Volunteer Activities - Fantastic private tours in Japan

Category: Volunteer Activities

A volunteer guided tour of the beautiful Japanese apricot garden and Lucky Cat Temple on a calm spring day

Posted on 2025年2月23日2025年2月24日 by japan flower tour home

Yesterday, I guided the people who are participating in JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) course to Hanegi Park in Setagaya and Gotokuji Temple, famous for its maneki-neko (beckoning cat). Japaanese apricot or ume blossoms are less well known than cherry blossoms, and there are few opportunities to see them overseas, but when JICA recruited participants for the tour, over 20 people applied, and the tour was divided into five groups. I was in charge of one of the groups and guided four people. The four people were from Vietnam, Egypt, and two from Kyrgyzstan, and most of them had never seen ume blossoms before.

In the ume plum garden, I tried to explain the history of ume blossoms, their develoipment from wild one, their fragrance, and how to enjoy the differences between the various varieties, so that they could learn as enjoyably as possible.

And since it was February 22nd, Cat Day in Japan, Gotokuji Temple was crowded with many people. Recently, the temple has become popular with foreigners, thanks to the cuteness of its maneki-neko (beckoning cat), and I explained the story behind how this temple became a maneki-neko temple, how it is different from a normal maneki-neko (it has its right paw raised, but it does not have a gold coin, so it is not directly inviting money), and how to properly handle maneki-neko. I also told the visitors not to immediately place the cat in the temple grounds after buying it, but to take it home with them and to be sure to return with it when their wish is granted, and we all prayed for their return to Japan and to this temple.

I have learned a lot from these tour guides, who are mostly volunteers, and I hope to be able to combine them well with regular tour guides and become a guide who can handle a wide range of needs. Most of the photos were taken during the site inspection.

Field workshop on Japanese apricot/ Ume plum

Posted on 2025年2月18日2025年2月18日 by japan flower tour home

Last weekend I hosted an observation event for Ume plum or Japanese apricot and other early spring plants at Koishikawa Korakuen Garden as an organizer as nature observation group in the Tokyo City Guide Club. I invited guides, not only knowledgeable about Ume blossoms and plants, but also about Koishikawa Korakuen Garden’s history, participants were able to hear a lot of interesting stories.

We were given a detailed explanation of the relationship between Koishikawa Korakuen Garden, which was the garden of the Mito clan’s upper residence in Tokyo, and Kairakuen Garden in Mito, which is famous as Ume blossom viewing spot. We also learned that for each plum blossom, the name of the variety can tell you to a certain extent what the shape of the flower and how it blooms, how to interpret the tree shape created by pruning, and how the shape of the flower changes even in one tree depending on the time of year it blooms, making our view of plum blossoms even more interesting.

I also learned a lot of eye-opening stories, such as the fact that the difference between Christmas camellia, which are about to end their season, and Japanese camellia Tsubaki, which are about to enter their peak season, can be easily understood from the perspective of Christmas camellia flowers, which are pollinated by insects, and Japanese camellia flowers, which are pollinated by birds. It seems that the plum blossoms are blooming and coming into full bloom late this year, so it looks like we’ll still be able to enjoy them.

Based on the results of observation workshop, I have also updated my ume plum or Japanese apricot encyclopedia page. Please take a look if you are interested.

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.

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.

Astonishing autumn leaves at Kitanomaru Park

Posted on 2024年12月7日2025年1月26日 by japan flower tour home

Best time for Maples and Ginkgo trees

I organized an autumn foliage observation event for a group of the Tokyo City Guide at Kitanomaru Park as a host. The maples in the forest were at their best on a cloudless day, and the gradations from orange to crimson were beautiful. The old ginkgo tree, said to be about 200 years old, was a beautiful yellow suitable for a landmark. Members of the event learned how to distinguish between species in maple trees, which can be difficult to distinguish between, and enjoyed not only the autumn leaves but also the red berries of evergreen trees.

A quiet and beautiful day in Odaiba in late autumn

Posted on 2024年11月30日2025年1月26日 by japan flower tour home

Joyful volunteer work

The last day of November, the 30th, was a calm day in Tokyo, blessed with good weather. It had been a while since I last volunteered in the Odaiba area, and I was able to spend the time leisurely giving instructions to people looking for their destinations at Yurikamome stations or other places, and providing consultation to their next destination or the airport. As the autumn leaves in Odaiba have turned a lot, and looking at the Christmas lights, I began to feel like the end of the year was finally upon us.

Autumn harvest observation event in Yoyogi Park on a cold, rainy autumn day

Posted on 2024年11月3日2025年1月26日 by japan flower tour home

Unfortunately, it rained in Tokyo on Saturday, the first day of the three-day weekend. However, the rain was still a little light in the morning, so the Nature Exploration group in Tokyo City Guide Club held an observation event in Yoyogi Park with the theme of autumn fruits or nuts.

We don’t usually pay much attention to these small fruits, but if looking closely, I can see that Chinese hackberry, Scabrous aphananthe, and camphor trees are secretly bearing fruits.

Also, depending on the type of acorn, the way the fruit is formed and the shape and pattern of the cupule, also called a cap, vary, and when we understand the differences, we will feel a little proud. The autumn leaves in the park have started to change little by little, with flowering dogwood and winged spindle bearing red fruits, but most of the trees, including the maple, are still green.

The autumn leaves are a little late this year, but in a little while the leaves of the trees in the park will turn red and yellow and we will be able to enjoy them again, but I am a little worried about how the heat of this summer will affect the autumn leaves.

What surprised me a little was that the early-blooming Kawazu cherry trees was blooming out of season. Could this be due to the long, hot summer this year?

Support for harvesting delicious sweet potatoes, a specialty of Miyoshi Town, Saitama Prefecture, a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System

Posted on 2024年10月28日2025年1月26日 by japan flower tour home

Yesterday, I enjoyed digging up sweet potatoes in Miyoshi Town, Saitama Prefecture, which is designated as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Site (GIAHS). As I am also registered as a Concierge for Miyoshi Town’s GIAHS, I had fun helping out a little. These sweet potatoes are a typical crop grown on farmland developed in the early Edo period using fallen leaf compost farming methods, and were brought to Edo and became famous as Kawagoe potatoes. After listening to an explanation of the farming methods that have been passed down based on the sustainable farming methods that began in the Edo period and incorporate new technologies such as the latest agricultural machinery, we actually enjoyed digging up sweet potatoes by hand, the old-fashioned way. Then, while the sweet potatoes were roasting, we made wreaths using the vines of the pot