photo by Jose Cruz
A question to every foreigner traveling Japan: how do you usually find out what places to visit, and how to get around? Most people rely on guidebooks or their computer to look up the city’s sightseeing spots or events. But even using the best guidebook or search engine there is, nothing tops asking the locals! Actually, there are volunteers in Japan who will show you around for a very low fee – the volunteer guides.
What are volunteer guides?
Volunteer guides, as the name suggest, are volunteers introducing their hometown to tourists. They are sometimes referred to as “goodwill guides”. In each city, the guides form an organized group, and some work individually. And since they are volunteers, their guidance is usually for free, although some groups do take money. Transportation costs, entrance fees and lunch for the guide is paid by the customer. But compared to hiring a professional guide, which can cost you around 20,000 yen or more for half a day, and 30,000 – 40,000 yen for a whole day, the volunteer guide option is much thriftier.
What services do they offer?
While some volunteer groups have specific sightseeing programs, others adjust their guidance to each customer’s requests. Some make a tour of the local sightseeing spots after meeting at a specific time and place, the volunteers in Hokkaido show you around the ski areas on snowboards and skis. There are even customers who ask to visit a Japanese elementary school, or do ordinary groceries at a Japanese supermarket. If there is a specific or unusual part of Japan or Japanese culture you are interested in, ask the volunteers if they can guide you.
How to find them
The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) aim to spread the volunteer guide system to make it easier for tourists to travel Japan, and are promoting the so-called Systematized Goodwill Guides (SGG). You can find a list of these SGGs on their website.
But there are also volunteer guides working individually. The link below, GO TOKYO, introduces only Tokyo, but there are lists of local volunteer guides on the tourist guide website of each city, so make sure to inquire.
JNTO List of Volunteer Guide
GO TOKYO (Japanese)
Summary
Of course there are great sightseeing tips in every guidebook, but having locals show you around their hometown can be an interesting experience as well. And there are all kinds of guides – some work during the week and become a tourist guide on the weekend, some are university students. Of course they do not have the same knowledge as a professional guide, but they are people who love introducing their hometown while enjoying a conversation with visitors from other countries, and those who want to improve their foreign language skills. If you are visiting Japan, why not explore the city with a volunteer guide, and experience the real Japan from the eyes of a local?
