Getting off the train at JR Nara station, an older man, wearing an ID on a lanyard and carrying a flag identifying him as Toshinori Hirata, an official tour guide for Nara Walk (http://www.narawalk.com), approached me about taking a guided tour. Just 2,000 yen for a 3 hour tour by an trained guide.
I'd been to Nara before, but actually didn't know much about it. And, I was alone. So, while I actually might have preferred a Japanese-only guide for practice of my Nihongo, Hirata-san was so enthusiastic, and I really felt I could use a true guide in English, so, I snapped up the offer.
Hirata-san (nickname Benny) is one of the many interesting people I've met in Japan. As we walked, we chatted about my upcoming return to Canada, and about his experiences living abroad when he worked for Panasonic. Then, he said, he retired at 60, but took another job for a small auto-parts manufacturer, and ended up living in Chicago for a few years. It was after he quit that job that he took courses to become an official tour guide. Oh, and he had just gotten back from a month of studying French in Quebec city...this is a man who will never rest!
It was a great day, and having such an interesting guide was good company and good information. 'Benny' is a Nara native, and besides the history of Nara I got to ask questions about Buddhist and Shinto rituals and customs that I wasn't quite sure about. And there was the added benefit of having someone on hand to take photos of me in front of the famous temples!
I highly recommend taking a guided tour if you go to Nara.
Click on the images below for a larger view.
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