Private tour in Hiroshima Joy J
5.0
(42) reviews
8 hours
1
8 hours
1
Joy J.
5.0
Guide rating
85
Reviews
Tours delivered
9 hrs
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I grew up in Hawaii, went to university in Southern California and been now living and working in Hiroshima, Japan for most of my life (it’s a great place to live!). Most of my career, I taught tourism, business & communications at university and have been researching, training and writing about Hiroshima travel for the last 20+ years. In 1999, my partner and I started a local website to introduce a deeper and more meaningful experience to travelers and new residents coming to Hiroshima. We raised two bilingual kids here who are now in university. We bought a traditional Japanese house & renovated it into a comfortable home. I am passionate about sustainable travel & business - having a balance with tourism of what is good for locals and also appealing for international visitors. Finding ways to offer the best travel experiences which also benefit local people & environment while supporting the local economy. I love meeting new people and seeing Japan fresh through visitors eyes while sharing my insights about Japanese culture, traditions, history, natural features, modern life issues in Japan, sustainability issues and locally made products & artisans. I love highlighting the stories of "good people doing great things in Japan", so I host a talkshow-podcast called SEEK SUSTAINABLE JAPAN & now have over 500 episodes - it is fun to talk about some of these people on the tour if guests are interested in a related topic. I have an MA in Sustainable Tourism (Arizona State University) and taught business, communication and tourism classes to University students for 21 years. I also do tour guide training in Hiroshima and Tokyo to help guides create fun and interesting routes that highlight local stories and avoid crowds. I do not hold the Japanese translation-guide license but this does not limit what or where I can guide visitors in Hiroshima. Japanese law, however, does not me as a guide to drive customers, but I can accompany you in your taxi or private hire car. I look forward to meeting you and hearing your stories too while showing you around my long-time adopted home of Hiroshima.
Have a question or want to customize this tour? Message Joy J.
Hiroshima's most famous sights are both impressive UNESCO sites- beautiful to visit any time of year. I recommend seeing them on different days if possible, but if you only have one day to see both, this tour is for you. Full-day tour of Hiroshima's top-2 sights: Miyajima island (Itsukushima) and Hiroshima city - the most popular and most impressive key sights. Important themes of peace, history, resilience, culture, traditions, heritage, locally-made products and natural beauty. We can finish this tour in about 8 hrs depending on our walking pace, level of interest and stops. (It is difficult to do both locations in less than 7 hours) The fee for this tour covers guiding & communication assistance to engage with locals. I can cover my own transportation, entry & food/drink costs. Guests should cover their own travel, entry fees and transportation - plan for additional 5, 000 per person to cover any food and drink. (JR pass covers JR train & JR ferry & JR bus)
Joy was a wonderful and knowledgeable guide. We loved our day on Miyajima which was so much nicer and interesting than expected. Joy showed us so many little things that made our tour very special and eye opening into the culture of the magical island of Miyajima!
Amazing tour! Joy was so nice and knowledgeable!
Joy was exceptional, knowledgeable, and a pleasure to spend the day with. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her as a guide in Hiroshima. We not only toured the sites we selected, which we enjoyed, but also learned about local customs and foods. Thank you, Joy, for such a wonderful day!
Incredible tour that included the beautiful Miyajima and the moving sites of Hiroshima’ peace commitment. Joy was just wonderful in every way, and brings a great perspective as a transplanted American who has lived in Japan for much of her life. Really great tour — even in the rain!
Joy J. was our fabulous guide and made our day in Hiroshima memorable this November 2025. She adapted the tour to meet our needs including one in a wheelchair. I rang the peace bell. We went to a Japanese restaurant where we watched the owners prepare our delicious meals. We were escorted with her knowledge around where we saw the beauty and grace of the Japanese culture and the sites we were most interested in. We went to Miyajima and saw the famous floating Torii Gate. We had tea and traditional Japanese dessert. I would highly recommend Joy as your guide and this tour. We were comfortable with Joy and appreciated her skills and talents. Joy is magnificent! Karen I.
Five stars plus, plus! Joy is one of the best guides we've ever had. She wrote the book on tourism. She is interesting and interested, thoughtful and caring, enthusiastic and friendly. It was as if we'd known her all along. She took us to every place we suggested, and more, with little surprises along the way. I have some back issues that preclude me from walking great distances at a time, but she arranged our itinerary such that I could easily experience everything. That meant a great deal. She insured we had a truly authentic and meaningful experience of Hiroshima in the short time we had there.
1) Travel to the island of Miyajima by train and ferry + Visit the stunning Otori - giant "floating" tori gate and "floating" shrine (60-90 min) + Visit one of Japan's most significant Buddhist temples Daishoin (1 hour) +Visit high-quality local shops and get snacks, drinks or a meal if you'd like (30 minutes +) 2) Travel to Hiroshima city by tram, train, or boat for the second Hiroshima part of the tour + (if we have time) Hiroshima castle, shrine, A-bombed trees and historical ruins + (if we have time) Shukkei-en zen gardens + Take our time to walk through Hiroshima's peace park: UNESCO A-bomb dome and its meaningful memorials. (I do not go inside the museum with guests as it is a personal experience but I usually spend 30-60 minutes with guests walking around the peace park grounds). The itinerary is flexible and catered to suit your pace and interests.
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If you enjoy walking and the weather is fine, we can do this tour by train, ferry and on foot. The cost of transportation roundtrip for those without a rail pass is about 2000 yen per person. If you want to take the boat from the peace park to Miyajima island it costs 2300 per person one way. If you have a JR Rail pass, you will be able to use the JR sightseeing bus, train and ferry for free
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, 1-2 Nakajimachō, Naka Ward, Hiroshima, Japan
For UJINA port cruise ship passengers, I can meet you at Ujina Hiroshima Cruise Port. If ITSUKAICHI port, take a taxi to meet in front of Hiroshima peace memorial museum at taxi drop-off. Other guests: meet at the main Hiroshima station, your Hiroshima city Hotel or Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park Museum Entrance
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8 hours
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8 hours
1
If your tour is valued over $200 USD and booked at least 45 days before the tour date, you can book with a 20% deposit!
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