Kamakura is known as an old town but how old the town is? The answer is about 800 years. This town is built by the first soldiers' government and has been strongly influenced by soldiers' mentality and Buddhism. In this tour you will visit major tourist palaces and a unique place which is tea ceremony place with a master.
If you wish to deepen your understanding of Japanese culture and history. please join to this tour.
At your hotel in Tokyo or Yokohama area
This is a JR station. It takes about one hour from Tokyo station
This temple is recognized as the highest ranked temple in Kamakura and belong to Zen sect in Buddhism. Once you get into the precincts of this temple, you can feel a sense of Zen sect which is simplicity. Buildings are very simple and not decorated by statues or colorful items.
At this place you can experience a real tea ceremony. There are many places to experience tea ceremony but most of them are for tourists. Therefore many things are too simplified and price is a tourist price. The place you will experience is not that one. It will take about 1.5 hours but the master explaines every details and you can understand that tea ceremony is not only for tea drinking but also containing all eccence of Japanese culture. And, in the lesson you can make your own tea. I recommend this experience very much..
Many kinds of foods are available in Kamakura
This is a big shrine and a landmark of Kamakura. From shrine main building you can see whole Kamakura city and I will explain story of Kamakura history.
From Tsurugaoka Hachimangu to Kamakura station, we will go through this small but long shopping street. You may find unique gifts in here.
This big Buddha is a symbol of Kamakura. This Buddha sit outside and if the weather is good, the contrast of blue sky and dark gray color of Buddha attracts everybody. An unique thing of this big Buddha is that inside is hollow and you can go inside of the Buddha. This Buddha was made in middle of 14th century and since then it keeps original shape.
This temple is another tourist spot you can't miss. It is famous for flowers and its garden expresses paradise in Buddhism world.
This is the end of today's tour
At your hotel in Tokyo or Yokohama area
In this tour, you will experience totally different atmosphere from any other tourist spots. One of the places I will take you to is not a tourist spot but a place to experience real tea ceremony. Therefore, you will feel depth of Japanese culture and after finishig this tea ceremony experience, your spirit is very much different from one before. It is hard to explain by a word but I am sure if you are interested in Japanese culture, this experience will enhance your spirit.
As a tourist spots, you will visit Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu and Big Buddah which cannot be missed.
Kencho-ji temple represents Zen sect in Buddhism. Zen sect is different from other sects in Buddhism and emphasis self-reliance. This temple is very simple but elegant.
Guide fee
Tea ceremony cost ( 2500yen/Person),
Transportation cost ( guide and guests)
Guide's commuting cost ( Home to hotel)
Meal
To book this tour, I have to ask availability of this tea ceremony place. Therefore, date and time of visit the place has to be decided in advance.
To experience tea ceremony, you will sit down on a tatami mat for a while. Also, you need to prepare extra pair of socks which you have to change your socks at an entrance of tea ceremony place to maintain cleanness of the place.
The place is not a big place. Therefore 4 adults are the maximum number of guests.
Hiro is an excellent tour guide! He designed a fantastic day trip visit to Hakone for our family of 8 and was highly communicative and organized both leading up to our tour date, as well as during our visit to Hakone. We got very lucky with stunning views of Mt. Fuji and appreciated Hiro's historical knowledge and Japanese cultural insights. I highly recommend booking your private tour with Hiro.
We loved our day with Hiroshi! He allowed us to plan a very specific itinerary of the 2 things we wanted to do in Hakone: Hike Mt. Kintoki and visit the Hakone Open Air museum. This required navigating and timing the trains and buses perfectly, which he easily did for us. Hiking with him was safe and fun and he shared great stories. Lunch at the top was a treat and resting our tired feet in the hot springs at the museum was an unexpected highlight. It was a stress free day in Hakone and we would love to travel with Hiroshi again.
Thank you for your comment and I had great time with your family. I am waiting for another chance to guide you.
My wife and I had a great time wish Hiroshi. We did not have much time in Tokyo and having Hiroshi as a guide was a must. We had a chance to visit many places and most important learn about the culture and Japan history. Hiroshi was a 5 star guide! Also fun and great companion.
Dear Andre Thank you for your evaluation of my tour. I enjoyed being with you and your wife. I am glad to find you had fun with me and explanation about Japanese history and culture. I think you have many reasons to visit Japan again and I wish to show you many other places in Japan. Hiroshi
We had the best day trekking through Hakone with Hiroshi! He was funny, engaging, and very knowledgeable. He was well-prepared and we appreciated the time he spent customizing our day to meet our needs. We were sad to say our goodbyes! We highly recommend booking a tour with Hiroshi, you will not be disappointed!
Dear Anne Thank you for your good review about our tour in Hakone and I am glad by knowing you satisfied with me. I hope I can be your guide again. And next time, let go to Kintoki-san.