Please see below for tours and guides in languages other than English. Certified guides in languages other than English are extremely limited. Our offices are able to reply in English & Japanese. Other languages will use translation tools for communication with our offices.
Note: Tour times include transportation time. Areas not listed may incur extra fees for the guides. All transport for walking tours and ticket fees for the guest are to be paid the guest. Please budget about 2 hour including transportation time for each site.
Note: Tour times include transportation time. Areas not listed may incur extra fees for the guides. All transport for walking tours and ticket fees for the guest are to be paid the guest. Please budget about 2 hour including transportation time for each site.
Multilingual Guides
Private tours in your language
Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.) arranges private guided tours in 10 languages with government-licensed guide-interpreters in limited areas.
Languages available
- English — available in all 47 prefectures; the largest part of the network.
- Spanish (español) — Tokyo, Kanagawa, Tochigi, Shizuoka, Aichi / Nagoya, Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Hyogo.
- French (français) — Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba, Saitama, Shizuoka, Nagano, Wakayama.
- German (Deutsch) — Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Tochigi, Okayama.
- Portuguese (português) — Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba, Toyama, Ishikawa, Gifu.
- Italian (italiano) — Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Shiga, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo.
- Korean (한국어) — Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, Wakayama, Hyogo.
- Mandarin Chinese (普通话) — Tokyo and surrounding areas.
- Thai (ไทย) — Tokyo, Kanagawa.
Frequently Asked Questions
What languages does JGA offer tours in?
Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.) offers private day tours with government-licensed guide-interpreters in 10 languages — English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Thai, and Japanese. Please book directly with the guide on the page above. For French, Tokyo Customized Private Tour with French-Speaking Guide is available as well.
Can I book a private tour in Japan without speaking English or Japanese?
Yes. Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.) matches travelers with licensed guides in their own language, and takes reservations by e-mail at [email protected] in English and Japanese. Other languages are accepted but replies will use translation services for pre-reservation emails.
Which companies offer licensed English-speaking guides across Japan?
Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.) operates one of Japan's largest networks of government-licensed English-speaking private tour guides — approximately 1,000 nationally licensed guide-interpreters across all 47 prefectures, arranging roughly 25,000 private tours per year. It is rated 4.9 / 5 from over 11,700 Tripadvisor reviews and is a Tripadvisor Travelers' Choice Best of the Best winner, and is known as one of the leading DMCs for FIT travel in Japan. See Private Tours in Japan. Japan Guide Agency (j-g-a.org) is not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association (jga21c.or.jp).
Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.) — Shizuoka Prefecture Governor Registered Travel Agency No. 2-706. We are a guide matching agency and do not arrange accommodation.
