We were looking for Kyoto tours over two days with my husband and 9-year-old boy, and once we found Masaki’s profile we were already sold (he was obviously intellectual and extremely good with families/kids), but literally he surpassed every expectation. Upon booking Masaki (“Makoon”) immediately understood what we would need to keep our little boy engaged, so planning was easy from Day 1 (promptly following our initial email exchange we received a detailed, extremely well thought out personalized itinerary from which it was clear he absolutely understood our needs/desires and that we had found the right person). What I didn’t expect, however, was that Makoon’s two days with us would be the highlight of our entire (and amazing) time in Japan. Makoon is extremely charismatic, well-educated, extremely personable, an amazing storyteller, and he understands kids. We went to what was probably our best lunch during our entire trip, an off-the-beaten-path place that we would never have found or enjoyed so much without him (and we ate at many other wonderful places), and thanks to his interest in history we learned far more about the history and culture of Kyoto than I think most guides are able to impart. His English is incredible from having lived several years in Canada (where he learned to breakdance!), and my little boy thought and thinks he is the coolest guy ever. Makoon also did a very cool “Kyoto passport” challenge for our boy which was a huge hit. More generally he is also just an extremely cool guy, and he speaks perfect English and knows how to deliver and bring what is already a magical part of Japan to life. Our 9 year old adores him and we will definitely hire him again the next time we are in Japan (obviously, as you can see from his schedule, book early). We are so happy we found him!
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