Tour guide in Kyoto Koichi W.
Kyoto, Japan
Japanese, English
369
Tours Delivered,
Since Jun 13, 2018
5.0
Hours, Avg. response time
I'm Koichi W., your private tour guide in Kyoto
Guide #30642
Hi ! I'm Koichi. I was born in Osaka, I studied in Kyoto when I was a university student. Now I live in Shiga which is famous for the biggest lake in Japan. I am a national government licensed tour guide. I do this job as a freelance tour guide. I have been guiding about 160 groups over the past twelve months. I'm also a member of Kyoto City Bus & Subway Information Center. I usually guide my customers mainly in Kansai region including Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, Kobe and Shiga by public transportation systems. But If you need a private car please feel free to contact me. Well, I am curious about Japanese history, especially the history of Japan's ancient times since I was raised next to the world biggest mausoleum of the ancient Emperor called "Nintoku" in Sakai-city Osaka which has just become the one of world cultural heritage sites. I dug out some ancient earthen ware when I was a primary school student. I felt I was like the adventure archaeologist "Indiana Jones" (It's our secret!!). That was my hobby. Now, one of my hobbies is outdoor activity such as mountaineering, kayaking, skiing and so on. So I can also take you to some good places where you can enjoy Japanese unique nature. I love to guide foreign visitors from all over the world. I think it is my calling, heavenly given job! Let's go and enjoy together. I hope to see you soon. National Government Licensed Guide Government Licensed General Travel Supervisor Certificate of Kyoto Sightseeing & Culture Examination Certificate of Home Care Worker Guide Helper Certification for the Visually Impaired Education Bachelor of Laws from Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto
Delivers tours starting at
- Kyoto
- Osaka
Tours by Koichi W.
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Traveller reviews
- Victoria G.Switzerland6 days ago
We spent two great days exploring Kyoto with Koichi san and honestly couldn’t have asked for a better guide! He knows so much about Japan, but what we loved most was his sense of humour and how much he genuinely enjoys sharing his knowledge and love for his country. He went out of his way to make our visit special, even taking us to a local festival in his home city near...
Replied from the guide, Koichi W.
October 2026Hi! Victoria san, thank you so much for the wonderful rating and comment so soon. The two days I spent with you and your family were truly irreplaceable for me as well. Yes, it was exactly what you described as “ichi-go ichi-e.” Thank you also for coming to the biggest annual festival in my hometown, Otsu-Matsuri Festival. I really hope you’ll visit Kyoto and Otsu again...
- Steven C.United States1 week ago
Koichi was asked to design a specific tour with sites we wanted and he over-delivered. We saw more than expected, received lots of descriptions and explanations and even found an excellent tonkatsu restaurant at the last second for lunch. We would definitely use him again.
Replied from the guide, Koichi W.
October 2026Thank you so much for your wonderful rating and comment. It was a great pleasure for me to have the opportunity to meet all of you. Looking at the photos from the day of the tour while writing this comment, I’m feeling incredibly reminiscent. Your comment is the greatest reward a guide could ask for. Please do come back to Japan—and to Kyoto—again. I look forward to...
- Pamela B.United States2 weeks ago
Koichi was a phenomenal guide. We had an interruption in our vacation due to a typhoon resulting in our arrival date being moved by a couple of days and shortening the time in Kyoto. Koichi was able to modify our tour and delivered a fantastic day for us. There was no way we could have navigated all the sites and learned about the history on our own (even learned how to...
Replied from the guide, Koichi W.
October 2026Hi! Pamela san, thank you so much for the wonderful rating and your heartwarming message. I’m writing this reply while looking at the photos from that day and reminiscing. Also, thank you for the rare sweets. My granddaughters snatched them all up, but they were delighted and said they were delicious. I’m really looking forward to seeing you again. Arigato-gozaimasu!!
- Lisa W.United States3 weeks ago
We had a wonderful day with Koichi! There were 4 in our group. He picked us up from the Osaka cruise port and we rode the bullet train to Kyoto. We saw as many highlights as we could in our day in Kyoto. He explained the history and traditions associated with the castle, shrines, and temples we visited and answered all our questions about Japan. He had many visual aids...
Replied from the guide, Koichi W.
September 2026Thank you so much for the wonderful ratings and comments. It was a greater joy than I could have hoped for to meet all of you during the cruise ship’s brief stop at Osaka Port. And I was truly delighted to be able to raise a toast with you all (on the train platform) at the end of the tour. Thank you very much. I really hope to see you all again in the near future....
