We feel so fortunate that we had Aki as our guide in Osaka. The day with her was the highlight of our two weeks in Japan. We had a local guide in each major city and Aki is absolutely the best guide you could ask for. First she prepared the most amazing itinerary based on our preferences. When we met Aki we immediately hit it off because she is open, intuitive, and fun. She makes friends easily and helped us do the same! Because of Aki we met many people we wouldn’t have otherwise been able to talk with (she would initiate conversations and translate for us). For example, we helped a shop owner with her English signs for customers, got free octopus to try, learned all about Japanese chef knives and purchased a great one, had a personal meal with local chef, and went bar hopping to izakayas where there was absolutely no English. Beyond our scheduled time with her she was a great friend - helping us see and do amazing things for the rest of our trip. It is because of Aki that Osaka was our favorite of the five Cities we visited. If you’re in Osaka, make sure you start your visit with a day with Aki!

July 2018

Megan H