Nara is located about 40km south from Kyoto and 30km east from Osaka.
It is an older capital than Kyoto and as old as Osaka.
It was about 1300 years ago.
There are ancient temples. Most of them are older than Kyoto and are not Zen temple.
Nara is quieter than Kyoto and Osaka.
More than one thousand friendly deer live with Nara citizens.
And also Nara has a lot of local food like Sushi, Ramen and so on.
You would be able to have unique experience.
At the lobby in your Hotel in Kyoto city or Osaka city
It is a central Shinto shrine of Kasuga-shrines which are there about 1000 branches in Japan.
Three deities were enshrined to protect Nara from evils. And the forest in the shrine has not been touched by human for more than 1000 years. It is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Todai-ji is also famous for the "Big Buddha statue". It is 14.7 meters height bronze statue.
The statue is kept in Great Buddha Hall, the main building whose height is about 50 meters.
About 1300 years ago, the temple and statue were built for playing to stop natural disaster, famine, the pandemic and so on. It is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Koufuku-ji is a Buddhist temple and tutelary temple of Fujiwara clan. Fujiwara clan had been the most influential power over imperial government in ancient Japan. Kamatari Fujiwara implemented Taika Reform which built the basis of ancient Japanese central government.
It is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Nara-machi is an area where is southern from national road 369.
It has old town scape with narrow road. There are many traditional style houses which are Japanese cuisine restaurant, tea room, traditional goods shop and so on.
Your Hotel in Kyoto city or Osaka city
You can visit most of major destinations in eastern Nara city. Then you will feel different atmosphere from Kyoto and Osaka. It is quieter town than them. And you will have to play with deer because they are very friendly.
Guide fee,
Hotel pick-up fee in Kyoto city or Osaka city
Transportation fee between guide's house and your hotel in Kyoto or Osaka.
Transportation fee(you and guide) during this tour.
Lunch, dinner, entrance fee(you and guide),
Entrance fees are 600yen for Todai-ji, 500yen for Kasuga-taisha, 700yen for Koufuku-ji.
I can guide you from Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, and Nara if you pay the pick up fee.
Please ask the fee.
We will walk long (more than 5km). So you should wear walking shoes.
I had the luck and pleasure of spending a day exploring Osaka with Yoshi, and he is an absolute legend. From the moment we met (exactly on time), Yoshi impressed me with his preparation. He provided a document he made, containing all the information about our daily tour as well as historical and cultural insights about Japan. Yoshi's knowledge of the area is exceptional, and he's incredibly adaptable, tailoring the tour to match personal interests. As a fellow engineer with a passion for technology, I was thrilled that Yoshi shared this enthusiasm. He guided me to amazing hidden gems like local component stores and geek shops, making the experience even more special. Despite the scorching heat and long day, Yoshi showed remarkable endurance, even though it was clearly challenging for the both of us. His dedication and professionalism are truly commendable. Yoshi is one of the most likable, polite, and kind people I've ever met. I'm honored to have had the chance to spend time with him and benefit from his expertise. For anyone visiting Osaka, especially those with a passion for technology, the Yoshi guiding experience is a must. Everyone should try it at least once in a lifetime! Yoshi is the funniest, kindest and overall best guide in Osaka.
Dear Marco Thank you for your evaluation. I am happy to hear you enjoyed the tour. The area used to be for warehouses of electronics and electric appliance. But some old style electronics shops are remained, even vacuum tube shop. Next time you visit in Osaka, I guess you should bring a big suitcase to put many parts in. (^-^) Anyway thank you! Yours sincerely, Yoshi
Amazing guide with huge wealth of knowledge. Warmly recommended
Dear Stefan Thank you for your evaluation. I am sorry I stop working in Kyoto this summer because of the heat. But I have tours in other areas and I will start to work in Kyoto from next fall. Yours sincerely, Yoshi
We had a very pleasant time being led around the city with Yoshi. He had an extensive 2 day itinerary and we could not have seen as much without his guidance.
Dear Zeynep Thank you for your evaluation. And I am glad you accepted my proposal and it did well. I hope you will travel to Japan again. Yours sincerely, Yoshi
Yoshi showed us not only the sights but all the transportation modes in Kyoto. He was very well prepared, handing us printed information on different topics such as different eras and religions. He adapted the tour to our needs. The only negative comment is that his English is sometimes difficult to understand. We had a great day!
Dear Guylaine Thank you for your evaluation. I think you were very good company. So I also enjoyed the tour. When you come to Japan next time, I will guide you in many Japanese cooking knife shops. Yours sincerely, Yoshi