakuji Temple, Tea ceremony, etc. The highlight was a dinner with Maiko, an appreciate geisha. Guests enjoyed her dance, game and taking pictures. I took guests to the Kyoto Station to see the illumination.

14/07/2024

Today is in the middle of three-days holidays. There was a heavy traffic jam in Hakone. We missed the reserved train and took the next one without seat reservation. Fortunately everyone could find the seat. Also we could enjoy sightseeing though we stayed at each place for shorter time.