Tour guide needed - Tokyo and Kyoto
 

Does anyone have a tour guide to recommend? We're from USA, speak English and our group will be 6 people.

We are not looking for one of those free guides. We are wanting to pay a professional guide to take us around in March.

We are mostly in Tokyo and Kyoto, but also will be staying in Hakone, Hiroshima and Osaka.

Thanks so much!

https://tokyoway.jp/
https://tokyoway.jp/contact/custom

Thanks jib71.

Have you used them before? Did you do one of their themed tours or a private?

I happen to know the founder of the company and I trust him. I've never used their services - I don't need a guide. Actually, I don't think anyone really NEEDS a guide. But you want one, and if you specify a theme or topic of interest, I guess a guide can arrange stuff that you wouldn't get to do otherwise ...

Here's another company for the sake of comparison - also founded by a long-term, non-Japanese resident in Japan:
http://japantravel.co.jp/en/about/travel-agency/

You can also arrange guides through some of the traditional Japanese travel firms, but I have a feeling you may find the companies above more responsive to your needs. There are restrictions on who can offer official tour guide services in Japan, so it's a bit of a closed shop. I don't remember all the details.

As a comparison (to get a handle on prices)
 

Back in 2006 I made serious enquiries about a private guide for an acquaintance with limiting mobility problems.
Here's the information I was given then.
"JTB came up with a quote of 52,500yen (per day) for the cost of a guide in Tokyo, plus 42,000yen for the car hire + costs and parking. For Nikko the car & guide rate came out at 85,300yen plus all the costs."
Price may well be higher now (although that isn't certain)
In this case I got my acquaintance to back away from the JTB desk in Yokohama and arranged for him to go to Kyoto instead by bullet train and be picked up by Mr Doi's Taxi service which has been repeatedly recommended in this forum. (He's still in business - Doi taxi Kyoto on google will get you his page). The Shinkansen and private taxi guide day trip to Kyoto was considerably cheaper than the private tour of Nikko.
The fact that there are 6 of you will alter the economics considerably,

I found the information about the regulations governing tour guides that I mentioned earlier. It's on the website of the Ministry of Barrels, Pork, and Boondoggles:

Licensed tour guides - "Individuals who want to accompany foreigners and provide them with travel guide services using a foreign language for remuneration have to pass an examination given by the JTA Commissioner and acquire a license issued by a prefectural government. "

http://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/en/sh...i/tsuyaku.html

The page has a link to a search tool that lets you search for licensed guides in each region of Japan.

Great link!
Deflation has really kicked in since 2006. There are guides based in Tokyo in that list who charge 20,000yen for a full day.
​​​​​​​

I have a friend who works as a guide in Tokyo and I think she's quite good. Nothing official, she just tours people on weekends (she has a regular weekday job). However, usually she uses her own car which means a group of 4 people max. It's quite tough to fit 6 people and a guide in a single vehicle unless you rent a minivan. Two vehicles would be a problem, I think.

There are self-drive companies that rent minivans. I don't know if my guide friend would drive a rental minivan but I think there is a good chance. Or maybe one of your party would be the driver.

There's a guy who does this in Kyoto, but his name escapes me. He is an MK Taxi driver who speaks good English, and while I didn't use him personally, I was always impressed by the customer service of the MK Taxis I did take in Kyoto (drivers leaping across the center console to simply open the door for me in the rain..)

I didn't find him in 5 minutes of Googling, but I did find this other guy who seems to fit your bill. No endorsement from me, but I figured it was a waste to close this tab without sharing with you: http://www.kyoto-doitaxi.com/

This is Doi Taxi; mentioned in Post# 5 of this thread and endorsed by some Flyertalk members in previous discussions.

Mr Isao Tanahara is a Kyoto based MK Taxi Driver who speaks good English.

He was featured in a recent BBC program (The Real Marigold On Tour). Seems a likely candidate for the fellow you had in mind.

Take a look at Context Travel. They have some pre-set tours, as well as custom options.

You really don't need a guide in Japan in those places - it's not in the same league as china when it comes to language barriers and getting around.

Everything is in English - the subway is numbered, colour coded and in English a decent guide book and some comfortable shoes is all you need.

I agree completely. Getting lost is no problem, because even Japanese people get lost, and they are very helpful to bewildered tourists. Get a business card from your hotel, have a bilingual map on hand, and you're good to go.

All of your destinations are frequented by tourists, and as an added bonus, have a lot of Western residents, Tokyo and Kyoto in particular. There's always someone around who speaks English.

Buy a good guidebook and some maps, plan out your itinerary, and have fun exploring. Some of my best experiences in Japan have been things I didn't intend to do but just encountered accidentally.

I respect people's choice though but in China it was needed if we'd got guides in Japan I'd have felt that we'd wasted money.

Exploring ourselves was brilliant - can't wait to go again Feb 25th - heading to niseko Hirafu and a couple of nights in Tokyo on the way back.