Hi, I’m Michael
Hi, I’m Michael
I’ve lived in Kyoto for 6 years
I speak English and some Japanese
I am a Restaurant Owner and Chef
Hello, I'm Michael, and I would like to introduce myself and share with you why I live in Kyoto and love it so much. My journey began seven years ago when I took a break from my Italian restaurant in Houston, Texas, and traveled to Japan. Starting in Sendai and Matsushima, I went down to Miyajima and Hiroshima, and then I worked my way back to Tokyo. Along the way, I stopped in Kobe, Osaka, Nara, and Kyoto. After only two days and nights in Kyoto, I knew that this city was special. Once back in the USA, I made a plan for the next chapter of my life. Living in Japan! Moving and living here has been, and is so rewarding. The people are so kind, the country is amazingly beautiful and the food is absolutely delicious. During the first few years, I explored the countryside and traversed most of the city, worked as a rafting guide on the Setagawa River, and, up until last December, owned and operated one of only three Cajun establishments in all of Japan. My hobbies include surfing, scuba, camping, enjoying wines from across the globe, museums, the fine arts and obviously cooking. I hope you will allow me to spend a little time with you so I can show you what makes Kyoto one of a kind. Thank you
My knowledge & interests
BS Science Journalism
Food
Street food
Local cuisine
Food markets
Art galleries & museums
Parks
Gardens
Street photography
Wine
Gin
Local beers
Department stores
Vintage shops
Street markets
Popular culture
Lifestyle culture
Japanese sake
Antique shops
Landscape photography
Night photography
Classical music
Pop music
Jazz music
Rock music
Blues music
R&B
Soul music
Funk music
Reggae
Shochu
My reviews
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Great overview of Kyoto with a lot of information. Michael knew a ton about the culture and taught us so much.
May 2025
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Great 5 hour tour of Kyoto . We did this on day 1 & covered a lot of the sites we wanted to see. Our guide Michael was knowledgeable about Kyoto's history . A very enjoyable day . Gave us a plan for our next day as well . We ended the tour with a lunch recommendation from Michael which was great.
May 2025
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Very relaxed tour despite the rainy day we saw a lot of the sights we had wanted to see . Michael was very knowledgeable about japanese history
May 2025
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Michael was amazing , very well informed , organised the plan based on our interests and paced everything according to our needs. answered all our questions about history and took out time to take great pictures. best thing was he also recommended places for dinner.
April 2025