Tour guide in Onomichi Matthew W.

I have been a guide in Hiroshima since 2001. I speak English and Japanese. I run tours all across Japan, but especially in the traditional heartland around Hiroshima and the Shikoku countryside. I also have a traditional ryoukan hotel and school attached to my licensed travel agency. If you would like to meet locals with the same interests, I am sure it will be the highlight of your trip. My main interests are Japanese history, food, traditional arts, gardening and bird watching. My wife is also a professional cooking instructor, tea master and licensed kimono teacher. I am happy to show visitors around my farm on one of the islands between Hiroshima and Shikoku where I keep many kinds of animals. After visiting over 70 countries, what attracted me to Japan was the sense of community. Japanese aim for perfect harmony. There are rules for everything - many having lost their purpose over time. I would be very happy to help you understand the often complicated Japanese mind. I can accept any size group. I have my own cars and buses. For many years I have been introducing foreign school groups and clubs to Japanese schools and arranging cultural exchange classes.