Hi, I’m Shin

We wanted to thank Shin for a very enjoyable morning sharing with us his extensive knowledge of Nagasaki and the hidden gems of the city. Seeing both the local shrine and temple (sharing Matcha Tea and local sweet) was great as we explored feeling like a local. All the lanes, night life areas and alleyways as we strategically meandered through without the hustle and bustle of typical tourist areas. We also saw the shopping district and Chinatown which was busy due to the public holiday. Shin was very prompt and meeting up was very smooth and strategically thought through to end up effortlessly to our starting point. Would highly recommend Shin and his English was very good.

I have never before experienced this level of detail in a questionnaire about the kind of experience we desired in a tour. Options included all kinds of interests, from food and drink to history, culture, architecture, and more. Additional choices were about common vs off the beaten path locations, and even the level of extroversion of the guide(!). Of course there's only so much we could do in the two hours we had, but our guide Shin delivered admirably. He met us at an agreed upon location. We chartered a taxi, an additional cost, partially so we could see more locations but mostly so my mother could be saved from some walking. We were there on Spring Equinox Day, a holiday, and were warned that the city might be extra-crowded. Fortunately we had elected to see less touristy areas, so crowds were not an issue at all. Up first was the observation deck at Mt. Nabekanmuri Park, offering a spectacular view of Nagasaki and the bay. Shin told us some of the history of Japan and the Mitsubishi shipyard, where the cruise ship we took was built. At the next stop we learned and saw a statue of Sakamoto Ryōma, a samurai who encouraged Western influences in Japan including industrialization. Sadly the many cherry trees were only just starting to blossom, but the environs were still beautiful. Lastly we visited an old Zen Buddhist temple, where Shin asked for matcha tea for us (admission and the tea were an additional cost, about 500 and 300 yen, respectively, if I recall correctly). It came with a small mochi filled with sweet bean paste, and both were delicious. While waiting we sat cross-legged and contemplated a garden visible through a window. A white cat allowed us to watch it walk among the plants. The entire experience was peaceful and meditative. It was such a pleasure meeting Shin and being introduced to a small taste of Nagasaki. I highly recommend anyone to do at least this much if not more; we were there only a few hours but could easily spend weeks. Arigato gozaimashita, Shin.

Shin was amazing and we had such a good time. Food was wonderful but our journey around town was even better. Matcha tea with sweet was a great experience. Thank you Shin for showing us your home!!!

Shin made the experience authentic and took us to places that we would never have found on our own. Within 15 minutes we were deep into the local community of Nagasaki and didn’t see another tourist! We walked through narrow alleys and streets that Shin knew the history and culture of. We enjoyed talking to the people in the bars and restaurants and we laughed and lived like a local. Shin was welcoming and friendly. He was accomodating to all of our wishes and also gave us tips for the following day s of our visit. Thank you Shin and City Unscripted.