Dear guides,

A Happy New Year.

I am Yoshiko Nakakura, the second successive web-master of aitaijapan. It has been one month since I took over the role from Ms Dagmar who was the founder of this association. In the middle of November, the website was temporally interrupted by its migration, but it has already started again smoothly.

When I announced this website’s renewal and ask all guides for responses, I got just one notice of withdrawal and a few emails which couldn’t be sent. Almost all the guides accepted this situation and agreed to continue their guide activities. I felt really relieved and grateful. As a web-master, I would like to cover the organization and administration tasks of running the association as much as possible. However there are still more things to be done. I thank all guides in advance for help, not only for your guide activities but also any kind of suggestions or advice for improving this website.

I wish you all happiness and get a lot of nice guide opportunities this year.

• Announcement

I have set up a new page “Visitor’s Comment” the aitaijapan web page. This page will help to make getting visitor’s feedback easier. Please ask all visitors to send their comments through this page after you guide them. Their voice will be a great aid for improving our website in the future.

• To Kinki Guides

I would like to meet with you and have a frank exchange of view about our website in the near future. Please contact me and send me your opinion at any time.

I wish you all happiness and prosperity.

Best wishes,
aitaijapan web-master Yoshiko Nakakura

AitaiJapan　ニュースレター 第4号　2008年1月

aitaijapan ガイドの皆様へ

明けましておめでとうございます。

昨年の11月中旬より aitaijapan の管理運営を Dagmar さんから引き継ぎました中倉です。11月のHPの移行時、一時的に web site が中断いたしましたが、無事再始動の運びとなり順調に一ヶ月がすぎました。

aitaijapan の継続のお知らせを送らせていただいた時点で、退会される方が1名、メールが送信できなかった方が数名を除いて、ほとんどの方がそのままガイドとして残っていただけ、大変嬉しく思っております。

今後管理人として、web site の管理,ガイドリクエストメールの転送は、責任を持ってさせていだだきます。

基本的には従来通りガイド活動中心のボランティアグループですが、より一層のグループの発展の為、世代,職業,趣味等々多岐に渡る皆様方のご意見、アドバイスをいただきたいと思っております。aitaijapanをより広く知ってもらえる為の宣伝活動等ご協力お願い申し上げます。

ガイドの皆様にとって、今年がより多くのガイドの機会が訪れますよう心より願っています。

• お知らせ

web page に “Visitor’s Comment” のページを新しく設けました。今まで以上に旅行者の方の感想文が送ってもらい易く致しました。ガイド終了後、このページに投稿していただくよう是非お願いして下さい。

• 関西のガイドの皆様へ

機会がありましたら、皆様にお会いし、今後の為の意見交換を行いたいと思っていますが、いかがでしょうか？ご意見をお聞かせ願いますでしょうか？

以上、今年の皆様のガイド活動のご活躍をお祈り申し上げます。

敬具

2008年 元日

gender: male

age: 23

• occupation: student
• I can offer guide services in the following areas: Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe
• languages spoken: English, German
• availability: basically only week-ends
• interests: trip, reading, movie, ice hockey, football
• comments:

It is wonderful that someone gains the new stimulations through new activities. If that happened in unfamiliar circumstances, your feeling and sensibilities would be responsive more than usual. Such an experience will be unforgettable memory for sure. I would be very happy, if I could help you to decorate your trip more enjoyable and make you love our country. I look forward to seeing you soon. Thank you.

gender: female

• occupation: office worker
• I can offer guide services in the following areas: Shiga, Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, Kobe (mainly west Japan)
• languages spoken: English, German
• availability: only weekends
• interests: My hobbies are watching movies, reading books, and listening to music. It is fun to know cultural differences and meet many people. Also, I like to look over my interests by many ways.
• comments:

I have some experience to take people for sightseeing in English and German. If you tell me your interests and your favorite place, I will check the best place for you in advance. It is pleasure for me to take you to various places. (Not only sightseeing places) I have some Asian friends, so I can tell you some cultural differences. I am looking forward to show you interesting places.

gender: female

age: 40s

• occupation: housewife
• I can offer guide services in the following areas: Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, Nara
• languages spoken: English
• availability: Wednesday, Friday, Saturday (2nd and 4th in a month), Sunday
• interests: Playing tennis and golf, enjoying eating and cooking
• comments:

I have been studying English. I’d like to have communication with people who have different culture and who are interested in our country. There are many nice places in Kansai area, not only historical places, but also very modern and lively places. Kansai is also said being the kitchen of Japan. There are many kinds of delicious food. If you are interested in Japanese traditional performing arts, I’ll try to find an appropiate opportunity that you can attend. I hope you can enjoy traveling Japan very much, especially Kansai area.

gender: male

age: 27

• occupation: travel agent / amateur historian
• I can offer guide services in the following areas: Kansai (Kyoto, Osaka, Nara and so on) I prefer especially to offer guide services in Kyoto. I can offer a guide of day trip to Nagoya, too.
• languages spoken: English and German
• availability: flexible
• interests: I’m glad to see you, especially those who are interested either in Japanese History or in “Sake”. If you would like to visit some historical architecture, museums, or an old city, I am very happy to offer a guide for you. In the evening we can drink in a Japanese style Bar in Kyoto and have a good time, too.
• comments:

Because I have a job, I can offer only a day trip near Kansai. In the evening I can make some time. I can understand a little Spanish though I cannot speak Spanish so well.

gender: male

age: 34

• occupation: Office worker specializing in salary calculation
• I can offer guide services in the following areas: Nara, Kyoto
• languages spoken: English
• availability: Sunday all day, flexible on Saturday
• interests: Research in Japanese culture: Research in Sociology of Education: Reading the English magazine “The Economist”: Cultural exchange, language exchange: Sightseeing: Hard Rock & Heavy Metal
• comments:

When I studied Sociology at university, I was deeply fascinated with different cultures and crosscultural communication. I have worked for a multinational corporation since 1997. Recently, I registered on AitaiJapan to meet you. Aitai means “I want to meet you”. In order to become a wonderful guide, I study Japanese culture and English for the tour guide examination which is a national examination, professional licence test. I have lived in Nara for 20 years. I believe my experience will be helpful for your nice trip. In addition to guiding you, I can discuss the following subjects in depth: (1) Japanese culture (religion, cuisine, arts and music) (2) The difference between the Japanese and American education systems

gender: male

age: 63

• I can offer guide services in the following areas: Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, Himeji
• languages spoken: Chinese, English
• availability: morning,afternoon and evening of Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday
• interests: painting, music, gardening and reading
• comments:

So far I have visited Kyoto and Nara many times and I know some interesting and beautiful spots there. And I visited China 8 times from 1985 to 2002.

gender: female

age: over 35

• occupation: part-time teacher
• I can offer guide services in the following areas: mainly in Osaka, occasionally in Kyoto, Kobe or Nara.
• languages spoken: English
• availability: Mon - Fri : evening only (after 6 PM) Sat & Sun : depends on the week
• interests: traveling, swimming, playing tennis, listening to classic music, driving a car, movies, reading books, etc.
• comments:

I live in a town which is only 15 minutes away from Kansai Airport. I can meet you at the airport or anywhere in Osaka and give general information for traveling in Kansai area. If I have free weekend, I can also show you around Kyoto, Kobe or Nara. Since I’m a professional in Japanese language, I can teach you basic conversation and Japanese culture. I’m looking forward to hearing from you and having a pleasant chat with you here in Kansai !

gender: female

age: 29

• occupation: office worker
• I can offer guide services in the following areas: Kobe, Osaka, Kyoto
• languages spoken: English
• availability: week-ends and public holidays all day
• interests: Traveling Abroad (England, France, Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam, Australia and India)
• comments:

I visited Australia on working holiday in 2004 ( whole 1 year). I worked Japanese tour guide in Ayers rock. I really enjoyed talking with foreigner. I want to show around Japan for foreigner.

gender: male

age: 60s

• occupation: retired
• I can offer guide services in the following areas: Kyoto City and Otsu City
• languages spoken: English
• availability: flexible
• interests: exercise (swim & gym), entertainment (drink & Karaoke) exchange (culture & language), tourism, photo, movie
• comments:

I grew up in Otsu City, Shiga prefecture, which is almost the center of Japan. Biwako, or the lake Biwa is in five minutes from my house and it is well known as an ancient lake, four million- year-old, and the biggest lake in Japan. The lake is surrounded by very beautiful mountain range and you can overlook continuous magnificent scenery from the upper-deck of the pleasure boat, Michigan. Therefore, Biwako has been registered as a quasi-national park.

Since my retirement in 2000, I have been learning how to guide in Kyoto for several years to make tourists feel fine and be satisfied. It has been depending on a plenty of friendly support by a number of private English teachers and some of my foreign friends living in Kyoto and Otsu. Then I have walked around the city center with many visitors and I have got a lot of useful guiding experience.

If you want to have a pleasant time after guiding service with Karaoke, drinking and dancing in Gion, I guess I will never refuse your offering.