Private tour in Hiroshima Joy J
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Joy J.
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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 UNESCO world heritage A-bomb dome, peace pa- 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 city and Kintaikyo bridge: Important themes of peace, history, resilience, culture, traditions, heritage, locally-made products and natural beauty. We can finish this tour in about 8 hours depending on our walking pace, level of interest and stops. The fee for this tour covers guiding & translation as well as my own transportation, entry & food/drink costs. Guests should plan to cover their own travel, entry fees and transportation - plan for additional 5, 000 per person to cover any travel, food and drink.
Part 1) Hiroshima peace memorial park and meaningful monuments 60-minute walk through of the park area talking about historical significance of this important place to "have a chance to think about what happened here, pay respects, not blame, and hope nuclear weapons are never used again" + I suggest guests visit the museum before or after the tour on their own as it is a personal experience and not polite for guides to talk inside + Lunch/snack Bus to Kintaikyo area (55 minutes - less than 1, 000 yen per person) Part 2) Yamaguchi's Kintaikyo Bridge & Iwakuni Castle & Park area + Travel to Kintaikyo by bus - see the beautiful 5 arched bridge, white snake museum, flower gardens and Iwakuni castle views if we walk or take the ropeway up. If time back in Hiroshima: * Beautiful shrunken landscape Japanese gardens * Walk around the Hiroshima castle grounds The itinerary is flexible and may not include all of the above depending on the walking pace and interests of group
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If you enjoy walking and the weather is fine, we can do this tour by bus and on foot.
Hiroshima, Hiroshima, 730-0011, Japan
Hiroshima bus center, Hiroshima city hotel, Hiroshima train station, cruise ship port
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If your tour is valued over $200 USD and booked at least 45 days before the tour date, you can book with a deposit!
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