This walk has been privately operated since 1996 by Mr. Hajime Hirooka, better
known as Johnnie Hillwalker, one of the best tour guides in Japan, with 48 years
of tour guide experience. His walk has been acclaimed worldwide as one of the
uniquest tours in the world.
"Explore Kyoto's back streets for four fascinating hours."
- San Francisco Chronicle, Jan. 30, 2000
"Johnnie unveils an astounding
array of Kyoto crafts and experiences."
- Traditional
Home, Nov. 2000
NHK (many times), TBS,
MBS, KBS, BBC Holiday and British Channel Four have all introduced Johnnie's walk
on their TV programs. |
|
This is an all walking tour.
The walk is easy, covering
3 kilometers in 5 hours. No up and down.
Slow walking, visiting many places,
mostly private, with much talking about Buddhism, Shinto, geisha, history, and
everything.
No reservation system, just join and go.
Operated March
through to November. Not operated in December, January and February.
Walk
every Monday, Wednesday & Friday.
Not on Sun., Tue., Thu. & Sat.
No walk on National Holidays.
Walk
rain or shine.
Start walking at
10:15
from JR Kyoto station.
The Check-in place is an easy to find small, 10 steps down Square, you find when
you walk out of the main entrance (Karasuma gate) of Kyoto station. In the direction
of Kyoto tower, you will find some trees surrounding my meeting place, a small
low square. MAP
Tour fare
is 2,000 yen.(About
$20 U.S.dollars) Cash only.
Children 15, 14, 13 years old 1,000
yen.
Smaller children free.
No
other charges.
The size of the
tour is 20 or so. No limit. 50 all right.
The tour visits:
Higashi-Honganji,
the biggest Buddhist temple, not a tourist spot, but a place of worship. We have
to take off our shoes to go inside.
3 Shinto shrines, Ayako
Tenman-gu ,Ichihime shrine and Toyokuni
shrine.
A former geisha area, Gojo rakuen.
A graveyard in Chokodo
Temple, or Renkoji Temple.
4 workshops in private homes along back
alleys where such things as Buddhist prayer beads, paper fans, tofu, paper
lanterns, rope decorations, green tea containers, Japanese pastries and pottery
are made.
No lunch stop. The tour provides each of you one small
piece of vegetarian sushi, and a rest in an old pastry shop, Kanshundo-Higashimise,
around 2:00, where you are served a small piece of Japanese pastry with a cup
of green tea. phone 075-561-1318.
The tour finishes around 3:00 near
Kiyomizu temple, the No. 1 tourist spot in Kyoto, half way up the eastside
hill, with wonderful views and many shops, and restaurants along old Kyoto-style
lanes, the best part of Kyoto to spend the remaining of the day yourself.
You find my pamphlets at most of the hotels, ryokans, information desks in
Kyoto. Last update Feb. 2009 |
FOR
YOUR OWN PRIVATE TOUR : To the places you like, Shihoko Ms. Hirooka, with
35 years of guide experience, can take you around Kyoto and Nara area, with guiding
fee of 10,000yen half day, 15,000yen full day, per one party, not including transportations,
admissions, nor meals.
Shihoko Mobile:090-8989-3679
Email:h-s-love@mbox.kyoto-inet.or.jp |
