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Lucky cat temple, Gotokuji Temple

Posted on 2025年2月8日2025年2月8日 by japan flower tour home

I visited Gotokuji Temple, a famous temple, also known as a lucky cat temple that is the family temple of the Ii clan, who served as senior vassals of the Tokugawa clan of the Edo Shogunate. Long ago, when the Ii clan’s lord was passing in front of this temple, which was on the Ii clan’s territory, a cat beloved by the temple’s head priest beckoned him in, and thanks to this cat the lord was able to avoid being struck by lightning, and so the cat has been treasured as a beckoning cat that brings good fortune, along with the Kannon Bodhisattva.

Incidentally, Hikonyan, the mascot of Hikone Castle, the Ii clan’s castle, and the original mascot character, was designed based on Gotokuji Temple’s beckoning cat.

Hanegi Park, a peaceful plum hill in Early Spring

Posted on 2025年2月8日2025年2月8日 by japan flower tour home

I visited Hanegi Park-Umegaoka and Gotokuji Temple in Setagaya to preview for a volunteer tour guide that I will be participating next week. There are about 60 varieties and 670 ume-plum or Japanese apricot trees planted on a small hill.

There are many different kinds of Japanese apricot trees, with brilliant scarlet, pink and pure white trees that point upwards or drooping, each with their own unique characteristics, and I never get bored of looking at them. It seems that the Japanese apricot trees are blooming a little late this year, but I still spent a relaxing early spring day watching Japanese white-eyes come to collect nectar from the early-blooming plum trees and seeing a slightly hazy view of Mt. Fuji beyond the plum branches.

Challenge to solve agricultural problems with cutting-edge technology

Posted on 2025年2月6日2025年2月6日 by japan flower tour home

Yesterday, I was offered a task as an interpreter with a study tour of the facility and a workshop for participants from Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, and Tonga who visited NTT central training center, which is working to technically solve agricultural challenges by applying Japan’s cutting-edge communication and AI technology.

I usually have many opportunities to interpret for training in the agricultural field, but I was also interested in the efforts to solve agricultural problems such as shortages of labor and successors, market price fluctuations, and rising transportation costs from the perspective of the uniqueness of agriculture and common issues with other industries from the perspective of the latest technology such as DX and GX, and I learned a lot. NTT’s training facility in Chofu has various research facilities and exhibition demonstration facilities, including a surprisingly authentic experimental greenhouse, and it was a fun experience.

Let’s learn kanji, Japanese character, and get to know Japanese culture better with Meiji shrine tour

Posted on 2025年1月26日2025年2月1日 by japan flower tour home

I participated as a volunteer member in a study group held for deepening the understanding of Japanese culture of trainees staying in Japan invited by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The study event was organized by the English group of the Tokyo city guide club (TCGC), of which I am also a member, and they do various things using English for people visiting Japan.

First, participants were asked to choose a kanji to try calligraphy, and under the guidance of a calligraphy expert, with supporters’ help like me, they experienced the difficulty and fun of calligraphy.

After that, we enjoyed some short game including picture matching cards that showed the origins of kanji characters, and then we went to Meiji Shrine with our guide.

JICA calligraphy event, Meiji shrie excursion JICA書道体験明治神宮ツアー

In January, Meiji Shrine displayed works that won prizes in calligraphy contests for elementary and junior high school students from all over the country, and participants deepened their understanding of kanji and the Japanese language by viewing them and thinking about the meanings of poems of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken.

Take a Precious Kamakura Buddha Statue Tour and Gain Valuable Knowledge

Posted on 2025年1月22日2025年2月1日 by japan flower tour home

I participated in a special tour for guide-interpreters on Kamakura’s Buddhist statues guided by Takakazu Kaneko, who has deep knowledge not only in Japanese religions but also in world religions including Muslum, and has visited more than 100 countries around the world as a tour guide specifically for remote areas.

After a lecture on the characteristics of Japanese Buddhism, especially Buddhism after the Kamakura period, when samurai acquired power comparing to emperor and aristocrats, we went to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine. Until now, I had only seen Hachimangu Shrine as a Shinto “shrine,” but I learned that what we can see is different from the perspective of Shinto-Buddhist syncretism, Shinto-Buddhist separation, and Haibutsu-kishaku.

Then, at the Kamakura Museum of National Treasures in the shrine, we learned in detail how to view the Kamakura Buddhist statues (photography is prohibited inside the museum, so there are no photos of the statues).

Then, in the afternoon, we went to Hase Temple, famous for its Kannon statue, Avalokitesvara. Originally, the Eleven-Headed Kannon Bodhisattva represents the mercy of Amida Buddha and is a attendant of the Budha. Due to the temple’s origins, the Eleven-Headed Kannon Bodhisattvaa is the the principal image, but also we could learn about the diversity of Buddhist statues, including the 33 incarnations of Kannon Bodhisattva, his subordinate attendants, and the Seven Lucky Gods.

Finally, we ended the tour by looking at the famous Amida Buddha at Kotokuin Temple.

Even Buddhist statues that we think we are familiar with are even more enjoyable when viewed from different angles. The tour was also very meaningful, as the guide-interpreters who joined us had a high level of knowledge.

After participating in this tour, I have gained even more confidence in guiding people on Japanese religious places including Kamakura’s shrines, temples, and Buddhist statues.

Most of the photos were taken during a preliminary inspection before joining the tour.

One day culture tour in Tokyo operated by JICA

Posted on 2025年1月19日2025年1月26日 by japan flower tour home

One-day cultural excursion

Yesterday, I guided the JICA trainees to Meiji Shrine and Senso-ji Temple as part of their cultural lecture in Tokyo. This training course is designed to learn about digital transformation technology, the advanced technology in agriculture and rural areas, and I was in charge of the cultural training part as part of the training that was staying in Japan for about four weeks. The trainees were 11 people from eight countries in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and Africa, and I explained to them about the religious matters including our tolerance that underlies Japanese culture and the modernization of Japan, to people with different cultural and social backgrounds.

However, I tried to make it a relaxed atmosphere between the daily lectures without making it too formal. Due to the training budget, it was a little difficult for the 11 trainees, such as traveling by public transportation and having lunch at a tempura chain restaurant that was reasonably priced but be not accept reservations (it took longer time than expected), but I think they were able to experience one side of Tokyo life, including these slightly inconvenient aspects. The participants walked more than 15,000 steps in one day, and as some of them are not used to walking much, they seemed a little tired, but I believe they enjoyed their day in Tokyo.

One day gourmet tour to Chiba on my birthday

Posted on 2025年1月9日2025年1月26日 by japan flower tour home

One day tour with my famlily

Yesterday was my birthday, and I turned 65. Thank you all for the congratulatory messages on Facebook or other media. I would like to express my gratitude once again.Turning 60, Kanreki; according to the Chinese calendar, a combination of zodiac animals and cosmic elements that consists 60 years, and the 60th birthday marks the one cycle of this, and it was a turning point in many ways, but 65 is also a turning point that makes me feel like an elderly person, as I am now fully paid out of my pension and can use senior discounts at various facilities.Yesterday, my wife, son and I went on a one-day trip to Boso in Chiba for the first time in a while. Recently, my son has been busy with school and part-time work, and it has been difficult to coordinate his schedules with my wife’s part-time work, so we have had fewer opportunities to go out together. Also, my son will finally start working as a full-time employee from April, so it looks like we will have even fewer opportunities to go out together, so on the last day of my son’s winter break from school, we enjoyed a short trip together with all member of my family for the first time in a while.

Initially, I had planned to have breakfast on the Boso Peninsula, then take a ferry across Tokyo Bay and do some sightseeing on the Miura Peninsula in Kanagawa, but yesterday the wind was strong and the waves in Tokyo Bay were high, so the ferry was canceled, so we ended up spending some time relaxing in Chiba.

Delicious seafood

First, we went to a seafood restaurant run by the fishing cooperative and had a super-large bowl of tempura and enjoyed many types of sashimi raw fish, of horse mackerel. It would be difficult to order such a large bowl of tempura unless I shared it with my son, who is a big eater. After that, I took a look at the daffodils, which were in best season, did some shopping at the agricultural cooperative’s farmer’s market, and relaxed at a day spa in Chiba City. My son doesn’t like beer as much as I do, so he offered to drive without drinking any after the spa, so I was happy to be able to enjoy a blissful moment with a cold beer.So, we didn’t do any sightseeing and just took it easy, but I think my 65th birthday started off pretty well. I appreciate I can continue to have good relationship with all of you on this year, too.

With a family from garden and plant lover New Yorker

Posted on 2024年12月27日2025年6月14日 by japan flower tour home

Visit winter Japanese garden

Yesterday, I guided a family of four from New York to the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace and Koishikawa Korakuen. This time, they had applied for a course to tour Japanese gardens after they watching my profile on a registered Canadian travel agency. They are very interested in Japanese gardens and horticulture, and enjoy gardening in their own gardens, planting Japanese maples in them. I had a great time showing such guests around. Unfortunately, the peak of the autumn leaves had passed, but they still enjoyed the garden, with its red and yellow leaves still remaining, and the passing of autumn and the arrival of winter.

Japanese gardens landscape

Looking down on the garden from a high vantage point, I explained how the evergreen and deciduous trees, both large and small, are skillfully arranged to create an attractive landscape, and explained why evergreen plants such as pine and bamboo are so popular with Japanese people, while explaining about craftman’s skill on straw snow hanging and New Year decorations. I think they enjoyed a unique way to enjoy a garden in winter. All the photos, except for the lunch photo, were taken the day before during the preliminary inspection.

All of my outdoor work for this year, both paid and unpaid, is now finished, and I’m feeling a little like it’s the end of the year (although I still have a lot of desk work left).

Looking back on this year, there were periods when I couldn’t get any work and I got anxious, and then I got infected with COVID-19 and had to quickly ask for a replacement guide, so I experienced the hardships and sorrows of being a self-employed person, but overall I think I was able to manage my time in a relaxed and enjoyable way.

I’m thinking of not scheduling too much outside work like a guide until around mid-January, and instead spending some time relaxing and doing desk work like organizing accounting and finance-related work and improving my website.

It’s a little early, but I hope you all have a happy holiday season and new year.

This tour was organized through Tours by Locals.

Review from the guest posted to Tours by Locals

One of the best tours we had in our many travels to Japan and many other countries. Atsuhiro-san came prepared with a custom tailored information package and gave us a complete and informative brief before we started. He is very knowledgeable about the history of Japanese gardens as well as the details of every place we visited. We enjoyed his company and we learned a lot about Japanese gardens and the larger context in which they are developed. Highly recommend this delightful tour with this great guide.

The moray eel, enchanting taste of the gang fish

Posted on 2024年12月19日2025年1月26日 by japan flower tour home

My wife and I went to a restaurant in Ito on the Izu Peninsula that specializes in rare moray eel dishes. The moray eel, known as the gangster of the sea, has strong jaws and a unique bone structure, making it difficult to cut and to process it without giving off an unpleasant odor. It is difficult to cook, and this is the only restaurant in Japan that specializes in a full course of various moray eel dishes.

Starting with sashimi, sliced raw fish, and parboiled salad, we had gang-fried moray eels with their whole heads up, rolls in omelet, and kabayaki, grilled meal. The moray eel meat, which has plenty of collagen under the skin and is very elastic, was well-processed, had no unpleasant odor, and went perfectly with sake. I was so engrossed in the deliciousness and the sake that I forgot to take pictures of some of the dishes.

It had been a while since I last visited Ito, so I spent a relaxing time enjoying the hot springs at the roadside station and fishing on the port embankment.

Best season of autumn leaves in Koishikawa Korakuen Garden

Posted on 2024年12月9日2025年1月26日 by japan flower tour home

Beautiful Autumn Leaves

On Sunday, I guided a group of young people who are staying in Tokyo for a medium to long term, to Koishikawa Korakuen Garden as member of Tokyo City Guide Club. It was divided about 10 guests into four groups, and I guided two guests from India and Germany. The autumn leaves were in full bloom at that time, so I think the guests enjoyed themselves well.

However, since the pairings were decided at the entrance to the garden, it was the first time that both guides and guest group, so there were some confusions.

Koishikawa Korakuen Garden was built to make people in Edo, who could not easily travel to Kyoto, to enjoy a simulated Kyoto trip, but it was some difference for participants from Germany, which had a similar feudal system, and participants from India, which has a different history, to understand the background. In addition, the English pronunciation of the guests was different, so it was difficult to communicate within the participants.

I have explained this garden many times before, and I had information in advance about the type of people I would be guiding, so I was able to plan the scenario and time allocation of my explanation to a certain extent, but I also had to worry about how much I should improvise to suit the pace and level of understanding of the two guests.

Also, because we were divided into four groups, we had to coordinate the viewing time for the whole group, and I had to skip some places to explain, so as a guide, I was a little worried and left with regrets about how much the group enjoyed. However, we were saved by the fact that the autumn leaves were at their best.