Best tour we’ve ever had in Japan! - Our guide, Yuka, was fantastic. We went down to our hotel lobby earlier than the agreed pickup time and she was there waiting for us. After introducing ourselves, she briefly went over the itinerary and pointed that it would be the classic way & order to visit the major shrines of Naiku, Geku, and the shrine located at the marriage rock. Her commentaries at every venue were interesting & enlightening. My wife & I both agreed that it was the best tour experience we’ve ever had in Japan. Yuka also made us feel comfortable with her kind and courteous manners.

What truly makes the difference: more than a guide, a sincere friend! - We had the absolute pleasure of spending two unforgettable days with Yuka Nakamura as our private guide in Mie Prefecture—and we can’t recommend her highly enough! From the very first moment, we were deeply impressed with Yuka's charm, professionalism, and thoughtful consideration of the region. Our first day proceeded according to our itinerary, which she thoughtfully tailored to our interests. We travelled throughout Ise City, where we visited the peaceful and grand Geku and Naiku shrines, as well as Meoto Iwa (The Wedded Rocks). The second day was a completely custom day. Yuka created a great experience visiting Toba City's Mikimoto Pearl Island, and the Shima region, where we had an amazing lunch while meeting the Ama divers. Finally, I would say that Yuka's best attributes were not just her ability to be competent and organized, but most importantly to be kind and attentive and friendly. Yuka constantly went beyond what was expected; she always spent longer with us than had been planned, was there to help with anything we required, and provided useful suggestions whenever we asked. It was quite easy to appreciate how Yuka explained things, providing context and richness to her stories, sometimes even adding her own personal experience to make them more relevant. By the time we finished with Yuka, the experience was so relaxed that Yuka felt like a friend, not a guide. We shared a lovely dinner together that became a highlight of our trip. If you're looking for a guide in Mie (or anywhere nearby), Yuka Nakamura is not just recommended—she's extra recommended. Truly a gem of a person and a professional. Thank you, Yuka, for making our time in Mie so special!

One of the most interesting visits on our trip to Japan - One of the most interesting visits of our 17-day trip to Japan was the visit to Ise Jingu with a wonderful guide Yuka NAKAMURA who illustrated us about the religious importance and depth of Shintoism’s most important Shrine. Yuka was proactive and offered us the possibility to participate in a blessing at the shrine with dance. Kagura was one of the most memorable moments of our Japanese journey. He also took care of booking us a great restaurant and we would have liked to spend much more time with this professional guide.

An Amazing Guided Tour - Thanks to a very professional and experienced guide, Mr. Yoshi Nishio, our one-day tour of Ise shrines was FanTastic; Geku in the am and Naiku in the pm. His steep knowledge of the history and ability to explain the details and nuances of the cultural background was amazing. Yoshi is very personable and has a great sense of humour, adding “pop quizes” throughout the tour.

Last minute trip , woul not have gone well had we not found Mr Nishio - My husband and I loved our trip to the Ise shrines and Wedded Rocks with a fabulous guide Yoshi Nishio. He was a former English professor and speaks good English… but even more important was his knowledge of the history and the area. If you go, ask for Yoshi.

An unforgettable experience we cannot recommend enough! - Hisato San made our trip to Ise incredible! Not only did she have recommendations of what we should see on our own, but we were able to catch a once-a-year event, a once-a-month event, and experience so much more on our trip before (and after) the tour even began! Hisato speaks fluent English. She was knowledgeable, and able to answer all of our VERY detailed questions about history, mythology, geology, and culture. We were able to actually do a few extra things on our tour (we're fairly fit and walk quickly), and her explanation of Ise Jingu - and her suggestions on the order we visited our destinations made each stop an amazing memory we will cherish forever. Our day with Hisato was our favorite part of a larger 2 week trip to Japan, and it set the tone for our trip to the Osaka Expo - which also referenced many of the Japanese values that we learned about in Ise. Hisato San was also able to secure a taxi for us, which allowed us to see everything on our checklist, including the downtown area. We were also very lucky in that she offered to take photos for us, so we were able to focus on enjoying the scenery. Her photos also turned out great! We were also the only people to visit a few of the shrines, which made it all the more special. She also took us to a few less-known locations where we saw amazing flowers, we met a very talented knife-maker, and had a delicious lunch that met our dietary restrictions. We cannot recommend this tour (and our guide) enough!

A Day of Culture at Ise Shrine - Matt was very knowledgeable about the Ise shrines and their histories. He was also very helpful in answering any questions we had and assisting us with translation when needed. We had a great time and I highly recommend Matt as a tour guide.

Must do in Ise - My husband and I have loved the tour. Without our guide, Mr. Masatake, we would have missed a lot of things about Ise and The Shrine. One of the gratest experience in our trip was the Kagura, we only were able to take part of it thanks to our guide. If you are going to Ise and want to make the most of it, this is the tour.

The Best Part of Hidden Ise - We had the best trip ever in Ise thanks to Yoshinari-san! He did his very best to accommodate our requests and arranged an itinerary based on our preferences. Why get a guide? We could have gone on our own, but would have never known the pine tree we saw was planted in the Meiji Era by the Emperor's father. We wouldn't have tasted the best udn in Ise, nor learned the river we could purify our hands was clean enough to drink when we touched it to our lips. Yoshinara knows the bus routes, train schedules, and locals. He leaves no detail out. You won't regret booking him. He is warm, friendly, and excellent at what he does.

I really enjoyed Ise Shrine! - Our guide was a man named Nishio. In advance, we had emailed him and he suggested things that we might be interested in, and we put together a schedule for the day. Since we had confirmed the details beforehand, we were able to meet smoothly on the day. We were able to make a special visit to the Outer Shrine and the Inner Shrine, and we were able to efficiently tour the various shrine buildings while being given fun explanations and materials. The explanations, which were like secret conversations, in places that everyone else passes by were very exciting. (We even found a heart-shaped stone.) My husband also seemed to be very satisfied with the detailed explanation at the Sengukan (museum). We were also able to hear the Kagura, which was my main focus, and we were able to spend a graceful time with the song and dance, as if we had traveled back in time to the Heian period. Nishio is not only an official guide, but he is also a kind person and a very good speaker. (He is a former school English teacher and often guides foreign visitors.) If you want to tour the shrine efficiently and efficiently, I recommend hiring a guide. Thank you, Nishio, for a very satisfying day.