京都観光タクシー&英語案内ガイドによる ”古都巡り” 

     【Nobusan Blog】 推薦状・感謝状保管

 登録日の古い日付順で表示しています。

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

Visiting Kyoto, my guide for the whole day was Mr.Nagata.

It was an extraordinary experience for me to spend this time with him,  profiting from his deep knowledge about the cultural treasures in the city.

We visited the main places, such as the Nijo Castle of the Shoguns, the Golden Pavilion, the Ryoan-ji temple(Rock Garden) and some Zen Buddhist temple gardens.Mr. Nagata gave me abundant information about all these buildings and their history and background.

I learned a lot about Japanese history and thinking, about Shintoism and Buddhism in this country.

An extraordinary part of this day was the visit of one temple, Chishaku-in with interesting, traditional paintings,  and the visit of the Sanjusangen-do temple.

We had also very good talks and an exchange about the cultural heritage.  Mr. Nagata had his car in excellent shape, he drove in a cautious and comfortable manner.

He was very much engaged and answered to all my questions and wishes.

I can recommend Mr. Nagata warmly for his knowledge and highly professional performance.

Arnd Bäucker, Corporate Communication, Bosch

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

Nagata-san, I wish to drop you this quick email to thank you for a totally enjoyable tour of Kyoto. While I have been there before, your tour was most excellent and memorable. Your English ability is very good, and I cannot think of any moment during our tour where I was confused or failed to understand your point. My French manager was very impressed with not only the beauty and culture of Kyoto, but also your performance as a certified guide. While my time in Japan is now very short, I have passed on your business card to my manager with a very warm recommendation for your service in the future. My company is totally international, and there will be future visits by others with no previous touch of the Nippon Culture. My wish is that he will reach out to you to be the "Kyoto Ambassador" in the future. Please feel free to use this email as reference for others who may consider your excellent service.


Paul OSTERMAN

Training School Project Manager Operational Division Logo Small
Driving in Kyoto with Style with Mr. Nobuaki Nagata

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

We had the pleasure of having Mr. Nobu Nagata as a guide in Kyoto, Japan.   We have traveled all over the world and utilized guides in every country. Mr. Nobu Nagata is one of the best and most informative guides we have ever had.   He is knowledgeable and informative and shared the essence  of the culture as well as the  points of interest in Kyoto.   He has a wonderful sense of humor as well as an esthetic  sense  that  he imparts.  He is truly a find for anyone who wants to experience the best of Kyoto. We will always remember and cherish our trip because of Nobu.

Ms. Patricia Driscoll, Ms. Joice Schiff (I have obtained their approval)

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

Kyoto is such a rich and fascinating city, as many around the world know. I’m very lucky to call Kyoto home near the Silver Pavilion and I’m extremely fortunate to know the world-class driver and guide of Kyoto, Mr. Nobuaki Nagata.

Mr. Nagata’s knowledge of the city is deep and engaging and his service to his clients taking them whether to well-known temples, shrines or gardens, or niche places only a few know of, is superb and of the utmost courtesy.

When visiting Kyoto I cannot recommend Mr. Nagata’s services highly enough, if you can make a booking with him by all means do so; your visit to Kyoto will be all the more richer and rewarding, and you’ll ride in style, too.

 
Robert Yellin

Robert Yellin Yakimono Gallery   http://www.japanesepottery.com

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

Dear Nobu-san,

Now that we've returned to Tokyo and I finally have a bit of time to rest and reflect, I am very grateful that it is the magnificent day spent in your company that is freshest in my mind; we certainly saved the best for last. Although our time in Kyoto up until your tour was great deal of fun--if in a slightly haphazard kind of way--I couldn't help but feel a lingering sense that maybe we'd missed out on some of Kyoto's profound depth. After your tour, these worries were put to rest. Your knowledge of Japanese culture bridged painting, literary, culinary, and religious traditions which expand over a millennium or more. Suffice it to say that you are the only taxi driver I've ever had who could both recite poetry, teach meditation, and recommend good sake! For those looking for a custom-tailored and comprehensive Kyoto experience, I can't recommend Mr. Nagata enough.

I would be delighted if you were to use my testimonial on your website.  I really did enjoy it--Watanabe-san and I were just discussing your final SosekiJapanese novelistflourish at Otagi-nembutsu-ji with delight. All the best in your upcoming guide-engagements!
Best,

Elliot Wright,

 

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Dear Mr. Elliot Wright,

Thank you for your message.

I really appreciate you allowing me to use your review to my website.

You have profound knowledge about Japan.

I hope I will be able to take you to my favorite places next time.

Please give my best regards to Watanabe-san and Brenda-san.

 

Sincerely Regards,

Nobuaki Nagata(Nobu)

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

Dear Nobu-san,
Thank you so much for showing us your beautiful city today. We both had a great time! Thinking back, our favourites were the former emperors' living place at the Ninna-ji temple, and learning about the blending of many religions into Japanese Buddhism. But it is very hard to pick as so much of what you showed us was simply incredible (the bullet marks and archery competition also come to mind). Your kindness and knowledge were admirable, and it was our pleasure to spend the day learning from you. We would be happy to write a testimonial for your website! Thanks again and take good care,
Ray and Marjorie Bombeo

 

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Dear Mr. and Ms. Bombeo
Thank you very much for your kind review which makes me very happy.
I was so impressed with your knowledge about Japan.
I hope I will be able to conduct you to off-the beaten tracks next time.
I appreciate you recommending me to use your mail in my website.
Best Regards,
Nagata

Testimonial  for Nagata KyotosightsTour

Dear Nobu,
Alexandrea and I wanted to thank you again for sharing your wonderful city.You gave so much of yourself, allowing us to not only embrace Kyoto, but also embrace you as well. We appreciated you sharing information of your family and your deep religious faith.The service you provided to us was outstanding.
Thank you again Nobu and we hope to see you again in our future visits.


Best regards, 
Ed and Alexandrea Gjertsen

 

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Dear Mr. and Ms. Gjertsen, 
Thank you very much for your kind review.
I always think that good hospitality is the most important thing for a tour guide.Your review makes me very happy.I was amazed your knowledge of Japan.We have many other good places.Please come back and let us conduct you again in the near future. I appreciate that you allowed me to use your review as a testimonial.

 

Best Regards,
Nobuaki Nagata

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

Dear Nobu,(Nagata-san),  

Apologies for taking so long to thank you for the wonderful time we had with you in Kyoto.  When we got back home the holidays were revving up and we got lost in the bus-i-ness of it all. Happy New Year to you!

What you showed us in Kyoto was spectacular - the gardens and highlights, along with your patient, attentive and personal touring will always warm our memory of this most beautiful city.  You organized the day around our quirky desires and though we moved quickly from one place to another, as we wanted, we were able to come away with a solid sense of Kyoto.  We were, a week later, very sad to leave.  

Your keen knowledge of the city, history, and above all, your kindness and willingness to gear the day around our interests, was greatly appreciated.  It meant a lot to both of us and we thank you deeply.

We left Kyoto and soon after, Japan, hoping that we will return.  

Like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, if we could click our heels together and open our eyes in another place, it would be Kyoto!

All the best to you - wishing you a great and healthy 2016.

Lisa and Tim Goodman

 

lisatoby.com

timgoodman.net

goodmanlandscape.com

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

Mr.Nagata,

Thank you so much for the amazing tour around Kyoto today!

We had such a great time and especially enjoyed your off the beaten path selections.

Thank you also for your recommendation of where to see geisha. 

We went to the area at exactly the time you instructed and saw multiple groups of geisha walking. 

Please use my testimonial on your website.

I want everyone to join you for a tour when they come to Kyoto.

Best,

Calvin( Mr. Calvin Andrews)

 

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Dear Mr. Calvin Andrews,

Thank you very much for your great review.

I am happy to hear that you enjoyed my guide.

I appreciate that you leave up your itinerary up to me.

Thanks to your cooperation, I could guide you to my favorite place, off-the beaten places.

You have good knowledge of Japan.

I could also enjoy our tour very much.

Please give my best regards to your beautiful girl friend.

May I ask a favor of you?

May I use your review as the testimonial of my website?

Your review is very helpful to me.

 

Best Regards

Nobuaki Nagata

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

“Kyoto private taxi tour”

 

We have visited Kyoto several times before and this time wished to see attractions that are not crowded tourist spots. 

Our group of 4 only have about 6-7 hours in Kyoto so we do not want to waste any time waiting for a bus or trying to get a taxi from place to place.

A hired taxi seems to be the best option for us. 

Since we asked for a 6-seater, we used the service of Mr. Nobuaki Nagata. 

We expressed our wish to see Apricot blossoms and Moss garden and were happy with the whole experience. 

Mr.Nobu met us at the train station and took us to see lovely plum trees in full bloom at Kitano Tenmangu shrine, followed by beautiful moss garden at Gioji temple. 

Afterwards we visited the temple with 1200 stone buddha statues and Daitokuji temple which was so serene. 

Lunch was also an enjoyable time because Mr.Nobu took us to a very good tofu specialty restaurant after asking what kind of food we would prefer. 

Mr.Nobu is also a licensed guide with vast knowledge. 

We received a lot of interesting facts and tidbits about the places we visited. 

The 6 hours we spent on this kyoto trip is truly satisfying and our time was very well spent.

 

From Ms. Kundhalee Kong-aum, 

            

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Tour course: Kitano Tenman-gu shrine, Gio-ji temple, Adashino nenbutsu-ji temple, Ryugenin temple, Daitoku-ji temple

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

         Gion-shinbashi, shirakawa-stream
         Gion-shinbashi, shirakawa-stream

Dear Nobu-

I hope you are doing well!! Here is a review which you can place on your web site. You can change the words, if you like. Let me know if I forgot to put something in the review. 

I can't recommend Nobu enough!!!  My daughter and I spent two great days with Nobu seeing Kyoto and the surrounding area in his luxury sedan. I have spent time with many private guides and I can say he is the best. He is knowledgeable, fun, extremely courteous and so flexible with our changing requests! He knows off-the-beaten-path places, as well as the main tourist sites.  Also, he knows the best locations to take photos. I am so glad we chose Nabu. For questions, my email is here. Frances Ross, San Jose, CA

So remember when you took the photo of Lexi and I on the bridge and it was raining and we were feeling lazy? I have to tell you that picture ended up being Lexi's favorite!! Of course, I like it, too. Here it is: And, thank you, again!

 

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Dear Ms. Frances Ross,

Thank you very much for your great testimonial which is perfect.

I think I don’t need change the words at all.

I will place your testimonial on my website, it is surely helpful for me.

Thank you again for your kind testimonial.

Thank you for your one more e-mail.

You are very thoughtful.

I still remember there in Gion.

I told you that I conducted the chairperson of Paramount picture, and took a picture of her there.

Your daughter is very beautiful, please give my best regard to her, Ms.Lexi.

 

Sincerely Regards,

Nobuaki Nagata

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

Dear Nobu-san,

How are you? We hope you are doing well. I am writing because I just finished designing our photo album of our recent trip to Japan and we are missing Japan so much. We hope to be able to travel there again someday. Thank you for taking us to all the wonderful sites of Kyoto. I have learned so much about the Japanese history, culture, and religions. You have helped make our trip a memorable one.

I find the Japanese faith quite interesting as it is rooted so much in nature. I thought it might also interest you to also know about my family's faith. During our tour, I remember you would say that we are "lucky" when we went to a popular tourist spot and there was not much people. You would also say we are "lucky" when we are able to find a parking space in the crowded areas. For us Christians, we do not believe in luck. Instead of saying "we are lucky" we say "we are blessed. praise the Lord!" We believe that our God is the one and true living God who is sovereign and in control of everything. I think what really makes our faith different is that we do not view Christianity as a religion, but rather, a loving relationship between us and our Heavenly Father. For us, our faith is focused on knowing Him and his character, and personally experiencing His active presence in our lives.

I consider my relationship with Jesus Christ as my most valuable possession, the only thing I can take with me when I die. I hope to be able to share this valuable gift with you if you are interested, because I am certain that our Heavenly Father desires for you to know Him and for you to understand just how much He loves you.

If you are interested to know more about Christianity, please do not hesitate to email me so I can also share our faith with you, just as how you shared the faith of Japanese people to me and my family. Think of it as an exchanging of information.

The name of the church my family goes to is called Christ's Commission Fellowship and here is a link to our church's website if you want to browse around: http://www.ccf.org.ph/

Thank you so much Nobu-san for taking the time to read my email. I will definitely recommend you to my relatives if they decide to visit Kyoto. Attached are two photos with you from our trip, in case you need it for your company documentation.

Have a great week ahead! I'm sure Kyoto looks absolutely lovely now that the cherry blossoms have come out.

Best regards,

Rachel Uy

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

 

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Dear Rachel Uy-san,

 

Thank you very much for your message and wonderful pictures.

How have you been?

I am very busy but doing quite well, thank you.

Your kind mail which tells me that you learned a lot about Japan, makes me very happy.

I think that a tour guide is a goodwill ambassador, I studied hard to become a licensed tour guide.

 

I am just a guide not a strong believer of religion.Generally we Japanese are very polite and kind because of our natural humanity.It is not influence of our religion, most of us are not pious Buddhists or Shintoist.

I haven’t think our religion profoundly for a long time.

But your remarks to your Christianity makes me open my eyes to Religion(or Faith).

We don’t think Gods(Our religion is based on polytheistic and ancestral worship.) are sovereign.It will become my lifelong study, but as you know, I have been extraordinary busy these days.I will study or research after I retired, but I am sure I keep your remarks or faith in my mind.

 

I browsed your church’s website and understood a little bit.

I am a just tour guide but I think that your religion or faith is totally different from our religion or faith.  It is surely good opportunity for me to think about Religion.

 

Thank you for your kind offer to recommend your relatives to me for their tour to Kyoto, and thoughtful approval to use your mail for my company documentation which is surely helpful.

I appreciate your approval to use this for a testimonial.

 

I hope we will meet again in the near future.

Please give my best regards to your husband and parents.

 

Sincerely Regards,

Nobuaki Nagata

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

We both thank you very much for the day you guided us round Nara. The rain did not reduce our thrill of seeing such beautiful  sights.

We are now in Hiroshima and leaving for the UK late tonight. We take back some wonderful memories of your country.

Thought you might like these pictures.

 

Best wishes

R and M Rollo

 

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Dear Mr. and Ms. Rollo,

Thank you very much for your review and pictures.

I am happy to hear that you enjoyed my guide and Japan.

Both of you are very smart and gentle.

I cloud also enjoy our tour.

Along with tour, we enjoyed political conversation.

I like Hiroshima, I hope you enjoyed there a lot!

Please have a wonderful flight back to your country.

 

Sincerely Regards,

Nobuaki Nagata

Tel: +8190-1076-8788

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

My husband and I were lucky enough to spend a wonderful day with Nobu of nagataxis.

Nobu was a wonderful guide. He responded immediately to my email enquiry and from there on everything went to plan. On the day of our tour he arrived early, had his vehicle in spotless condition and quickly put us at ease with his professional but friendly style.

He checked throughout the day to ensure all was as we wished, he was very open to making changes according to your interests.

His in depth knowledge of the sights we were seeing and of Japans history, as well as his personal insights made this a completely different experience to a normal tour. We loved Kyoto and this was a great way to see it.

Thank you Nobu."

 

Roger and I really do hope to get back to Kyoto one day and if so look forward to spending more time with you.

 

Kindest regards,

Maria Doolan

 

 

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Dear Ms. Maria Doolan,

 

Thank you very much for your testimonial.

I really appreciate your sending it, though you are so busy.

It is very helpful for me.

Please give my best regards to your husband, Mr. Roger.

 

Sincerely Regards,

Nobuaki Nagata

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

My husband and I were lucky enough to spend a wonderful day with Nobu of nagataxis.

Nobu was a wonderful guide. He responded immediately to my email enquiry and from there on everything went to plan. On the day of our tour he arrived early, had his vehicle in spotless condition and quickly put us at ease with his professional but friendly style.

He checked throughout the day to ensure all was as we wished, he was very open to making changes according to your interests.

His in depth knowledge of the sights we were seeing and of Japans history, as well as his personal insights made this a completely different experience to a normal tour. We loved Kyoto and this was a great way to see it.

Thank you Nobu."

Roger and I really do hope to get back to Kyoto one day and if so look forward to spending more time with you.

 

Kindest regards,

Maria Doolan

 

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Dear Ms. Maria Doolan,

 

Thank you very much for your testimonial.

I really appreciate your sending it, though you are so busy.

It is very helpful for me.

Please give my best regards to your husband, Mr. Roger.

 

Sincerely Regards,

Nobuaki Nagata

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

Dear Nobusan,

We enjoyed our tour with you, please use my review below to your testimonial.

When we attempted to book the tour, we were handled off to Nagata-san. He immediately contacted me - I booked this probably a month in advance - and started to set an itinerary for us. My wife and I lived in Japan for a couple years about 17 years ago and had been to Kyoto several times, so we had some specific requests. We were traveling with our two sons (13yo & 9yo), so it was mix of temples and shrines, but also some getting the wiggles out time. Nagata-san was great about this - he understood our needs to mix up the trip with a variety of things to keep the kids interested. 

 

When we began the process, we thought we should see several of the 'standard' temples and shrines, after all there are only 2,000 to choose from. Nagata-san made some recommendations based on our time in Kyoto and even our hotel location since we could do some on our own. We started the day in the bamboo forest - wow! This was truly a very cool place to start and one that will be difficult to see on a traditional tour bus. We were driving on roads that barely fit his van - a brand new Toyota that was just 7 days old. That was probably one of the best part of the tour - going places that a traditional tour bus couldn't go, like the bamboo forest, 1,200 stone Buddha statues temple, and even Gion to see a Geisha and a few maikos(apprentice Geisha). Nagata-san also took us to a terrific place for udon - Alice Noodle Wonderbar - for homemade tempura udon. 

 

Since this is a private tour, you're able to go when and where you want or even mix it up mid-tour. Frankly, I was surprised at the costs - when I compared this to a traditional bus tour for our family of 4, it was LESS expensive and we were able to see and do more. I highlight recommend Nagata-san.

 

 From Mr. Scott Ford.

 

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Dear Mr. Scott Ford,

Thank you very much for your great review.

I really appreciate you approving to use your review as testimonial of my website.

All of you are very educated and friendly, I was so impressed that your young sons completely understood my explanation.

I hope I will be able to guide you again in the near future.

Please give my best regards to your beautiful wife and cute sons.

 

Sincerely Regards,

Nobuaki Nagata

 

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

Gion-shinbashi
Gion-shinbashi

We (a family of four) booked Mr. Nobu for a day and had a fantastic experience.

He planned an enjoyable itinerary for us and was extremely knowledgeable about the cultural and historical aspects of various shrines/temples. 

He was simultaneously an excellent driver and guide, with a good sense of humor, refined manners, and a very accommodating nature. 

He knows Kyoto intimately and brings life to its ancient locations (ask him to bring you to the temple with statues of Buddha's many disciples), and has an impeccable sense of where many very specific shops (woodblock printing, tea, etc.) are located. 

We highly recommend taking a tour with him!

 

 

Justine Alexander

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

Mr.Nobuaki Nagata!

He was very knowledgeable and was a great guide! I was able to do almost everything I wanted, and he was extremely flexible! Only reason why I said maybe, is because I wound up so tired going around to all the attractions, I had to cut my list short, and call it a day and rest! With Mr. Nagata we went to at least 5-6 different attractions a day! In addition, Mr. Nagata is very knowledgeable about local foods and had excellent lunch recommendations for me. He is very funny and I highly recommend him! I hope to come back to Kyoto one day and finish off the rest of my bucket list in Kyoto before Mr. Nagata retires! Book EARLY, their schedules fill out extremely fast! In addition, Mr. Nagata always arrives 30 minutes early ahead of your scheduled time, ready to greet you and get the day started! It was so great! A true professional!

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

Our family of 6 had a wonderful time with Nobusan!

We had toured with him for 2 days. He was very knowledgeable and speak good English.

He picked us up at our Airbnb and took us to every place we wanted to see.

He knew all the good photo spots. He is very attentive to details always keep the van neat and clean.

He also tried to go back to the van quicker to turn on the air conditions for us. Which was very appreciated in the hot and humid weather.

He took us to his favorite tonkatsu restaurant. It was very tasty!

Highly recommend him for your trip to Kyoto. Especially if you travel with small children.

 

Joanna Chiang 

 

 

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

From Mr. Donny Ching.(Malaysia)

We are a family of 3 and were looking for a leisurely tour of Kyoto. We were referred to Mr. Nagata (Nobu) and were extremely pleased with the referral. Nobu-san was prompt, courteous, considerate and very knowledgeable about all the places we visited and the culture. He took us to a couple places that are not on the regular tourist itinerary and we really enjoyed his recommendations. His air-conditioned van was spotless and a welcome respite as we were out on a day when it was about 36 degrees Celsius. My daughter had a ball learning about the history and culture. Nobu-san is one of the best guides we have come across in all out travel around the world. Keep it up!

 

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

Hi Nobu, 

You were the best guide for us on this trip -- and will always remain in our memory as a very knowledgeable, hard-working expert who gave us every opportunity to enjoy Kyoto.  You went out of your way to take us to places "off the beaten path" and fulfilled our wishes to see the highlights of your beautiful city.  For me, some of the best moments of our trip to Japan were seeing the snow monkeys and discussing your personal insights about your country's history.  You did a superior job, provided outstanding and comfortable transportation, and were generous with your time and honest insights about your culture.  We would highly recommend you to our friends and share our comments with anyone wanting the best possible travel experiences in Kyoto. 

 

We are so lucky that Jan and Alan Block recommended you and also hope our

paths cross again soon!  If you ever can come to Los Angeles, please let us

know so we can show you "our town" (we would do the best we can, but would

fall short of your level of expertise). 

 

Best regards, 

Judy Thomas 

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

Mr Nagata (Nobu-San). We are very pleased with Nobu-San's excellent service. He drives a sparkling clean black mini van good for 6 pax. He has a very deep knowledge of the Japan culture and history and explains them to us along the way. This is important as it allows us to have a better insight and appreciation of the Japan culture and history. This will not be possible if you visit these places on your own. Nobu-San is an unconventional Japanese man who surprises us with his jokes and great sense of humour. He brought us to Arashimaya Bamboo Grove, Otagi Nenbutsu-Ji temple, Ryoan-Ji temple (rock garden temple), Golden Pavilion, Fushimi-Inari Shrine, Kitano ten mangu Shrine, Gion and Miyagawacho district over the 2 days. He even brought us to the handicraft center and tea shop when we wanted to buy some local souvenirs home. If time permits, plse ask him to bring you to see the Geishas in the evening from 1730hrs onwards. We highly recommend using his service which is so enjoyable and great value for money!!!

 

Lim Sock Hia

Head, Admin and Ancillary HR 

Head, Industrial Relations

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

Nobu san was very friendly and patient, and we went on an 8 hour full day tour of Kiyomizu-dera Temple, Ginkaku-ji, Kinkaku-ji, Fushimi Inari Shrine and a few more shrines. Nobu san was early and already waiting for us outside our hotel. He knew we wanted to see the red maple leaves even though the season is almost over so he changed the itinerary so that we could see red leaves at a shrine that wasn't on my original list. He was very kind, warm, flexible, knowledgeable, funny, and spoke excellent English. Everything you'd hope for in a tour guide. We travelled as a family of four with my parents and sister and we sat very comfortably in his spotless, spacious van. 

On a side note, Nobu san was immensely helpful. After confirming my tour, I emailed him numerous times about where to buy the best souvenirs in Kyoto and asked for restaurant recommendations. He always replied the next day in a very friendly manner and never seemed annoyed. He genuinely enjoys and loves his city and job. 

We would definitely book him again when we return to Kyoto. It's worth it as the shrines and sites are very spread out and it would've taken us a few days to cover what we did in one day. At the end of the tour, he knew we wanted to visit a kimono shop so he dropped us off at an authentic vintage local shop. Thanks so much Nobu san!

 

From Ms. Joy Ngan.

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
Arashiyama Bamboo Grove

This review is for Nobuaki Nagata. My girlfriend and I were touring Japan for the first time in December 2016 and Kyoto was our first stop. 

Given the thousands of sites and only being in Kyoto for a few days, we thought a private tour was the optimal choice to be efficient with our time and get the most of our experience. 

We did a day tour (6 hours) with Mr. Nagata on our first day. We highly recommend Mr. Nagata. 

From the moment we started emailing Mr. Nagata about our trip, we were in good hands. 

He was very polite, prompt, and detailed with initial emails. 

He proposed a day of sites for the tour and also recommended sites for our second and third day to do on our own. 

Mr. Nagata arrived early, was extremely professional, and has a very comfortable car. 

He really takes the stress out of trying to figure out where to go, how to get there, what's the most important things to see, etc. 

We saw the main attractions but even off the beaten path sites which were some of my favorite. 

Above all, Mr. Nagata is such an honorable man. He practices excellence in everything he does and you can sense his passion for the job.

He is a government certified tour guide and while he is constantly booked,

when he does have free time, he spends it visiting new sites and learning more to further perfect his craft. His hard work and passion even gave me motivation for my own life and job. 

He also has a great sense of humor and it was fun to converse with him. 

While we only spent a day with Mr. Nagata, by the end of the tour, we felt like he was a long time friend and we instantly missed him when we parted ways. 

While seeing sites is important, I appreciated the little things and

spontaneous moments a personal tour with Mr. Nagata provided, such as my favorite moment when we were in a small temple and he was sitting

cross-legged in his suit with such flexibility and teaching us a few things about zen meditation. 

He also gave us restaurant recommendations and told us the best time and place to see geisha (we saw 10!). 

While we only did a day tour, you could easily book additional time/days with him. I have never written a review before, but felt so compelled to as Mr. Nagata's excellence should be recognized and appreciated. I recommend emailing Mr. Nagata as soon as you know your trip details as he books up quickly.

From Mr. Marcos Garcia.                          

 

** *** ** *** ** *** ** *** **

 

Dear Mr. Marcos Garcia,

Thank you very much for your great review.

I was surprised your review, it is really beyond my expectations.

Your review is surely helpful for my business.

I really appreciate your kind approval to put your wonderful review on my website as your testimonial.

I hope I will be able to meet you again in the near future.

Please give my best regards to your beautiful girlfriend.

 

Sincerely Regards,

Nobuaki Nagata 

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

I visited Kyoto with my fiancé in December.

Mr. Nagata was a friendly, polite, energetic, and extremely knowledgeable tour guide. 

He toured with us longer than we arranged and we felt as though we left Kyoto with a thorough understanding of the city's incredible history.

Mr. Nagata tailored our tour specifically to our preferences and spoke English very well. 

I would recommend his services to anyone traveling to Kyoto.

 

From Mr. Jordan Isicoff

 

Testimonial for NAGATA KyotosightsTour

I made a reservation for the tour a little more than a month in advance and had some mail conversation on what we wanted to see/do during our tour. 

Leaving it up to our guide Mr. Nobuaki Nagata to decide on where to go and what to see.

Turned out to be a great day in a snowy Kyoto! 

Temples/shrines and some good food where we presented to by Mr. Nobuaki, he speaks very good English and have very good knowledge about the city and knows how to present it in a good way.

The car was in condition as new and umbrellas was offered as protection to the changing weather.

 

From Gustafsson

Testimonial the honor of having Nagata-san as our tour guide

I've been to Kyoto 2 times prior to this trip and had gone to a few places but didn't enjoy it as much as I did this time around. I had the honor of having Nagata-san as our tour guide. I had 5 people in my party, 2 being children 5 and under. His car was very comfortable and convenient. 

I gave him a list of places I wanted to visit and Nagata-san gave me his suggestion and I accepted. I am glad he was there to help us navigate the spots and give us history of each location. He was also very kind to help us with the stroller (not recommended if you could avoid it) up and down stairs. 

Nagata san is a joy to be with and I am very lucky to have had him as a tour guide. My whole family loved the experience and would come back again in the future.

I highly recommend him as a tour guide. It's the best way to explore Kyoto. 

Hope to see you in the future.

 

From Ms. Annie L. 

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

Hi Nobu,

Please post my review to your website. Happy to provide a testimonial!

Showed out Kyoto photos, including one of you and Kate, to friends tonight! My daughter and I had the good fortune to tour Kyoto with a stellar guide -Mr. Nobuaki Nagata (Nobu).

Nobu is friendly and knowledgeable guide which made for an interesting and delightful day. 

He was organized, yet flexible and took care of all logistics.  Since we had limited time to visit and an insufficient knowledge of Japenese history and culture, we wanted to see sites that would offer us an overview of imperial Kyoto and the Shinto and Buddhist cultures. 

We were further constrained by the running of the Kyoto Marathon. Therefore on day one, Nobu designed an a tour that took us to: Fushimi Inari Taisha, Komyoin, Sanjusangendo, Kiyiomizudera and a brief stop Geisha district. When we expressed an interest in painting, Nobu suggested adding Chishakuin Temple which is known for its beautiful wall painting Nobu offered enough information to shape our understanding of the sites and included bits of folks lore and contemporary " fun facts" about Kyoto aswell.

We highly recommend Nobu for anyone who wants a fun and informative journey through time in Kyoto.

 

Regards,

Carol Marine

Kiyomuzu-dera temple
Kiyomuzu-dera temple

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

Nobu-san was a guide and owner driver we booked the eight hours private taxi tour.

We were travelling with senior friends and felt this would be the most comfortable option for them.  The communication leading before our trip was detailed and prompt, Nobu-san was helpful and gave suggestions on pick-up time and route to avoid traffic.

In the morning, we were picked up on time in a very clean and comfortable Alphard type luxury vehicle and Nobu-san greeted us warmly. We wanted to visit many temples and tourist sights, Nobu-San tailored a tour of Kyoto to our requests and accompanied us at every site. Our tour was filled with many interesting facts and extensive knowledge of Kyoto's Shrines and tourist spots. He was also very flexible in his tour, and catered to the needs of the senior friends, Nobu-san treated them with infinite patience, respect and kindness. When he found out we would be attending a tea ceremony near Kyoto station after the tour, he called ahead so that the venue could provide chairs for our senior friends as sitting on the floor might trouble their knees! We were very touched by his thoughtfulness.

We visited Fushimi Inari Shrine, Kiyomizu Dera Temple, Nijo Castle, Ryoanji Temple, and ended the day at Kinkakuji. 

I highly recommend his services, and would no doubt book a trip with him in the future.

 

Regards,

Samantha Cheng

 

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

Hi Nobu,

Please post my review to your website. Happy to provide a testimonial!

Showed out Kyoto photos, including one of you and Kate, to friends tonight! My daughter and I had the good fortune to tour Kyoto with a stellar guide -Mr. Nobuaki Nagata (Nobu).

Nobu is friendly and knowledgeable guide which made for an interesting and delightful day. 

He was organized, yet flexible and took care of all logistics.  Since we had limited time to visit and an insufficient knowledge of Japenese history and culture, we wanted to see sites that would offer us an overview of imperial Kyoto and the Shinto and Buddhist cultures. 

We were further constrained by the running of the Kyoto Marathon. Therefore on day one, Nobu designed an a tour that took us to: Fushimi Inari Taisha, Komyoin, Sanjusangendo, Kiyiomizudera and a brief stop Geisha district. When we expressed an interest in painting, Nobu suggested adding Chishakuin Temple which is known for its beautiful wall painting Nobu offered enough information to shape our understanding of the sites and included bits of folks lore and contemporary " fun facts" about Kyoto aswell.

We highly recommend Nobu for anyone who wants a fun and informative journey through time in Kyoto.

 

Regards,

Carol Marine

Kiyomuzu-dera temple
Kiyomuzu-dera temple

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

Our private tour of Kyoto with Mr. Nobuaki Nagata (Nobu) was a great experience. He was referred to us by Mr. Machi. Nobu designed an excellent itinerary, and also was flexible in adapting it to accommodate additional sites we wanted to explore. His knowledge allowed us to avoid crowds, enabling us to see even more of this spectacularly beautiful city (in his pristine and spacious van). Overall, Nobu created an unforgettable memory

 

Warm Regards,

Kathleen

 

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

Mr Nagata (Nobu-San). We are very pleased with Nobu-San's excellent service. He drives a sparkling clean black mini van good for 6 pax. He has a very deep knowledge of the Japan culture and history and explains them to us along the way. This is important as it allows us to have a better insight and appreciation of the Japan culture and history. 

This will not be possible if you visit these places on your own. Nobu-San is an unconventional Japanese man who surprises us with his jokes and great sense of humour. 

He brought us to Arashimaya Bamboo Grove, Otagi Nenbutsu-Ji temple, Ryoan-Ji temple (rock garden temple), Golden Pavilion, Fushimi-Inari Shrine, Kitano ten mangu Shrine, Gion and Miyagawacho district over the 2 days. He even brought us to the handicraft center and tea shop when we wanted to buy some local souvenirs home. If time permits, plse ask him to bring you to see the Geishas in the evening from 1730hrs onwards. 

We highly recommend using his service which is so enjoyable and great value for money!!!

 

From Sock Hia Lim 

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

 

Mr. Nobu Nagata met us at the train station on the platform and took us straight to sightseeing!  We requested a 5 hour tour of Kyoto because we were just day tripping it from Tokyo. We saw all the top sights that I requested.  Everything was very efficient and smooth. We got hungry early and we requested to eat lunch.  Mr. Nagata found a place where we could eat with good English speaking staff too. We had a wonderful tour.  We communicated about the sights and train arrival time way in advance.  He will email you back and forth until everything is just right.  I appreciated all of his help.

Regards,

Priscilla Chow

 

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

Dear Mr. Nagata,

In March 2017, I (along with two to four others) had the pleasure of having Mr. Nagata as our guide for Kyoto and nearby areas for two days. He was an excellent guide - very punctual, patient, knowledgeable and friendly. He made our stay in Kyoto most enjoyable as well as quite interesting. He took us to places that tourists would not normally visit. Plus, he was most agreeable if we needed to stop for coffee or a lunch break. Mr. Nagata planned our two days very well and we saw more than we could possibly have seen on our own. Plus, the transportation he provided was terrific - very clean, spacious and comfortable. Mr. Nagata's English is very good and he provides interesting details about the locations that we visited. Our trip to Kyoto was an A+, largely because of Mr. Nagata. (Note that I have been to Kyoto before but having Mr. Nagata as a guide provided a completely new experience. I saw parts of Kyoto that I did not see before and that were "off the beaten path.") I have no hesitation in recommending him to you as a guide.

 

Professor Carla Hayn,

Senior Associate Dean

Executive MBA & Global Immersion Programs

UCLA Anderson

310-206-9225

 

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

My husband and our mothers had a really wonderful full day tour with Mr. Nagata in Kyoto this April.

Mr. Nagata was very responsive over email prior to the tour confirming all the details. 

He picked us up punctually at 8am on the day of the tour and made sure we were the first visitors at a few of the sightseeing spots so we could avoid the crowds. 

The tour was based on our preferences and some great suggestions from Mr. Nagata who is a very friendly and knowledgeable guide with very good English. 

As our mothers were not in a condition to walk too much, Mr. Nagata adjusted the tour to accommodate our needs. 

Mr. Nagata also recommended a very good traditional Japanese restaurant for lunch and took us to an amazing kimono store. 

He also suggested stores for traditional Japanese goods around the city. 

Mr. Nagata's car is very comfortable and we got to see a lot of sights at a leisurely pace. 

I would highly recommend a tour of Kyoto with Mr. Nagata!

 

Kind regards,

Elizaveta Nicolaeva

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

We were visiting family in Japan but took a brief respite in Kyoto. 

 

Our guide was Nobuaki (Nobu) Nagata. He met my husband and two children (8 and 10yo) at Kyoto Station for the start of our tour. 

 

We told him ahead of time what we were interested in seeing and he made sure we saw it all (Fushimi-Inari, Kiyomizu-dera, Kinkakuji). 

 

We didn't have a lot of time due to our schedule but thankfully, on this day, the traffic and parking wasn't as bad as we thought so we were able to move quickly. Nobu was completely accommodating and guided us through each location and gave us background and interesting information for each place. 

 

My husband doesn't like to stay stagnant for too long and Nobu kept a nice pace and timed everything appropriately so we could visit all of our desired locations. 

 

Nobu was a wonderful, professional and knowledgeable guide. We really enjoyed his pleasant disposition, he's extremely reliable and his English is very good. 

 

Our kids really liked his nice vehicle!  I completely recommend him for any Kyoto experience.

 

Deborah Sauri

 

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

Kinkaku temple was registered as a world heritage in 1994.
Kinkaku temple was registered as a world heritage in 1994.

My wife and I had a wonderful and very informative 7 hours tour of lovely Kyoto with our excellent private driver Nobu Nagata. 

 

Nobu is a pleasant and quietly efficient gent with vast knowledge of Kyoto and we had a fabulous private tour led by Nobu Nagata.

It started with Nobu picking us up from outside carriage 7 of our Shinkansen bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto and ended with him seeing us off at Kyoto station.

We would certainly recommend him.

 

Dr. Jai Kulkarni 

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

We booked this private tour because we are first timers in Kyoto. 

 

My husband and I and his parents (70 years old ) and 7 months old baby. 

Nobu has a luxury spacious car that fit all of us easily and has comfortable soft leather seats that made the commuting very enjoyable. 

 

He was an amazing guide and we all had a lot of fun.

 

He is super friendly, has a great sense of humor, knowledgeable, and loves his job. 

He even carried 3 umbrellas for us in case it rains.

 

His hospitality was above and beyond anything we have ever experienced from a guide! 

 

We even ran a little over time just so he could show us a part of Kyoto we hadn't seen yet, at no extra cost. 

Nobu speaks English very well and the cost was great value for the service we received. 

 

We highly recommend Nobu to all of you who are thinking to book a private taxi tour in Kyoto! You won't be disappointed!

 

From Ms. Mariko Sakakibara

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

Nobu Nagata was our guide for two days while in Kyoto, because his van could hold my group of six. 

Nobu-san had some pretty big shoes to fill. And fill them he did! 

He was just as professional, warm, charming, etc. 

His van was immaculate and he was a great driver. 

He took us to all of the places we asked and some extra places that he knew about.

Put simply, the tour is worth every penny in my opinion. 

He gets you close to all of the temples, knows plenty of the history, doesn't waste any of your time, etc. 

He was great with all of the kids in my group and enjoyed teaching my son some of the nuances of the Japanese language. You can't go wrong with him. 

He is top notch, but then what do you expect...he is Japanese after all.

 

Jeremy Wood

 

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

We arranged our 6 hour tour with Nobu-san by email and he was easy to work with. 

He picked us up at our hotel and took us to several places we had picked out.

Instead of just acting as our driver, he escorted us to each attraction and gave us a thorough history of each place.

You could tell he knows Kyoto very well and he treated us like we were his personal guests. 

We are Americans living and working near Tokyo and are familiar with the trains and subways here but we would have spent a lot of time in transit and would have missed Nobu-san's great information.

I would hire him again and I highly recommend his services.

 

Ronnette Coffman

Tenryuji Temple in Arashiyama

Read More

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

Thank you very much for referring to Nagata taxi for a private tour of Kyoto.

Mr. Nagata was not only a great English speaking tour guide but a very hospitable person.

My husband was not able to do some walking tours. Mr. Nagata accommodated him a wheel chair to tour Nijo castle and push him an entire tour there. 

Our family not only enjoyed a 7-hour sightseeing of Kyoto but also learned a rich history of Kyoto as well.

 

Kindly Regards,

Ms. Akiko Bontems.

Fushimi Inari Taisha
Fushimi Inari Taisha

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

We spent a day this past January touring Kyoto with Nobu.

This was truly one of the most memorable days we spent in Japan. 

Nobu was kind and open, and helped to craft the tour around our areas of interest. 

He even adapted throughout the day so we could learn more about things that we found compelling along the way. 

It seems that there is no subject that is out of reach for Nobu! 

He is deeply knowledgeable about history, art, culture, religion, even gardening and landscaping. 

We visited a mix of sites, from very famous locations to tiny, seemingly secret gardens and temples around Kyoto. From a practical side, Nobu was very organized, communicated promptly over email, picked us up at our ryokan, spoke English well, and was enthusiastic about sharing his knowledge. 

I wholeheartedly recommend this tour and Nobu – you will not be disappointed!

 

Regards,

L. Haas

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

Hi Nobu, 

 

Sorry it has taken this long to thank you for a beautiful tour in Kyoto and being such a good driver too! 

We enjoyed seeing my neighborhood when I was 5 years old and the cemetery at Shinnyodo and touring the Imperial Palace, where I played as a young child.  

The tour you provided was perfect, and always accommodating us, even pushing Jocelyne in the wheelchair at the Palace.  

You are the best!  We hope to stay in touch with you as we will again visit Kyoto.

Wishing you much success and good health!

 

Frank and Jocelyne Shiromoto

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

Mr. Nagata took care of my family during three days (two in Kyoto and one in Nara).  His vehicle is impecable (Toyota Van for six passengers). 

He is very knowlegeable, knows very well the city and the sights. 

Three days may seem like a lot of time in Kyoto. You can be there for a month.  There is no way that we would have covered as much as we did without Nobu´s help. 

I strongly suggest any traveler to Kyoto to use a private service.

You will waste a LOT of time moving from one place to another.  You have already made the expenditure to be there.  Do not waste time walking or waiting for the bus. 

Spend that time visiting the sights.

 

Victor Quintanal

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

I would highly recommend anyone that wants an English speaking tour to book a tour with them.

We originally sent an email with about 5-6 sites to visit. Based on several e-mail back and forth we decided all day adventure would be too much. 

We decided that we would try to get 3-4 sites with the minimum requirement of 4 hours. We looked this up before our trip and luckily, we did because they are very busy. 

Since we were there for 14 days, we were able to get a tour booked on our last weekend of the trip.

Once we booked the day, it was pretty easy to correspond using email. In fact, we were emailing up until we got off the train which helped us tremendously. I was able to give him my train number and he was able to meet us on the platform of the Shinkansen.  Mr.Nobu had a nice van that could accommodate 6 adults. 

He spoke English very well and his knowledgeable of Kyoto and provided a deep understanding of the history, architecture and even touched on the zen/Buddhist religion. 

The sites we saw Kinkaku-ji, Ryoanji Temple and the bamboo forest. If the crowds were a bit less we may have been able to squeeze in one more sight. 

You have to pay for his parking with is nominal 300-500 yen for parking but you get to park really close to the entrances.  You pay for your own entrance fees but the tour guide gets in free. 

In the 4 hours we got in three sights which was about right for the amount of walking we did at each sight. 

It was well worth the money and I would highly recommend booking this private tour.

 

Mike Taniguchi

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

My friend and I booked a private tour and had Nagata-san (Nobu) for the day. 

He was excellent all around. 

On time, thoughtful, and full of great recommendations for the major attractions and off the beaten trail places. 

We were able to set our own pace and managed to squeeze in more than any of the group tours were offering, and see some unique places.

 

Chris Yen

 

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

Mr. Nobu Nagata picked us up at our hotel & drove us in an air conditioned pristine mini van--which was very much appreciated especially in the hot & humid August weather!

He took us to many more shrines & temples than I thought we could cover in one day. 

Plus, he gave us direction to the best photo locations. 

Mr. Nagata is very knowledgeable & answered our numerous questions about past & present history & customs. 

He gave us helpful hints for visiting other sites (the following day) to avoid crowds. 

His warm personality & joyful demeanor made our day very enjoyable & memorable.

Mr. Nagata is the ultimate professional--prompt, reliable, friendly, fun & is an excellent historian. 

 

We highly recommend his expertise for your visit.

 

Jeanette Oka 

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

 

 

My dad and I had only a day in Kyoto (traveling from Tokyo in the morning and back in late afternoon).

Luckily, we had Mr. Nobu as our guide and driver - 2 in 1!! He was very friendly, hospitable and very knowledgable.

We arrived on a very busy day (Japanese local holiday) but Mr. Nobu planned the trip for us so efficiently that we made it to 4 must-see places.

Thank you so much Mr. Nobu for making our experience so memorable!

       

Runchana Pongsaparn

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

“Kyoto's Best Kept Secret!”

We have a new trusted friend, Nobu-san, in Kyoto!

We have already recommended him to friends and are looking forward to our next visit to Kyoto with him.

His English is good and easy to understand. 

We greatly appreciated his patience and knowledge of the city.

His recommendations for restaurants and other sites were spot on. 

All 5 of us comfortably fit in his pristine van. 

We also hired him to take us to the train station when leaving. 

Wonderfully happy and fun personality. Very courteous and thoughtful. 

Customized our tour on the fly and added a few fantastic off-the-beaten path spots. 

Would highly recommend to anyone looking for a guide in Kyoto.

 

From Benny Ang

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

“Great times with Nobu in Kyoto!”

 

Nobu was always on time picking us up in his seemingly brand new black minivan.

 

He allowed us to make the itinerary making helpful suggestions along the way. 

 

He went out of his way to accommodate my two daughters  (2yo, 4yo).

 

He is extremely knowledgeable about Kyoto's history. 

 

When it was time for lunch, he always had a great recommendation ready for us. 

 

Thank you for a great tour Nobu

 

From Seth Goodman.

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

“The Only Way to See Kyoto!”

 

We were referred to Mr Nagata as we were a family of five. 

Nobu Nagata was waiting for us on the platform as we arrived in Kyoto. 

His service was professional, friendly and energetic. 

He tailored our day to enable us to visit our must-see-sites. 

His knowledge of the sites and getting around Kyoto was A+.

In addition, he was understanding of my jet-lagged kids and the extreme heat that day. 

 

He brought us to a phenomenal ramen place that my family loved. 

He was accommodating with our requests and our constant desire to capture the moment with pics and selfies! 

He truly made our Kyoto visit. Thank you Nobu!

 

From Keith Kato

 

 

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

 

Dear Mr. Nagata,

 

Thank you so much for helping to make a very special day for Rae and  myself yesterday, with our dear friend Ushida-san. 

Your knowledge and love of Kyoto and Japanese history really ensured we got the most from our time. 

We particularly enjoyed the variety of temples that you took us to and your explanations of Buddhist values and how these are integrated into Japanese culture.  You have a very special talent. 

Thank you so much for your kindness in dropping my sunglasses to our hotel this afternoon. That was so generous.

 

If we return to Kyoto or if we have friends coming, we will certainly be recommending you.

 

Best wishes, 

Glenn Fankhauser

 

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

We had been given the recommendation to use this company by a friend who visited Kyoto several years ago. 

 

We were a party of five adults so needed a bigger vehicle to tour the city and see some of the sites that are difficult to reach by train, bus or subway. 

 

Nobu picked us up at our hotel promptly and ready to make the best recommendations so our time was not wasted. 

 

His car is a beautiful new model minivan that was very comfortable and impressive. 

 

Nobu was a complete delight. It is a wonderful way to learn about the historical and picturesque city of Kyoto, in addition to spending the day with a lovely, intelligent man who knew so many important facts about the sites we visited and added his humor and personal knowledge to everything. 

 

We hired Nobu for six hours and we visited Tenru-ji Temple, the Bamboo Forest, Otagi Nenbutsu-ji Temple (our favorite), Gio-ji Temple, Ninnaji Temple, Ryoanji Temple and lastly the Golden Pavilion. 

 

He knows this city and its back streets and alleys like the retired taxi driver he is and you certainly get your money's worth with him. 

 

Wear comfortable shoes that are easy to slip on and off, bring bottled water and perhaps a light snack. 

 

Have ample cash for parking and entrance to each Temple and prepare money for his guidance before departing. 

 

We had wanted to stop for lunch, but he knew we could continue and not waste time and money eating, so we pushed on. 

 

He allowed time at the Golden Pavilion to buy ice cream and we finished our tour by him dropping us at the Nishiki Market with a lunch recommendation and bus directions to return to our hotel. 

 

It was a perfect day and the highlight of our trip to Japan. 

 

The people of Japan are what make this country a wonderful place to visit and the customer service everywhere you go is beyond your expectations- Nobu-san lived up to all of what his country represents.

 

From Mary Spencer.

 

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

 

My father and I visited Kyoto and had Nobu Nagata as our guide.

He was fantastic and very knowledgable. 

He tailored our two day itinerary to reach both the major can't-miss sites in Kyoto (like the Golden Pavilion), as well as a number of smaller temples and shrines that were absolutely gorgeous and not crowded at all. 

 

At many of these sites, we were the only visitors. 

Nobu used to be a taxi driver before he got his guide's license, but he still has a taxi driver's knowledge of the streets of Kyoto. 

I can't imagine how we could have seen as many great sites without his guidance, and many of the places he recommended we could never have known about at all. 

 

We actually visited the great temples at Nara before meeting up with Nobu and I wish we had him in Nara as well. 

He has our highest recommendation.

 

From Dr. George C. Leef, MD

 

Internal Medicine Resident

Stanford University 

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

Full day private custom tour in Kyoto - excellent and highly recommended

 

We had a few days to spend in Kyoto, and wanted to use a guide to enrich our experience at the sites and to increase our efficiency at seeing different sites. 

 

We found Mr. Nobu Nagata and excellent reviews here. 

 

Communication before our arrival was clear and prompt. 

 

The most important to us was Mr. Nagata's willingness to customize our day with him. He is cheerful, polite, warm and incredibly well informed. 

 

We spent 7h starting in the western mountains to see Tenryuji, Otagi-nenbutsu, Arashiyama bamboo forest, and then headed in a northern loop to fit in Ryoan-ji, Kinkakuji and finally Ginkakuji. It was a fantastic day, fairly packed but never rushed, and Nobu's approach to informing us and keeping us laughing was perfect. 

 

We would not hesitate to use him again when we next return to Kyoto.

 

From Dr. Steve Kay

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

We arranged two guides for our group of 8 people.

We were very fortunate to be assigned Nobuaki Nagata and Hiro.

Each guide drove 4 of us in their respective vehicles.

We essentially followed each other the entire time so we could enjoy all the sites together Both Nobu and Hiro were exceptional!

Most of my interactions were directly with Nobu, and he was very responsive and patient with all my questions.

We visited interesting sites, including the unique moss garden, bamboo forest and rock gardens with faces of the artists, spent time in Gion (the Geisha area) and even had time for a delicious lunch.

The vehicles were in great shape, the price was reasonable, and the guides spoke good English.

Of all the ports we stopped at on our cruise ship, this private excursion was our favorite.

Bottom line....would highly recommend these guide(s)!!

 

From Mr. and Ms. Wong

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

Nobu took our family of 6 around Kyoto for the day, serving as our driver and tour guide. 

 

He was an exceptionally knowledgeable lead about the history and culture of the temples and old town, providing a very interesting context about what we saw that we couldn’t have found elsewhere. 

 

He made solid recommendations about how to enhance our itinerary. 

 

He was very friendly across three generations of our family and was good company.

 

He even helped us buy return tickets to Tokyo and sat by in his car while we ate so that he could be close to the restaurant. 

 

 

From Mr. and Ms. Sylvester.

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

“ Private English Tour in Kyoto ”

 

My wife and I booked a 7 hour tour with Nobuaki Nagata from Private English Tour in Kyoto on October 18, 2017. 

 

Nobu was very professional, knowledgeable, spoke good English and was quick to suggest changes to our itinerary as he sensed, from our conversation, what our interests were. 

 

He made our day very interesting and educational.

 

From Mr. Roberto Sivit

Otagi Nenbutsu-ji Temple, a temple famous for its 1200 Rakan. Sambo-no-kane, the bells of the three treasures: the Buddha(佛), the dharma (law)(法), and the priests(僧).

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

“Nobu was a wonderful guide”

 

We most certainly enjoyed our 4 hour tour with Nobu. 

 

He was knowledgeable and interesting as he guided us through some popular and an "off the beaten path" sites in Kyoto.

 

We learned a lot about Shinto shrines, Buddhist temples, Shogun, Zen and Rock gardens. 

 

Nobu was friendly, respectful, efficient. A great way to add meaning and depth to our brief few days in Kyoto.

 

From Ms. Laura Krug

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

“Nobu was the best!”

 

Everything was amazing! 

 

We chose 4 of the busiest temples and locations and Nobu got us to all of them! 

 

He even helped us to find stores for souvenirs that were on the way as well as calling to make us a reservation for us for dinner! 

 

I highly recommend Nobu and this private tour group!! 

 

He was very knowledgeable and was very pleasantries ride with! 

 

He knew all the best photo spots.

 

From Torey Kikukawa-san.

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

Great Private Tour of Kyoto

 

There were 2 couples in our group of 4. Corresponding with Nobu was easy and we received quick responses to our questions. 

 

Nobu really encouraged us to let him know what we were interested in seeing in Kyoto (do some homework re. your list of sites). 

 

His van was very comfortable and being a former taxi driver, Nobu knew Kyoto like the back of his hand. 

 

He was extremely knowledgeable and his English was excellent. 

 

When we return to the Kyoto area we will definitely use Nobu again, but will let him decide the itinerary.

 

From Mr. Fred Yim and Ms. Joanne Yim.

 

 

Tenryu-ji Temple, head temple of the Tenryu-ji Rinzai Zen sect

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

Nobu guided me in Kyoto and Nara over the course of three days. 

 

I highly recommend him, and would be glad to make use of his services should I return to Japan. 

 

He is a consummate gentleman, well-informed about the places we went, and highly responsible. 

 

He responded very quickly to emails, speaks English well, and takes a lot of pride is showing visitors the treasures of the area. 

 

As he got to know me, and the kinds of things I am most interested in, he took great interest in finding off-the-beaten track spots he thought I'd like to see. 

 

He navigated everything from traffic to loud tourists in sacred spots with humor and aplomb. 

 

I recommend him without hesitation and hope to see him again soon!

 

 

Warmly,

Gwen Well

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

Nobu took our family of 6 around Kyoto for the day, serving as our driver and tour guide. 

 

He was an exceptionally knowledgeable lead about the history and culture of the temples and old town, providing a very interesting context about what we saw that we couldn’t have found elsewhere. 

 

He made solid recommendations about how to enhance our itinerary. 

 

He was very friendly across three generations of our family and was good company.

 

He even helped us buy return tickets to Tokyo and sat by in his car while we ate so that he could be close to the restaurant. 

 

From Mr. and Ms. Sylvester.

 

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

 

Hi Nobu,

 

Thank you so much for your kind service today. I have indeed enjoyed my time in Kyoto.

I wish you the best of luck in life and see you next time.

 

Kind Regards,

Allan 

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

京都観光タクシー 永田信明 Nobusan
Nobu with Hynes family from AUS

Fantastic tour.... highly reckmmended”

 

Nobusan was very knowledgeable and conducted our tour according to our requests.

He was very patient with our young children, and they loved him! 

Communication prior to the tour was very efficient. 

Nobusan was waiting for us with his luxury car at requested time. 

I would definitely use this service again and will be recommending to my friends. 

 

Thanks Nobusan!!

From Ms. Karla Hynes

京都観光タクシー 永田信明 Nobusan
Rokuon-ji Temple, Kinkaku

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

Nobu - Wonderful driver and English speaking tour guide around Kyoto!”

We spent two days with Nobu as our driver and tour guide around Kyoto and he was terrific! 

We were traveling with our one year old son and two grandparents and he was very patient and helpful. 

We were able to see lots of sites in a short amount of time, but with in-depth descriptions and explanations. 

He was flexible and had great suggestions about off-the-path temples and shrines to visit that were beautiful.

We would highly recommend Nobu for anyone looking for an English speaking tour guide for Kyoto! 

He was GREAT!

 

From Mr. and Ms. Gittleman in USA

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

Great day with Nobuaki Nagata”

 

We had a really really good christmas day in Kyoto and had lots of fun with Nobuaki Nagata.

Nobu was in the train station platform the minute we stepped out of the shinkansen from Osaka; and without a minute to spare, we started going around Kyoto, based on the list we agreed on. 

 

Nobu knows a lot of the history of Kyoto, and also shared wonderful and interesting tidbits to us, about each place we visited. 

No questions were left unanswered. Kids had fun, and found everything interesting. 

 

Nobu is also very polite with his suggestions, and it was all good. 

Lunch was superb, and the order of the sights visited allowed us maximum tour time, as traffic was minimal. 

 

He drives an Alphard and is a very comfortable ride. 

Prior to meeting him, and during our email correspondence, Nobu was very professional and very helpful. His English is also impeccable. 

 

I will definitely tour with NObu again when Im back in the area, as he also does Kyoto environs, like Nara. Highly recommend Nobu!

 

From Shanie Kawpeng san in PHL

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

Local Insight Makes The Trip”

 

Our family had a wonderful day with Mr. Nagata. 

In addition to leading us through the major sights in Kyoto,

 

Nobu gave us great insights into the local culture and history from the Shogun and Emperor roles to the history and practice of the Geisha. 

 

His insights made the sightseeing so much more interesting.

 

From Mr. Tim Crosson in USA

 

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

The Golden Pavilion, Kinkaku-Ji Temple
The Golden Pavilion, Kinkaku-Ji Temple

Great way to see Kyoto!”

Nobu was amazing! What a great way to see Kyoto!

We visited 4 sites over 6 hours and were so impressed with Nobu’s knowledge of each location and interesting facts...

And his lunch spot, a nice local Ramen restaurant which I could not tell you where it was or what it’s called but WOW !

Great value for money and highly recommend this tour!!

 

From Ms. Kellie Ghattas in AUS 

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

“Kyoto Tour”

 

We had an amazing day with Mr Nobuaki visiting Nijo-jo Castle, Golden Pavillion, Ryoanji Temple, Kiyomizu Temple and a secret gem away from the tourists recommended by our guide.

 

Nobuaki was knowledgeable and had a great sense of humor keeping all of my family entertained throughout the day. 

 

He organised our itinerary with great detail ensuring we had plenty of time had each location. 

 

I thoroughly recommend this Tour.

 

 From Mr. and Ms. Thomas in AUS 

Nijo-jo Castle
Nijo-jo Castle

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

Kyoto Tour in December with Nobu 

 

Nobu was the guide for a tour of Kyoto in December with my wife and our friends, it was phenomenal!

Nobu’s English is superb and he took us on a fantastic tour of Kyoto’s temples. 

 

Our favorite part was the off the beaten path temples he showed us.

I highly recommended Nobu for anyone who is seeking a great tour of Kyoto.

 

From Mr. Steven Zimmerman in USA 

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

Superb Kyoto Tour!

 

I would rate Mr. Nobuaki Nagata, quite simply, as the best tour guide I have

ever met. 

 

He was remarkably courteous, engaging, charming, attentive and very

sensitive to what my family and I required on our first visit to Kyoto.

 

Everything was made easy for us - Nobu took the stress out of travelling,

allowing us to concentrate on sight-seeing and enjoying our time around the

beautiful Temples and Shrines. 

 

If you are looking for the perfect tour guide in English for Kyoto, look no

further than Nobu!

 

             From Professor Anthony Elliott in AUS

 

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

“fantastic private Kyoto tour with Nobu”

 

We arranged a private day tour around Kyoto.

 

It was wonderful. 

 

Our guide,Nobu had a lovely clean big car and was keen to make sure we saw everything on our list and also included some personal suggestions. 

 

English was excellent and the tempura lunch stop delicious. 

 

We went in 1 day from Tokyo and would never have seen as much as we did with this tour on our own. 

 

I highly recommend this professional, friendly and informative tour.

 

From Mr. Scott Thomas in AUS

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

“Kyoto Tour with Nobu on New Year's Eve”

Such a good tour! We had limited time in Kyoto and wanted to be able to utilize our time.
This tour was the perfect way to do that.

Nobu made sure we saw everything that was on our list and some areas that we would have never seen on our own.

Nobu is a very knowledgeable tour guide, as well as a great conversationalist. Highly recommend this tour!

From Ms. Jaime Harden in USA

 

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

Excellent tour with Nobu

 

Our family of four plus and my mother took a Kyoto tour with Nobu in his alphard for the day and it was great. 

Nobu listened to us and showed us what we wanted. 

Gion, bamboo forest, UNESCO site and monkeys. He stayed with us the whole time and always very cheerful. 

He gave insights into the sites and cared for everyone in the tour. His van was very nice and drove very safely as well. 

 

Highly recommend!

 

From Mr.Ken Chang in HKG 

Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple
Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

“Perfect day in Kyoto”

 

We had such a wonderful time with Nobu-san. 

He was very professional, responsive and accommodating to our requests. 

He did an amazing job arranging a perfect day based on our interests. 

We wanted to see some of the "quieter" sites in addition to the popular tourist sites and he balanced the day perfectly between the two. 

He was very knowledgeable and was able answer all our questions (even the silly ones). 

His sense of humor is refreshing and his laugh is contagious. 

If I am ever in Kyoto again, I would definitely book another tour with Nobu-san.

I highly recommend a tour with him.

 

Anita-san in USA

 

Kitano Tenmangu Shrine in kyoto
Flower of the plum of Kitano-Tenman-gu Shrine

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

 

“Fabulous tour of Kyoto”

 

My husband and I toured Kyoto for 2 days with Nobu. 

He was a wonderful tour guide --knowledgeable, smart and very charming. 

The tour is worth every penny - we would never have seen so many sights had it not been for touring with Nobu. 

Besides the main attractions, he also took us to off the beaten track places where there were fewer tourists. 

As an added bonus, he's a very nice and funny man. 

We can't recommend his tour highly enough!

 

Ms. Liz Weinstein in USA 

Ginkakuji,Silver Pavilion
Ginkakuji,Silver Pavilion

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

“Best way to see Kyoto”

 

We had a fantastic trip in Kyoto using this service. 

As there were 5 adults we booked with Nagata-san in his Toyota Alphard. 

Spacious and clean! 

As we only had a day trip we mostly went with his recommended route plus a

couple of our own requests. 

Best way to maximize the 6 hours we had in Kyoto. 

Nagata-san also speaks very good English so it was great to have a guide and

not just a driver.

 

From Alex Lee-san in CAN

 

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

 

お陰様で2人は京都を堪能したようです。

永田様のガイドは分かり易いととても喜んでおりました。

日本人である私も知らない事が多く勉強をさせて頂きました。

彼等は今日新幹線で東京に向かっています。

またお世話になる事があるかも知れませんのでその際には宜しくお願い致します。

 

先ずは御礼まで。

 

佐藤武 

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

Beyond our wildest expectations! Perfect, private tour of Kyoto with Nobu.”

 

I contacted Nagata (Nobu).  For months prior to our arrival I worked with Nobu to set an itinerary that would ensure we'd see everything my husband and I wanted in the amazingly beautiful city of Kyoto. 

 

We were on a tour (that started three days later) so it was important to NOT duplicate any of the things we'd see on the tour.

 

Nobu put together a perfect itinerary ensuring we'd see everything we wanted, but also finding surprises that aligned with our preferences and interests. 

 

I didn't want to deal with other forms of transportation (after a long trip from California) so we arranged for Nobu to pick us up at the airport and tour us for three days. 

 

Even on our way into Kyoto the first night he showed us the Gion (Geisha) district and we saw a beautiful geisha (a rare treat!). 

 

We met for the next tow days -- and they were unbelievable. 

 

Nobu could answer all of our questions, brought sites to life with history and contemporary information. 

 

And when he found out we loved the quiet of temples he took us to two that had NO people in them. 

 

They were favorites of his and ended up being our favorites, too. 

 

He knew when to arrive to beat the crowds and guided us to places within each sight where we could take the best pictures, have the best views and avoid the larger tour groups. 

 

Seeing the cherry blossoms was at the top of my list, but by the time we arrived many had dropped their petals. 

 

Nobu worked hard to find the places where there were late-blooming trees (including taking us to a landscape garden where there were some of the most beautiful cherry blossom trees). 

 

Nobu was kind, thoughtful, gracious and truly one of the best guides we have had in all of our years of travel. 

 

He takes amazing pride in his work and care in meeting (and exceeding) his client's expectations. 

 

He even found reasonably priced restaurants near our hotel, took the initiative to book us reservations and the food was spectacular (for a fraction of what the hotel recommendations charges -- and so much more authentic). 

 

He has a very spacious and comfortable touring van (brand new) and drives with great caution and care.

 

We HIGHLY recommend Nobu if you are going to Kyoto and want to see both the top sights and some off the beaten path. 

 

Your memories will be imprinted by his kind, generous, warm care and guidance. 

 

Be sure to book him early!

 

From Ms. Stacey Paynter in USA

 

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

We did a full day tour with Nobuaki Nagata in Kyoto in March, 2018 and we couldn’t have been more pleased.  

 

He picked us up at the port in Kobe, drove to Kyoto for the day and returned us to the ship that evening.  

 

We had been to Kyoto several times before, so we asked to go to places that he would recommend that were not the usual tourist spots (all of which are wonderful as well) and we were not disappointed.  

 

Everything we saw and did was wonderful, his English is very good, his vehicle is very clean and well cared for and his driving is very safe.

 

We could not have asked for a better day and we will certainly contact him again if we are back in Kyoto.  

 

He is also very good at confirming everything by email in a very timely manner.

 

We would absolutely recommend Mr. Nagata as your tour guide in Kyoto.

 

Sincerely,

Diane Peets in USA

Kyoto Imperial Palace, Kyoto Gosho
Kyoto Imperial Palace, Kyoto Gosho

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

Hi Nobuaki, that is fine.  Once again, Thank you for your service.

Our tour guide was Nobuaki Nagata (Nobu) and we are so happy to have him. 

Nobu was most pleasant, respectful, humorous, and knowledgable; loved his lunch recommendation. 

Nobu provided us with great insight of Kyoto's culture and history. 

He was able to plan and optimized our time in Kyoto so that we are able to see the most & best of Kyoto in 2 days. 

He made special efforts to point out all the Geisha & Maiko walking in Gion. 

The Silver Pavilion is definitely one of my favorites; amazingly designed and beautifully landscaped. 

All in all, Kyoto is simply breathtaking. 

The price for the private tour was reasonable and the tour was most enjoyable; would definitely recommend Nobu for your private tour in Kyoto.

 

From Ms. Monica Lam in USA

 

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

“Wonderful introduction to Kyoto”

 

We only had 6 hours one day to spend with our guide Nobu, but he was able to maximize our time and create the best experience we could have asked for!

 

We hit everything on our list and Nobu was exceptionally knowledgeable about everything.

 

At one point, we mentioned to him that we liked gardens and he took us to an unscheduled stop at Okochi Sanso, which had the most beautiful views and landscaping. 

 

When back in Kyoto, I would definitely hire Nobu to show us more of the city.

 

From Ms. Emma Carron, in USA

 

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour“Kyoto - 1 Day Tour”

 

“Kyoto - 1 Day Tour”

 

We were 6 of us and Nobuaki Nagata-San (Nobu-san) picked us up from our hotel in Kyoto in his very clean and comfortable Toyota van. Nobu-san was very professional, knowledgeable with a great sense of humor. We spent nearly 6 hours very effectively in spite of the rain. Nobu-san was well prepared for the rain, had umbrellas for all of us. 

 

He was efficient in his driving and was always able to find parking spots near the sights we were visiting. 

 

We saw the Fushimi-Ku Inari Shrine (memoirs of a Geisha), Kinkaku, the Golden Pavilion, Zen Buddhist temple with rock garden. 

 

He drove us in and around Gion, geisha district; explaining to us about the culture and how to spot Geisha houses. 

 

Also gave us a name of an excellent restaurant for dinner, walking distance from our hotel and a tip about going to Hyatt Regency Hotel to see a free Geisha show in the evening. 

 

They have one everyday at 6:15pm in the lower level of the hotel. 

 

It lasts only 15 minutes and for us that was enough time.

 

From Pervin Sagar-san, in USA

 

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

“Wonderful experience!”

Mr. Nobuaki ( Nobu ) was a guide for us. 

We discussed through email the places in Kyoto we prefer to visit, given we just have one day for Kyoto, and there are so much places to see there. 

The exchange of email was quick, simple and direct. 

The day of the tour itself went on smoothly, Mr. Nobu was very courteous, informative and kind. 

The tour went on smoothly and it’s like we covered so much in such a limited time. 

We will definitely recommend him to our family and friends when they visit Kyoto.

 

From Marjorie Cu-san , in PHL

Fushimi-Inari Shrine
Fushimi-Inari Shrine

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

京都観光タクシー英語ガイドのロゴ画像です。
Otagi nenbutsu-ji temple

“Excellent in every way”

 

We are a family of 5 (kids aged 10-16) visiting from the US. 

We do not know any Japanese. 

We wanted to spend just a day or two in Kyoto and had originally looked into booking a tour through a travel agent. 

Contacting these guys directly was so much better. 

 

They are honest, easy to do deal with, and very flexible. 

A few emails prior to the visit is all you need to arrange a meeting time/place and to let them know if there are any specific places you want to see. 

As other reviewers noted, you can also just leave the itinerary to them. 

 

Our guide was Nobu. He was excellent. His English is great, so communication was easy. 

His minivan was pristine, well-air conditioned, and comfortable. 

He is a good driver and knows a great deal about the various shrines and temples in Kyoto. 

He is very flexible, so the pace of the tour can be whatever you want it to be; and he is very helpful taking pictures, so the whole family can be included. 

 

Maybe best of all, he is extremely fair and honest. We had originally planned to hire him over 2 days, including stops in at the monkey park and bamboo grove in Arashiyama. As it turned out, we booked one night at a ryokan, which was just a few steps from those two spots, so he suggested we do those on our own to save us from paying for that time. 

He also said that if did not really need him for the second day, we could cancel without a fee. 

 

Of course, we did not cancel day 2 because we were having such a good time with him as our guide. 

 

The details of our trip are as follows: 

 

1. We took a red-eye and arrived in Osaka (Itami). From there we took the shuttle bus to Kyoto, and Nobu was waiting for us at the stop. 

 

2. First stop, Fushimi Inari-taisha. 

 

3. Lunch. It was only 11am in Japan at that point, and he was planning another stop when the kids started to say they were hungry. 

So he asked what we liked to eat and on what budget. 

We said ramen or sushi (maybe something less than 2000 yen/person), and he took us to a small local ramen shop that was great and under 1000/person. 

 

4. Kyomizudera. Nobu explained a lot to us about the difference between Shinto and Buddhist temples and also about how they coexist. 

He also stops at various points to show us where the best views are. 

 

5. Drive through geisha district. 

He would have taken us to see the Golden Pavilion to complete all the stops we had requested, but we had decided to defer that until the next day, so he drove us through Gion on the way to our ryokan in Arashiyama, so we could at least see what the area looked like. 

 

6 (day 2). Otagi Nenbutsu-Ji Temple. This was a smaller temple he suggested, and it turned out to be the kids' favorite. 

He picked us up from Arashiyama later in the morning after we had gone to monkey park on our own. 

 

7. Golden pavilion. 

 

8. Drop off at hotel in downtown Kyoto. 

 

It was starting to get hot at the pavilion, and the kids were getting tired of the temples, so he took us to our hotel next to Kyoto station, and he suggested we check out the mall next door. 

 

Kids were very happy at the mall. Even though we only spent 3 hours with him on day 2, he did not charge us the usual 4 hour minimum since we had hired him for the previous day. 

 

We would have been happy to pay him the extra hour for his flexibility. We have nothing but good things to say about Nobu. 

 

It's too bad we couldn't bring him with us to Tokyo.

 

From Mr. Irwin Lee, in USA

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

“Mission completed within 5 hours”

 

I contacted Nobu (Mr. Nagata) for a day tour on Jun 2. 

 

I let him know my itinerary and he helped to further customize my itinerary so that we could visit those essential attractions within 5 hours.

 

He is really friendly, flexible and gives lots of information about the sites (Nijo Castle, Bamboo forest etc.). 

 

My family really enjoy the tour and we will definitely return when we got more time to spend in Kyoto. 

 

Really appreciate the hospitality offered by Mr. Nagata and not forgetting the nice photos taken by him.

 

We shall meet again soon.

 

From Mr. Amos Lah,in SGP

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

“Wonderful Tour of Kyoto”

Recently my family of 4 had the wonderful opportunity to take a tour of Kyoto with Mr. Nobu Nagata.

He was both an excellent tour guide as well as a wonderful driver around the city. 

Given the hot temperatures and distances between selected destinations, it was great to have a guide with an air-conditioned minivan. 

Nobu provided wonderful historical information as well as insights into the Japanese culture. 

He worked hard to answer all questions and interact with both my husband and

I as well as our two teenage children. 

He made sure we covered all the sights we wanted to see on our tour. 

He also suggested a few extra sights which we were very thankful. 

We enjoyed being able to see a traditional Japanese home as well as a temple

nearby with a delightful collection of Buddhists rakkan (stone Buddha statues). 

Friends have used other guides from the group and everyone has been pleased.

 

I would recommend Nobu Nagata to family and friends planning to visit Kyoto.

 

From Ms. Megan Pickettein SGP in USA

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

 

“Best day of their visit!”

My husband and I currently live in Japan and my parents came to visit us in mid June. 

We decided to take a trip to Kyoto, but didn’t know where to start with planning. 

I stumbled upon this page about private tours and it sounded perfect for us. 

Our guide, Nobu, really made our trip to Kyoto a memorable one; he did everything we could ask for and more. 

From the start, he had great communication via email asking questions about our group and our preferences. 

His recommendation on what time to get to Fushimi Inari saved us hassle with large crowds, and his knowledge on the different shrines and temples we saw, as well as Kyoto history in general, made everything much more interesting. 

It was so nice to say "We want to see X and Y spots" and Nobu filled in the rest of an incredible day. 

He even recommended a great restaurant for lunch! 

He took us to what I think was my favorite temple I've seen in Japan yet, Otagi Nenbutsu, which was off the "beaten path" of popular spots in Kyoto. 

It was so peaceful and the 1200 unique Buddha statues had so much personality! 

Nobu always went out of his way to run back to his van ahead of us to get it started so we could enjoy the nice A/C right when we got inside from the hot weather too. 

My parents cannot stop raving about Nobu and our tour with him, claiming it was their favorite day of their 10 day visit. 

The convenience, personalization and firsthand knowledge that comes with this tour are well worth the price! 

 

Overall, we can't say enough great things about Nobu, book with confidence!

 

From Ms. Sara Gasser in USA

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

Nobu is the best!!!!

We recently returned from Kyoto with our two teen daughters and had an amazing time -- especially our 2 days touring with Nobuaki Nagata (Nobu). 

Nobu was really kind, fun and incredibly knowledgeable about Japanese culture and history. 

He added an element of excitement to everything we did. 

He was also flexible and extraordinarily patient with our family. 

We were in Kyoto during the severe heat wave, so Nobu took extra care to make sure we were comfortable and visited sites that were not overrun with tourists (He kept the car running with AC even when we were not in it!!!). 

Nobu took us to magical shrines and temples, including a few of his own "off-the-beaten-path" favorites which turned out to be highlights for us. 

He also had amazing restaurant recommendations. 

We all appreciated Nobu's humor and personal stories which gave us insight into authentic Japanese life. We highly recommend Nobuaki Nagata as a guide.

 

from Lauren Strogoff in USA

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

Such a wonderful tour of Kyoto

 

We did a 6 hour tour with Mr. Nobuaki Nagata (Nobu) in Kyoto. 

This was our first visit to Japan and of course we based the sites we wanted to visit on what we researched on the internet (Typical tourist spots). 

 

Once we met with Nobu, he went trough the intinerary we had discussed via email, then he asked what type of places we were interested in seeing and then he tweaked our itinerary based on our conversation. (He asked for our permission to do so of course)

Nobu is such a great guide, we were able to cover a lot of places in the short time we had and best of all Nobu’s suggestion were little hidden gems, they were our favorite areas that we visited.

 

He has vast knowledge of the history behind the places we went to and explained everything in perfect English. He’s very friendly, respectful and polite and all with a great sense of humor.

Even though you can see the sites using public transport (some sites he took us too would be a bit difficult though) I highly recommend getting Mr. Nobu as a tour guide, there is no way we would have been able to see everyplace we went to on our own and appreciated them as much not knowing History behind these places that Nobu explained so well. (Being in an Air Conditioned car in 37 Celsius weather doesn’t hurt either :)

 

I highly recommend taking his tour, it is worth the reasonable fee that they charge and will make your experience that much better.

 

From Mr. Armen Pattoukian in CAN

 

Tenryu-ji Temple, head temple of the Tenryu-ji Rinzai Zen sect
Tenryu-ji Temple, head temple of the Tenryu-ji Rinzai Zen sect

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

“Really great experience with Nobu-San!”

 

My parents, my pregnant wife and I, as well as your 21 month old toddler just spent a day with Nobu-San and had a really great time. 

 

Nobu-San was very responsive months out, and as promised, he reached out a couple of days before to confirm pickup. 

 

On the day of, he was early and waiting for us at the Westin Miyako with his very clean, spacious, and nice van. 

 

Japan was setting records with the heat, so he made suggestions for amending our previously discussed itinerary. 

 

We still hit the points that were important to us, and he suggested other points on the fly. 

 

We ended up going to a place that had some yukata for kids that my wife really wanted (and was air conditioned). 

 

He is very price conscious, and also suggested a very tasty authentic Japanese place (full of locals) for lunch. 

 

A must see with kids is Nara Park. It is very congested with tourists, but was our highlight! 

 

I would highly suggest booking with Nobu-San and would wholeheartedly do it again if we are in the area anytime soon. 

 

You will be in good hands.

 

 From Mr. Jed Tsai  in USA

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

“Family visit to Kyoto with Nobu-San”

 

My family and I came for a short visit to Kyoto from Tokyo. 

We only had a day to tour the area and Nobu-San came highly recommended to us from friends in Los Angeles, 

Having him as our guide and driver completely enriched the experience. 

Knowing how much time we had, he helped us plan a meaningful itinerary and was fantastic in his communication with us via email. 

He arrived early to pick us up and his van was extremely comfortable, clean and cool (considering how hot August is here). 

Nobu-San was warm, kind, friendly, and a wonderful sense of humor. 

 

In addition, he has a deep love and terrific understanding of history and it was a treat to gain a better understanding of all the sights he took us to. 

Not only did he take us to the most important highlights of Kyoto, but, on his recommendation, he also took us to an amazing temple that was off the beaten path, which turned out to be our favorite. 

When he found out that we enjoyed drinking tea, he took us to a special and historic tea leaves shop. 

 

Our only regret was that we didn't have more time to spend with him.

 

From Ms. Denise Wingate. in USA

 

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

 

“Tour with Nagataxi Kyoto”

 

We spent a busy day with Nobu touring all of the major sites in Kyoto. 

 

He is a great guide who, most importantly enjoys what he does, is patient

and flexible on what you want to do. 

 

We had an early start and spent 6 hours from attraction to attraction (we

only had one day and he helped us make the most of it).

 

Our family of 4 (myself, wife and two sons, 14 and 16) truly enjoyed it. 

 

I would absolutely recommend him for a private tour of this wonderful city.

 

From Mr. Joe Kushi, .in USA

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

 

“Great Day in Kyoto”

 

We only had a couple days in Kyoto and wanted to maximize our time. 

 

We arranged a tour with Nobuaki Nagata for the day and he helped make the most of it. 

 

He was quick to respond to the booking request and arrange for details. 

 

He picked us up right on time and took us to a range of temples and shrines we would not have easily seen on our own. 

 

Toward the end of the day, he was quick to provide a proposed itinerary for us to pursue on our second day in Kyoto. 

 

All in all, a great day. Thank you Nobu!

 

 From Mr. Christopher Rowe.

 

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

 “A great time in Kyoto with Nobu-San ”

 

It is our first time to Kyoto and we wanted to find a good guide to show us around. 

We searched and found Nobu-San and the fantastic experiences he brought to his customers. 

 

We booked our private tour with him and he arrived very early with his well-maintained and comfortable van. 

 

We didn’t have a specific itinerary in mind, Nobu- San was very friendly and patient, he asked us many questions to understand us better and brought us to some of Kyoto’s most fascinating sites. 

 

Nobu-San is very professional and knowledgeable and he shared a lot about the history of all the sites we visited. 

We learnt so much and were amazed by the history and beauty of Kyoto. 

 

Nobu-San is also resourceful and accommodating, we wanted to visit a sake brewery which is exclusive to Kyoto, he was able to arrange for a visit to a local yet established sake brewery at a very short notice where we had awesome sake tasting and sharing session with the owner of the brewery. 

We had an enjoyable time and purchased our favorite sake from the brewery. 

 

We would highly recommend to engage Nobu-San when you come to Kyoto and would definitely have another tour with him when we come back to Kyoto!

 

From Pearleen Teo-san in SGP

The tasting of the japanese sake in Matsu Shuzo, started  in 1726.
The tasting of the japanese sake in Matsu Shuzo, started in 1726.

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

 “FANTASTIC Tour of Kyoto”

 

Nobu-san was one of the best guides we have ever had in any city. 

He picked us up on time; is very friendly; his English is very good; and his knowledge is extraordinary. 

He also made sure all of us were safe in congested areas; 

and extra helpful with person in our group who has some difficulty with long flights of stairs going up.

 

We had a fantastic day touring Kyoto - seeing the sights and learning of the culture and history.

 

From Mr. Howard Levin in USA

 

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

We had 2 half day tours (4 hours each) with Mr. Nobuaki Nagata.

 

Day 1

- Tenryu-Ji Temple

- Bamboo Forrest

- Golden Pavilion

- Nijo Castle

 

Day 2

- Fushimi Mari Shrine

- Silver Temple

- Nanzenji Temple

- Sanjusagendo Temple

- Geisha district

Mr Nagata was an excellent guide with a huge registry of knowledge and information on all the wonderful sights. 

 

All pre-arrangements were handled in a timely and efficient manner. 

 

He was punctual, courteous and a safe driver. 

 

Also, he was flexible/adaptable to amend the program to suit a coming typhoon. We highly recommend him.

 

Mr. Pat Darrigan in AUS

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

“Excellent private tour!”

Our family went on a one day private tour in akyoto with Mr. Nobu Nagaka as our guide. 

This was our second visit to Kyoto and we specifically requested Mr. Nagaka, who we had had as a guide previously. 

He is an excellent guide, very knowledgeable and interesting. 

His explanations were full of interesting historical and cultural details.

We asked lots of questions about Japanese history and he answered them all with patience and good humor. 

In addition to the scheduled 6-hour tour, Mr.Nagaka also made recommendations for other places we could visit on our own (for example, the newly-opened Yayoi Kusama museum) and gave us tips on the best places to see geishas and maikos. 

Mr. Nagaka’s car was spotless and very comfortable and stocked with water bottles for us. 

We had a wonderful time. 

 

I highly recommend Mr. Nagaka as a tour guide.

 

From Dr. Phyllis Koton Neel

Testimonial for Nagata KyotosightsTour

Private English Tour in Kyoto

 

We just finished an 8 hour private tour by car with Mr Nobuaki Nagata (Nobu).

Nobu is an excellent guide with a good sense of humour and very polite and courteous.

His command of English and local knowledge are also very good.

I would have no hesitation in recommending him.

 

Paresh Shah in GBR

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京都観光タクシー運転担当 & 英語通訳案内士(観光庁認定 英語案内ガイド)

 

永 田 信 明 Nobuaki Nagata