2025- A new beginning

Firstly, I would like to wish all my previous and future clients a Happy New Year and of course a healthy and prosperous 2025. I am sure this year will be a busy but challenging one for us all.

I am going onto my 14th year as a Tour Guide and Shore Excursion specialist. I will never forget my first tour in 2011 with the Limanski party of 8.  Of course there were a lot of nerves and trepidation but the excitement was palpable with a new business venture just starting to come to fruition.

Over the years, obviously I have refined my skills, introduced many new tour offerings and expanded into many new regions around Japan as the demand for guides and bespoke/ customized experiences has become the norm.  However I realize that that a one man operation was not going to be able to satisfy the constant requests and consistent demand. Therefore I am extremely happy to announce a partnership to expand and improve on the quality and scope of operations by introducing a new alliance to provide touring services throughout Kyushu and Western Japan.

Dion and Jon are fellow expats from Canada and the USA respectively, who like me have lived in Japan for over 20 years, currently work in the University system  and are raising children in this wonderful country called the Land of the Rising Sun. Never did I think that I would find someone who could match my level of energy and passion to showcase Japan and its specific regions to the world but I was wrong.  These 2 do that and much more and I can truthfully say I would trust them with my life and my kids as well.

Our combined website is called Private Tours Japan and you can click on this link to see more about us and our shared philosophy.

https://www.privatetoursjapan.net/

One of our goals is to be able to fulfill a customers request at all times whether large or small. It could be a short 5 or 6 hour day tour or multiple Shore Excursions with multiple port calls allover Japan.  With this partnership, we will be more flexible to help match and provide excellent touring solutions to an eager and demanding public.

These are the regions that we are specializing in at present:

1) Kyushu: Focusing on the main ports of Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Beppu, Miyazaki and Kagoshima.

 

2) Shikoku: Focusing on the Port of Kochi

 

3) Western and Central Japan: With a focus on ports south of Tokyo such as Hiroshima, Himeji, Tottori, Osaka, Kobe, Shimizu and Yokohama.

The other amazing news is that my daughter Elisa will be joining me in the tour business.  She is 18 years old now, perfectly bilingual, has passed the highest level of language proficiency in Japan and working towards getting her professional translator license.

She will soon be graduating from High School and heading to Tokyo to study International Business at the prestigious Sophia University. In order to support herself thru University she will be conducting city walking tours and private chauffeured day tours in Tokyo as well as shore excursions out of the Yokohama International Cruise Terminal from April 2025.

My daughter

In the meantime to boost her skills she is providing various walking tours in Fukuoka City specializing in shopping, culture, history and gourmet experiences. If you would like to know more about her services please contact me or her directly at the following email address:

elisadestinylefebvre@gmail.com

Also, you can see her profile here on her TripAdvisor account:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionProductReview-g14127491-d32653099-Fukuoka_City_Walking_and_Public_Transport_Tour-Chuo_Fukuoka_Fukuoka_Prefecture_K.html

I am sure you will find that she shares many strong attributes like her father but with her unique perspective of being raised as a dual citizen and bilingual to boot, I am sure she will be able to share many insights into what it means to be Japanese and Australian alike.

Chinoike Jigoku: Beppu City- Oita Prefecture

The Blood Hell Ponds called Chinoike Jigoku in Japanese, in the hot spring town of Beppu, Oita Prefecture is a spring that is blood red. It has existed for over 1300 years and its color is said to be a result of some chemical reaction occurring underground. The color has remained this way ever since the beginning except for a 6 month period in the 1970's. The nearby Aso Volcano in neighboring Kumamoto Prefecture, had a very unstable period which affected the coloring of the water.

I found this information out from the owner who I was fortunate to meet in my first few years in Japan. In fact, I was a guest at their holiday house on site and of course the water that came out of the faucet for the hot bath was indeed red. An excellent opportunity was had to test the quality of the water and its therapeutic benefits. Result, thumbs up, fully recommended! Therefore for those that feel inclined, there is a footbath here can can be used on the premises. It's not the full body experience but it feels amazing nevertheless. Of course, I will bring the towels and all you have to do is sit and relax. For those who have never had a thermal mineral enriched footbath this will be a heavenly experience, guaranteed!

Today, this is a major attraction on the tourist sites of the region. Although there are 7 Hell pond attraction sites, without a doubt the Chinoike Jigoku is by far the most popular. On our private tours of Beppu we will only visit this one as there are obviously many more other remarkable sites in and around Beppu City specifically and Oita Prefecture in general.

We normally stay here for 20 to 25 minutes but they have an incredible gift shop that will be another excellent stop with many keepsakes and superb gift ideas. Those shopaholics and customers who want to find at least 1 special item from their travels, this is definitely the place for you.

Please check out the Chinoike Jigoku on this map below:

Please click on these photos below to enlarge:

Memory photo

Devil horns, lookout where you sit!

Footbath time

Lots of souvenirs

Onsen symbol

The local Oni (devil)

It is indeed Blood Red

Steam rises!

Great color and views

Lots of products to browse.

Worth trying some red beer?

Click find out more about the Chinokie Jigoku on these videos below:

Ao no Domon Tunnel- Nakatsu City, Oita Prefecture

Aonodomon, which translates in English as "Blue Tunnel," is a hand-carved tunnel in Nakatsu City that took over 30 years to make. Of course this tunnel is not made by nature! It is in fact hand made by a Buddhist monk  who, while passing Yabakei during his travels, was alarmed to see people and horses losing their lives on the treacherous mountain road. He later carved out the original 185 meter tunnel to allow travelers safe passage through the Yabakei mountains. Today, pedestrians and vehicles pass through the iconic cliff and mountain formation.

Legend has it that before the tunnel was built, people had to climb over the cliffs through which the tunnel is built to reach an important local shrine. During the Edo period (1603 to 1867), a Monk named Zenkai, who had committed a murder in his earlier life, decided to build a safe passage for worshipers in order to atone for his crime. Beginning at the age of 49, he dedicated 30 years of his life to digging the 185 meter tunnel by hand, using only a hammer and chisel. The tunnel was opened for use in 1763 and it is still in use today. Talk about longevity!

This location is a major tourist destination as the drive thru the various gorges and thru the mountains is quite spectacular and picturesque. In fact during the autumn months especially on weekends there can be a huge wait just to get into a line in order to drive thru this unique tunnel. In fact, because of this popularity it is basically impossible to do a tour thru this region in those circumstances as time is obviously a issue for those who have to get back on time to their Cruise Terminals. For these customers a subsequent itinerary will be formulated.

I can't tell you how many times I have visited this area of Oita Prefecture, but its at least 30 times and in each occasion I must tell you the feelings of amazement are absolutely palatable.  It's an attraction that will knock your socks off and or leave you speechless all at the same time.

Please check out the location of the Aonodomon Tunnel on a map below:

 

Please click on these pictures below to enlarge:

English explanation

The Monk, Zenkai

Picturesque

Signage

Start of the tunnel

185m long

Scenic views abound

From the parking area

The shrine entrance

Peek a boo

Please click on the following videos to see more about the Aonodomon Tunnel in Oita Prefecture:

Usa Shrine: Usa City, Oita Prefecture

Usa (Jingu) Shrine hold a special place in my heart.  It was the first shrine that I ever visited on my first trip to Japan many moons ago.  Of course in those days I was wide eyed and bushy tailed and the many intricate details and cultural norms of the Shinto religion were obviously lost on me but nevertheless the shrines sheer size (one of the biggest in all of Japan) and brightly colored buildings are still etched in my brain even today.

Usa Jingu is one of the most important Shinto shrines in Japan with a history that spans close to 1300 years. Its main deity is Hachiman, who is worshipped as a guardian of the country and the imperial family. Shrines dedicated to Hachiman are among the most numerous in Japan and Usa Jingu serves as their head shrine. As you can guess, this holds the Shrine as one of the most important in Japan and rightly so.

The size of the land that Usa Shrine sits on is absolutely massive.  I don't know exactly how big it is but all I can say is that it quite a long trek from the carpark to the main shrine buildings.  Not that you will complain, the walk is exciting and adventurous as well as being a real cultural and mature orientated experience.  The walk is mostly flat so in reality no problems for anyone with a reasonable level of fitness.

I know a lot of people might be saying, oh no not another shrine especially for those who are doing an all Japan cruise and visiting many cities during their itinerary.  However, I can say for certain that this shrine will be like no other that you have visited or will intend to visit.  I am sure you will see this in all the photos and videos posted below.

Please check out the Usa Shrine below on a map:

 

Please click on the photos below to enlarge:

One of the many massive torii gates

Well signposted in English

Japanese flag is always present

Purification station

Shinto symbols

Sake and Shinto are intertwined

Impressive ponds are front and center

Picturesque indeed!

Please check out the Usa Shrine here in more detail from the following videos:

Marinoa Outlet Mall: Fukuoka City

The Marinoa Outlet Mall is a regular destination for my personal travels and shopping experiences. It has a lot of shops that I frequently need to visit, for example clothes, shoes, golf accessories, food stuffs and best of all it is only located about 8kms from where I reside.

There are other larger Outlet Malls such as the ones in Tosu and Kitakyushu but from a location and convenient point of view, Marinoa covers all my needs and in all honesty it is quite a bit cheaper than the others so it's a destination that is high up on my radar.

Every now and then, when the weather is not behaving I will incorporate the Marinoa Outlet Mall into our private day tours as a stop when it is rainy heavily. Other times I have gotten requests from customers to get some shopping in at the end of the day especially when we have about an hour left of the schedule.to kill. In this way, it's a win win situation for all parties concerned. I get a quick break and retail therapy is enjoyed by the clients.

Please let me know in advance whether this destination would be a suitable last stop on our day together as it's only 20 to 30 minutes away from the Fukuoka Cruise Terminal and City Hotels.

Please click below to see the Marinoa Outlet Mall on a map:

 

Please click on these photos below to enlarge:

Want something Japanese?

Lots of shops to choose from.

Tax free shopping with your passport

The Ferris Wheel is a great landmark

Please click on the videos below to see more about the Marinoa Outlet Mall: