I Still Remember My First Guests in Japan

The family who gave me my first chance as a tour guide — before I even knew I could become one.

I still remember my first guests.

They were a family from the United States, and I had actually known one of their children when I was teaching at a high school in California.

When their family decided to visit Japan, they asked me if I could show them around.

There was just one problem.

I had never worked as a tour guide before.

I didn't have years of guiding experience. I didn't have a tour company. Japanguin wasn't what it is today.

But they trusted me anyway.

Looking back now, I'm incredibly grateful they did.

Because without this family, I honestly don't know if I would be doing what I'm doing today.

Our first day together

Our trip started in Osaka.

I remember being a little nervous before meeting them. This was my first real experience being responsible for someone else's trip.

But almost immediately, that nervousness disappeared.

They were such a warm and energetic family.

The mother, especially, was incredibly energetic — basically the leader of the group!

What I appreciated most was how honest they were with me.

They told me what they wanted to do, what they were interested in, and just as importantly, what they weren't interested in.

That might sound like a small thing, but as a guide, it makes a huge difference.

I never want someone to politely follow an itinerary while secretly thinking, “I don't really want to be here.”

A great trip requires communication.

And with this family, that communication came naturally.

We started at the Osaka Aquarium area, explored the waterfront and took a sightseeing boat.

Later, we moved deeper into the city, visiting local shrines and temples, shopping around Namba and Shinsaibashi, and of course, eating.

A lot.

Shopping became a recurring theme of the trip too.

There were always requests like:

“Can we go here?”

“Can I buy this?”

“Wait, there's another store!”

And I loved it!!

Instead of simply following a fixed itinerary, the days started changing depending on what everyone was excited about.

Without realizing it, I was already learning one of the biggest lessons that would later shape the way I think about guiding.

Sometimes the best places aren't on the itinerary

On another day, the kids went to a concert, so I spent the day with just the parents.

We explored areas around Tennoji and Shinsekai, visited temples and shrines, walked through more local neighborhoods, and eventually ended up shopping around Dotonbori at night.

Another day took us to the Nintendo Store and up above Osaka to see the city from an observation deck.

When they told me they wanted to try uni, we found a restaurant where they could have uni and wagyu together.

And then we went beyond Osaka.

We visited Kyoto and Uji, including Byodoin — the temple you might recognize from the Japanese 10-yen coin — and later Fushimi Inari.

We ate teppanyaki in Kyoto.

We took a day trip to Mie.

At one restaurant there, something happened that has stuck with me.

The owner was incredibly welcoming to the family. There were gifts, conversations, laughter, and a genuine connection that felt like something more than a normal interaction between a restaurant and its customers.

That was exactly the kind of moment I wanted them to experience in Japan.

Not simply seeing Japan.

Connecting with it.

Later, we went to a waterfall.

I may have gotten slightly too excited and spent a little too much time swimming there. 😂

Our last day

Eventually, we returned to Osaka and visited Osaka Castle.

One thing that surprised me was how interested everyone was in the history.

They didn't just walk through, take a photo and leave.

They stopped.

They looked at the exhibits.

They asked questions.

They actually wanted to understand what they were seeing.

Standing there with them near the end of the trip, I realized something.

Guiding wasn't really about taking people from Point A to Point B.

And it wasn't about memorizing hundreds of facts about temples and castles either.

It was about understanding the people traveling with you.

What my first guests taught me

People save money, take time away from work or school, fly across the world, and sometimes spend months looking forward to a trip to Japan.

They count down:

Three more days.

Two more days.

Tomorrow.

And then suddenly, they're here.

As a guide, you get to be part of those days they have been imagining for months.

That's a pretty incredible responsibility.

So I don't want to simply take people to the places on their list.

I want to know who they are.

• What makes them excited?

• What are they curious about?

• What do they eat?

• What do they not want to do?

• What kind of Japan do they want to discover?

  
  

The better I understand the people I'm traveling with, the better experience we can create together.

And sometimes the best memories aren't the famous attractions at all.

They're the restaurant owner you unexpectedly connect with.

The food you decided to try at the last minute.

The store you spent way too long shopping in.

Or, apparently, your guide swimming for far too long at a waterfall.

Want to Experience Japan With Us?

That first tour eventually became part of the inspiration behind Japanguin — a project built around a simple idea:

Don't just visit Japan. Connect with it.

Today, we create private tours, local experiences, and Japanese-learning experiences for travelers who want to experience Japan beyond the usual sightseeing.

And we're also working with schools and educational organizations to create programs that combine Japanese language, culture, and real-world experiences in Japan.

If you're planning a trip to Japan — whether you're a traveler, a family, a teacher, or an educational institution — we'd love to help you create something memorable.

Explore Japanguin →Japanguin

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The family that started everything

I've guided many more people since then.

But I'll always remember this family.

They trusted me before I had experience. They gave me an opportunity before I really knew where it might lead.

In many ways, they gave me the first step toward the work I do today.

If they come back to Japan someday, I'd love to create another trip for them — although this time, I have a few more ideas than I did back then.

And if I visit them in the United States, I've already joked that the roles will be reversed.

They'll have to be my guides.

Today, this same idea has become part of what I'm trying to build with Japanguin.

Travel shouldn't only be about seeing Japan.

It should be about experiencing it, understanding it, and connecting with the people and culture behind it.

If someone looks back five or ten years later and says,

“That trip to Japan was incredible.”

then I think we've done our job.

And for me, that idea started with one family who trusted a completely inexperienced guide and gave him a chance.

I'll always be grateful they did.