2022 December.
I did 10 guide tours in December 2022. I wanted to do more, but I got covid-19 5th Dec, so I couldn’t guide about 10 days. And I took my New Year’s holiday in the end of Dec, so total 15 days I took no guide days. I think 10 times guide tours were enough for my December.
Top pic is the façade of Minamiza theater. There are the special play here in December. You can see many signs on it, Those signs are the name of star Kabuki actors. These signs are “Maneki signs“, the symbol of December for Kyoto people.
Yeah, this month I did such tours like them.
My tours Dec 2022
3 times “Food tasting tour at Nishiki market”
2 times “Bike tour”
2 times “Arashiyama special tour”
1 time “Kickstart tour”
1 time “Higashiyama tour”
1 time “Full day customized tour”
“Food tasting tour at Nishiki market”
At Nishiki food market we can taste many kinds of Japanese food. I always guide my guests to some “NEW” taste for them. It means that they can feel Japanese food culture.
This food market is 400m long, about 120 shops along the street. The tour is about 2 hours. In this tour you can eat many unique foods, most of my guests always become a full stomach.
You can taste Japanese high quality Sake at the Sake maker shop.
This small squid has ‘Squid egg’ inside! Very unique texture.
Do you know ‘Ichigo Daifuku’? Ichigo is a strawberry, Daifuku is a mochi, rice cake. It’s very yummy!
These green food is ‘Warabi mochi’. Very soft and plump. What are the ingredients of this? I’ll tell you if you book me for this tour.
“Bike tour”
My Bike tour is so fun! about 2.5 hours tour. We will meet at a bike rental shop, rental the bike best fit for your body.
We will basically visit to Kyoto Imperial palace park, Kamogawa river, Heian jingu shrine, Gion and some other places. Kyoto is a kind of flat city, you can ride a bike easy. My course has variety of scenes, you could feel nature, history, and modern city part. We will see many water scenery. Sometime river, sometime canal.
Bike riding on the Kamogawa river bank is the best part of this tour. Kyoto local people love this river.
You will enjoy on this unique bridge. It might be a kind of time slip into the old Kyoto.
“Arashiyama special tour”
Arashiyama is one of the popular area in Kyoto. Every travelers know ‘Bamboo forest’. It’s awesome scenery! But what do you know other places? I’ll pic some best choice from too many places just for you.
Tenryuji temple is a world heritage site in Kyoto. We can enjoy the good garden.
At Iwataama monkey park, you can feed the monkey. Very cute monkeys there even the winter snow day!
From monkey park you can see very good view.
At Ohkouchi villa, you can see good view too. This villa has so many kinds of variety gardens.
“Kickstart tour”
Kickstart tour is just 1.5 hours short tour. We walk through the best beautiful streets in Higashiyama area. There are many historical and colorful places on this tour. If you have not many hours, this Kickstart tour is the best for you.
“Higashiyama tour”
In this Hirashiyama tour, we will visit 2 different type temples through the beautiful streets. This picture is at Kenninji temple, a ZEN temple.
This Higashiyama tour is about 3 hours tour. I’ll tell you why Japanese people can believe 2 different religions. And I’ll tell you what is the difference between other Buddhism sect to another one. It’s a historic tour and a beautiful walking tour.
A garden of Kenninji temple. One of the best garden in Kyoto.
There is a dragon ceiling at Kenninji temple. So gorgeous!
KIyomizu dera temple. Awesome view!
A person going through the small tunnel. Why he(or she) doing a such thing?
“Full day customized tour”
Full day customized tour is 8 hours one day tour. Of course there is a basic tour course. But of course we can talk about the tour. I’ll suggest the best plan for you. If you already have some places you want to go, I’ll make the total plan with your favorite places. Of course 8 hour are not enough for visiting every places in Kyoto. So you should get some advice from local people. It’s me!
Fushimi Inari shrine is one of the best popular place in Kyoto. It’s famous for the 1000 torii gates.
Move to Arashiyama. Of course you should visit to Bamboo forest!
Tofu full course for the lunch. Tofu is the best food in Kyoto.
Golden Pavilion, Kinkakuji temple. World heritage site.
At Higashiyama area, there is a 5 stories Pagoda. It has about 1400 years history.
From the stage of Kiyomizu temple. Super view!
December is just after November. Early December is enough for the beautiful red maple leaves usually. But this year at the beginning of December almost finished such good red maple leaves.
No red maple leaves, no many travelers. We could enjoy the quiet Kyoto. I think this quiet is one of the best element for Kyoto.
