Japan, guided by someone who calls it home.
Small-group and private walking tours through temples, shrines and old streets in Kyoto and beyond — paced for real conversation, not a checklist of stops.
- LanguagesEnglish, Japanese
- FromFukuoka
- Based inKyoto
- Also guides inTokyo, Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Hiroshima
- Guiding since2025
- Group size1–4 guests
Still finding something new in the streets he walks every day.
Born and raised in Fukuoka, now based in Kyoto, I've been guiding since 2025 — leading private and small-group tours focused on temples, shrines and historic neighborhoods. I trained in local history and tea ceremony, and I still prefer a quiet backstreet to a crowded main gate.
Many guests are combining several stops on one trip, so I also guide in Tokyo, Fukuoka, Nagasaki and Hiroshima — meaning you can keep the same guide, and the same pace, across your time in Japan.
Temple & culture walks
Each tour can be adjusted to your pace, interests and mobility, and priced per group rather than per person. Based in Kyoto, with tours also running in Tokyo, Fukuoka, Nagasaki and Hiroshima for travelers combining stops.
Asakusa & Old Tokyo
Senso-ji Temple through the Kaminarimon gate, the stalls of Nakamise-dori, and quiet backstreets along the Sumida River — Tokyo's shitamachi at an easy walking pace.
Request this tour →Meiji Jingu & Yanaka
The forested approach to Meiji Jingu, then a contrast in the old wooden streets of Yanaka Ginza and the temple-lined paths of Yanaka Cemetery.
Request this tour →Higashiyama & Gion
Kiyomizu-dera's wooden stage, the lantern-lit lanes of Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka, Yasaka Shrine at the mouth of Gion, and Kennin-ji — Kyoto's oldest Zen temple, known for its painted dragon ceiling.
Request this tour →Fushimi Inari & Sanjusangendo
An early climb through Fushimi Inari's thousands of vermillion torii gates before the crowds, followed by Sanjusangendo's hall of 1,001 life-sized Kannon statues.
Request this tour →Arashiyama, Bamboo & Monkeys
The bamboo grove at first light, Tenryu-ji's garden, views over the city from Iwatayama Monkey Park, and the quiet, moss-covered rakan statues of Otagi Nenbutsu-ji.
Request this tour →Kinkaku-ji, The Golden Pavilion
A focused visit to Kyoto's most photographed temple, its gold-leafed pavilion reflected in a still pond, with time to walk the surrounding gardens at an easy pace.
Request this tour →Dazaifu & Hakata
Dazaifu Tenmangu's historic shrine grounds, Kushida Shrine in the old Hakata district, and an evening among the riverside yatai food stalls.
Request this tour →Ohori Park & Fukuoka Castle Ruins
A relaxed loop around Ohori Park's lake and Japanese garden, then the stone walls and moats of Fukuoka Castle — Hiro's hometown seen at an easy pace.
Request this tour →Peace Park & Urakami
Nagasaki Peace Park, the Peace Memorial Hall, and Urakami Cathedral — a quiet, reflective morning tracing the city's modern history.
Request this tour →Dutch Slope, Glover Garden & Meganebashi
Dejima's reconstructed trading post, the hillside views of Glover Garden, Oura Church, and a stop at Meganebashi — the Edo-era stone bridge whose reflection forms a pair of "eyeglasses" in the Nakashima River.
Request this tour →Mount Inasa Night View
A ropeway ride above the harbor to Mount Inasa's summit for one of Japan's three great night views, best timed just after sunset.
Request this tour →Peace Memorial Park & Museum
The Atomic Bomb Dome, the Peace Memorial Museum, and the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims — a slow, guided walk through the park's memorials and their history.
Request this tour →Miyajima & Itsukushima Shrine
A ferry across to Miyajima for the floating torii gate of Itsukushima Shrine, the maple-lined paths of Momijidani Park, and, for those who want it, the ropeway up Mount Misen.
Request this tour →Okonomiyaki & Downtown Hiroshima
An evening walk through downtown Hiroshima ending at a local okonomiyaki counter — Hiroshima's layered take on the dish, cooked in front of you.
Request this tour →Okinawa, Hokkaido and Kagoshima tours are in preparation — get in touch if you'd like to be notified when they're ready.
Build Your Own Itinerary
Combine sites across cities, or tell me what draws you to Japan — gardens, history, food, photography — and I'll put together a route and pace that fits your trip.
Start planning →From inquiry to itinerary
Send your dates
Share your travel dates, group size and interests using the form below.
Get a proposed route
I'll reply within 48 hours with a suggested itinerary and price.
Confirm the details
We adjust the plan together and lock in your meeting point and time.
Walk together
We meet in person — no app, no earpiece, just conversation as we walk.
Plan your visit
Fill in the form and it will open in your email app, addressed and ready to send.
Prefer to write directly? I read every message myself.
- hello@oldjapanwalks.com
- Response time
- Within 48 hours
- Languages
- English, Japanese