Tour guide in Hiroshima Tetsuo H.

Hiroshima, Japan

Japanese, English

169

Tours Delivered,
Since Sep 3, 2023

5.0

Hours, Avg. response time

I'm Tetsuo H., your private tour guide in Hiroshima

Guide #61244

I'm Pancho (Tetsuo Hamano), a licensed English-speaking private tour guide born and raised in Hiroshima, Japan. I guide private walks and days in Hiroshima and Miyajima: Peace Memorial Park, the Atomic Bomb Dome, Itsukushima Shrine and the Great Torii, evening food walks, and custom time around what you want to see. I'm a second-generation A-bomb survivor: my father and grandparents survived 1945, and I am here. If you ask, I share those family stories as accounts of survival and ordinary life afterward—not as a horror lecture. My tours are two-way conversations about peace history when it matters, plus modern Hiroshima, Japanese culture, and food. Before this work, I spent years at a global heavy-equipment dealership in Japan. I lived apart from my family for about 10 years, returned to Hiroshima in 2018, and left a local company during Covid in my fifties to do what I actually wanted. I started as a virtual tour guide in 2021, then moved to in-person guiding when Japan reopened to individual travelers. I have led 600+ private tours since October 2022. My style is a flexible tour. We follow what you are curious about, at your walking pace. I can arrange vegan and halal-friendly restaurants, shorter distances, souvenir shops, and after-tour ideas (food, bars, anime shops, and more). I am not a driver. I can join you in your vehicle, or arrange a separate car and driver. I look forward to walking my hometown with you. Selected as one of the Best Guides by a Japanese travel agency.

Delivers tours starting at

  • Hiroshima
  • Miyajima

Tours by Tetsuo H.

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Traveller reviews

5.0
  • Jeffery H.United States
    22 hours ago

    Although he goes by the nickname Pancho, Tetsuo has deep roots in Hiroshima and did a very good job of guiding my wife and I around the city. We talked a lot about the city and its A-bomb heritage and we thought he brought a lot of wisdom and personal family stories to our discussion which we greatly appreciated. Hiroshima today is a beautiful city and the nearby island...

    Replied from the guide, Tetsuo H.

    October 2026

    Thank you so much Jeffrey! I really enjoyed spending the day with you and your wife and, especually our conversations about Hiroshima. Sharing my family's stories(with a positive perspectives) is very personal to me, so I'm glad they added something meaningful to your understanding of the city and its history. I also enjoyed exploring Miyajima together. Thank you for your...

  • James M.Australia
    6 days ago

    Pancho was awesome. Knew his stuff, really flexible to take my family around and share his stories and knowledge. Was great with my three teenage boys and kept them engaged the whole time. Highly recommended.

    Replied from the guide, Tetsuo H.

    October 2026

    Hi James, Thank you so much! I had a great time exploring Hiroshima with you and your family. I especially enjoyed spending time with your three boys and our conversations along the way. Knowing that they stayed engaged throughout the tour makes me very happy! I also really appreciated the chance to share some of my own stories and perspectives on Hiroshima with your...

  • Abigale L.United States
    August 2026

    Tesuto ( Pancho) was great - very engaging and well spoken - we really enjoyed our tour with him and learned a lot

    Replied from the guide, Tetsuo H.

    August 2026

    Hi Abigale, Thank you so much for your kind review! It was a pleasure spending the time with you, and I'm really happy to hear that you enjoyed the tour and our conversations along the way. Thank you again for choosing me as your guide in Hiroshima. I truly appreciate your recommendation! Warm regards, Pancho

  • Mahal B.Netherlands
    July 2026

    Pancho was a wonderful guide for my family and I. We had such a personable tour and Pancho was so informative with every stop on our tour. I used to live in Japan so I gave some specific criteria of what we wanted to see/visit during our visit in Hiroshima. And Pancho was very nice to modify the tour to our needs. My family and I are so appreciative of Pancho's...

    Replied from the guide, Tetsuo H.

    July 2026

    Dear Mahal, Thank you so much for your thoughtful review-and please don't worry about the timing! It was pleasure spending the day with you and your cousins. I really appreciated the opportunity to tailor the tour to your interests. It means a great deal to know that my family's connection to the Hiroshima helped make your visit more meaningful. Thank you again for...

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