English Guide (Profile，Experience)

Index
(1) Guide's Introduction
(2) Qualifications
(3) Areas of Expertise
(4) General Guide Experience

(1) Guide's Introduction

Morio　Onda

Education
Completed the Doctoral Program in the Department of Socio-Cultural Studies,
Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology, University of Tokyo
Ph.D. (Sociology)

Work Experience
・15 years at a major travel agency (worked in domestic branches and the Frankfurt branch in
West Germany; experience in sales, planning, research (marketing), and tour operations)
・30 years as a university faculty member (Professor at a private university）and part-time
teaching positions at The University of Tokyo, Keio University,and others

(2)Qualifications
・National Government Licensed Guide Interpreter (English)Saitama Prefecture No.EN01174
・General Travel Services Supervisor (Comprehensive Travel Service Manager)
Certified Comprehensive Tour Conductor (Recognized under the transitional provisions of the
Travel Agency Act, Supplementary Provisions, Law No. 84, May 8, 1995, for those who passed
the General Travel Services Supervisor Examination)
・Proficient in Aikido (Two steps)

(3) Areas of Expertise（Fields Available for Handling）
① Covered Regions
・Nationwide coverage across Japan (Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu) and island regions
(remote islands)
・Destinations tailored to travelers' preferences
・Day-trip areas (single-day tours) and overnight travel zones (long tours)
② Thematic Areas：Beyond Sightseeing – Immersive Cultural Journeys in Japan
＜For Beginners (First-time or Few-time Visitors to Japan):Introduction to the Essential
Attractions of Japan
・Tours that explore classic Japanese destinations while delving into the "real Japan" (its
deeper cultural essence):
　・Historical heritage (shrines, temples, gardens, castles, etc.)
　・Traditional culture (tea ceremony, flower arrangement, Kabuki, Noh, Bunraku,
　　etc.)
・Tours exploring UNESCO World Heritage Sites:
(Cultural Heritage:Tangible Cultural Properties)
　　・Buddhist Monuments in the Horyu-ji Area (Nara),
　　・Himeji Castle (Hyogo), Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Shiga),
　　・Historic Villagesof Shirakawa-go and Gokayama (Gifu, Toyama),
　　・Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Atomic Bomb Dome)
　　・Itsukushima Shrine (Hiroshima),
　　・Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara (Nara),
　　・Shrines and Temples of Nikko(Tochigi)
　　・Fujisan – Sacred Place and Source of Artistic Inspiration
　　　(Shizuoka,Yamanashi)
　　・National Museum of Western Art (Tokyo) (part of "The Architectural Work
　　　of Le Corbusier" spanning 7 countries: Japan, France, Argentina, Belgium,
　　　 Germany, India, Switzerland)
(Intangible CulturalHeritage)
・Washoku (Japanese traditional dietaryculture)
・Japanese handmade paper-making techniques
・Mountain-Hoko-Yatai festivals, Raiho-shin (masked and costumed deities)

＜For Repeat Visitors to Japan: Exploring Lesser-Known Aspects of Japan ("Deep Japan")＞
・Experiential tours beyond standard travel agency routes, offering insights into rural life in
Japan, where locals cherish and take pride in their unique heritage
resources ("authentic countryside" or "premier rural tourism")
・Experience tours blending traditional and modern Japan
　Art and crafts tours leveraging expertise as an antique dealer: visits to production sites of
architecture, sculpture, paintings, ceramics, textiles, lacquerware, woodworking, metalwork,
handmade paper, etc.
・Study tours for in-depth exploration of Japan
　・UNESCO Cultural Heritage (Tangible Cultural Properties)
　　・Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu (Okinawa),
　　・Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range (Mie, Nara,
　　　Wakayama),
　　・Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine and its Cultural Landscape (Shimane),
　　・Hiraizumi – Temples, Gardens and Archaeological Sites Representing the
　　・Buddhist Pure Land (Iwate),
　　・Tomioka Silk Mill and Related Industrial Heritage (Gunma),
　　・Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution (Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding, and
　　　Coal Mining) (spanning Iwate, Shizuoka, Yamaguchi, Fukuoka, Kumamoto, Saga,
　　　Nagasaki, Kagoshima),
　　・Sacred Island of Okinoshima and Associated Sites in the Munakata Region (Fukuoka),
　　・Hidden Christian Sites in Nagasaki and Amakusa Region (Nagasaki, Kumamoto),
　　・Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group (Osaka),
　　・Jomon Prehistoric Sites in Northern Japan (Hokkaido, Aomori, Iwate, Akita),
　　・Sado Island Gold Mines (Niigata)
　・UNESCO Natural Heritage
　　・Yakushima (Kagoshima), Shirakami-Sanchi (Aomori, Akita),
　　・Shiretoko (Hokkaido),
　　・Ogasawara Islands (Tokyo),
　　・Amami-Oshima, Tokunoshima, Northern Okinawa Island & Iriomote Island
　　　(Kagoshima, Okinawa)
　・UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage
　　・Noh Theater,
　　・Bunraku Puppet Theater,
　　・Kabuki (traditional dramatic performance),
　　・Gagaku (court music),
　　・Ojiya-Chijimi & Echigo-Jofu (textile crafts),
　　・Oku-Noto's Aenokoto (rice planting ritual),
　　・Hayachine Kagura (sacred dance),
　　・Akiu’s Rice-Planting Dance, Dainichido Bugaku, Daimokutate,
　　・Ainu Traditional Dance, Kumi-odori, Yuki-tsumugi Silk Weaving,
　　・Mibu’s Rice-Planting Festival, Sada Shin Noh, Nachi no Dengaku,
　　・Traditional Architectural Craftsmanship for Wooden Structures,
　　・Furyu-odori (folk dance)
・Local industries: Regionally unique industries as part of "Local Cool Japan" (traditional crafts
and Japan-brand products)

③ Other Areas of Expertise
・Remote island tours (Okinawa, Izu Islands, and other island regions across Japan)
・Budo tourism (visiting Aikido dojos)
・Pilgrimage tours (Kōyasan, Kumano Kodo, Shikoku 88 Temples, Chichibu 34 Temples)
・Japanese cuisine experiences (from longevity diets to B-grade gourmet)
・Cool Japan experiences ("Stylish Japan")
・Subculture industry (film, music, manga, anime, drama, gaming, etc.)
・High culture (fashion, contemporary art, architecture, etc.)

④ Related Services
・Partnering as an International Travel Consultant for introducing aspects of
　Japanese culture and society (via partnership agreements)
・Lectures on Japanese Society and Culture, covering Japanese social structure and
　lifestyle as culture
・Airport-hotel transfers (Narita Airport, Haneda Airport)

(4) General Guide Experience（2023，2024, 2025）
①Shore excursions for cruises
・Kochi Port (34 participants, international travelers): KochiCastle, Sakamoto Ryoma Memorial
Museum, Katsurahama.
・Yokohama Port (29 participants, international travelers): Tokyo Tower, State Guest House,
National Diet Building, Ginza, Kabuki-za Theater, Imperial Palace, Nijubashi Bridge.
・Tokyo Port (19 participants, international travelers): Kamakura Daibutsu, Tsurugaoka
Hachimangu Shrine, Komachi Street
・Osaka Tempozan Port (40 participants, international travelers): Osaka Castle, Shitennoji
Temple
・Tottori Sakaiminato Port(18 participants, Filipino travelers):Matsue Castle, Mizuki Shigeru
Road, and (25 people, Turkish travelers): Adachi Museum of Art、Matsue Castle, Yuushien
Garden, Mizuki Shigeru Road
・Akita Port (33 participants, international travelers）:Namahage Museum,Oga Shinzan Folklore
Museum,Kanpuzan, and more

②General group tours
・Tokyo (21 participants, American travelers): Hamarikyu Gardens, Asakusa
・Kantō–Kansai（22 participants, Mexican traveler）Hase-dera, Kamakura Daibutsu,
Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, Komachi Stree、Fushimi Inari-taisha, Todaiji Great Buddha,
Osaka Castle, Kinkaku-ji,Kiyomizu-dera
・Kansai (27 participants, Australian travelers) :Osaka Castle, Todaiji Great Buddha, Kinkaku-ji,
Himeji Castle, Horishima, Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, Miyajima
・Kantō (27 participants, Mexican traveler): Imperial Palace, Tokyo Tower, Ginza
・Kantō (34 participants, British travelers): Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
Observation Deck, Asakusa (Sensō-ji Temple), Imperial Palace, Shibuya, Great Buddha of
Kamakura, Tsurugaoka Hachimangū Shrine, Komachi Street
・Tokyo (18 participants, Australian travelers): Meiji Shrine, Asakusa (Sensō-ji Temple),
Imperial Palace, Akihabara
・Kantō–Kansai (19 participants, American travelers): Meiji Shrine, Harajuku, Omotesandō,
teamLab, Asakusa(Sensō-ji Temple), Tsukiji Outer Market, Ginza, Ryōgoku Kokugikan (sumo viewing), Kōyasan (Okunoin, Kongōbu-ji Temple, Danjō Garan), and more

③Individual tours
・Tokyo（3 participants, Filipino travelers):Hamarikyu Gardens, Tsukiji Outer Market, Asakusa
・Matsue（2 participants, New Zealand travelers）Tamatsukuri Onsen, Adachi Museum of Art,
Matsue Castle, Former Samurai Residence, Meimei-an Tea House, Izumo-taisha
・Hakone（4 participants, Indian travelers ;3 participants, American travelers）Hakone Shrine,
Hakone Checkpoint Ruins, and Komagatake Ropeway, Lake Ashi Sightseeing Cruise
・Mt. Fuji (4 participants, American travelers): Arakurayama Sengen Park, Oshino Hakkai,
Lake Kawaguchi, and more

Click on the photo to enlarge it.

Asakusa Kaminari-mon Gate

Originally built by the military commander Taira no Kinmasa in 942, Kaminari-mon Gate is the main gate of. Statues of Fujin (the god of wind) and Raijin (the god of thunder) were enshrined here to guard the temple from natural disasters.
Asakusa Five-Storied Pagoda

The Five-Storied Pagoda was first built in 942 by military commander Taira no Kinmasa. Tokugawa Iemitsu had the old national treasure rebuilt, but it was burned to the ground during the Great Tokyo Air Raid on March 10, 1945. It was rebuilt in 1973 with donations from devout believers around the nation.
Tokyo Skytree

Tokyo Skytree is a television broadcasting tower and landmark of Tokyo. It is the centerpiece of the Tokyo Skytree Town in the Sumida City Ward, not far away from Asakusa. With a height of 634 meters, it is the tallest structure in Japan and was the second tallest in the world at the time of its completion.The golden object (the “Golden Flame”) on top of the beer company’s hall symbolizes the company’s burning spirit as it soars toward the new century.
Oshino Hakkai

Oshino Hakkai is a touristy set of eight ponds in Oshino, a small village in the Fuji Five Lake region. Hakkai, or "Eight Seas," refers to the eight pools of water that are the main attraction. Bridges and pathways lead you around and over these tranquil ponds. The traditional thatched roof buildings, slowly spinning water wheels, and amazing view of Mt. Fuji all transport you to another era.
Arakurayama Sengen Park

The park begins at the base of Mt. Arakurayama and extends up the mountain. At the top of a 398 stair hike is an observation deck that looks out over the cityscape of Fujiyoshida City and majestic Mt. Fuji towering above. Though the Spring sakura (cherry blossom) season is best for capturing the symbolic image of Mt. Fuji, cherry blossoms and five-storied pagoda, the park can be enjoyed throughout the year with a stunning view that changes with the seasons.
Shitennoji Temple (Osaka)

Shitennoji is the oldest state-sponsored Buddhist temple in Japan, having been founded in 593 by Prince Shotoku, the revered early champion of Buddhism. The temple complex has been rebuilt several times over the centuries, enduring as a spiritual refuge for the people of Osaka. From south to north, the Central Precinct opens via the Inner Gate. Inside is the five-storied pagoda, which stands 39 meters tall, topped by a 12-meter finial called a sorin.