if you are the sort of person who likes individual characters, then i think you will not be disappointed with this tour. Samurai Joe will introduce you to his friends as you stroll down the streets of kyoto, immersing you in a little japanese culture and tradition. With wit as sharp as his sword, Samurai Joe will convey you on a journey from times when the japanese slept in unheated homes on thin mats, to present times, now the japanese sleep in heated homes, still on thin mats. Then if you put that sword into someone's hand, the facial grin becomes indescribable! Thank you for the memories samurai joe

As a man, this was such a fun experience. When I checked in, I think the (male) receptionist was a bit shocked to see it was only me, but he handled it with care and I didn't feel embarrassed at all. The photoshoot itself only lasted about 10 minutes, but they do offer to take some personal pictures with your cell phone. (So you don't only get the professionally shot photos advertised!) They also have an option to go to a private shoot in a home, but the cost was like $400 or something. Something to consider if you really want to have an extra special experience.

Lanny did a fantastic job with us in Kyoto! She gave us each some time 10-30 mins after to have a quick break for us to go and see/snack on other places we saw around the main sites which was very nice & gave us more time to enjoy. I highly recommend this tour! We miss you Lanny, this is Lynna (the girl with the purple hair & glasses) :) You helped us enjoy parts of Kyoto & explained more to us than if we tried to travel on our own. We really appreciated the air conditioned/heated coach bus also, thank you!

My partner and I really enjoyed this experience, the guide was personal and provided an experience we were interested in. If he didn't know the answer to a question he would research it and get back to us. Overall we found it lovely to learn about Kyoto and have someone take control for 8 hours (no more maps or wondering where to go next). For these reasons I would recommend the tour even if you've been to Kyoto before.

With the cronavirus outbreak the tour operator limited the numbers on the bus so we would not be in a crowded situation. Thank god they did not cancel as most of the other tourist attractions were closed.