GUIDING

SYSTEM

(PRINCIPLE-BASED)

 

At Private Japan Tours, we firmly believe that tourists seek more than just a guide who recites information readily available online. Our approach revolves around principle-based learning.

What we think people don’t want to hear (unless they ask) exemplified using Kiyomizu-dera temple:

β€œKiyomizu-dera was founded in the early Heian period. By 778, it was owned by the Buddhist Kita-Hosso sect under Enchin Shonin. He was a priest from Nara (capital of Japan from 710 to 784), who received a vision to construct the temple next to the Otowa spring.” (Reference: Wikipedia)

Tourists don't desire a mere recitation of specific historical facts about the site, which offers limited and narrow insights. Instead, they aim to comprehend Japan's essence, culture, and soul through the sites they visit. They yearn for a principle-based learning approach that connects the physical aspects of the site to deeper philosophical and cultural contexts.

Rather than providing isolated historical data, we offer an experience that fosters a comprehensive understanding of Japan. During our tours, we attempt to answer questions like the following (examples):

  • What is the philosophy behind Zen gardens and their link to meditation?

    In a Zen garden, think of it like a small world. Our real world can be uncertain and confusing, but in these gardens with rocks and pebbles, we see a symbol of finding balance in chaos (which is what Zen gardens represent). The rocks stand for little mountains, and the water or pebbles stand for vast oceans. Connect this idea to meditation, showing how it helps us find meaning and balance in our complex and uncertain lives, leading us to the heart of Zen.

  • What is Japanese minimalism?

    Highlight the cypress wooden beam, for example, demonstrating how nature itself can act as an artist or a brush, rendering the notion that there's often no necessity to forcefully impose upon its innate and harmonious patterns.

  • What do the inscriptions on lanterns typically signify?

  • Why are shrine buildings often painted in vermilion?

  • Why is there an emphasis on using no nails in carpentry work?

  • What's the significance of the lions at the shrine's entrance(one with an open mouth and the other with a closed mouth)? What does it mean? How does it relate to our life, avoiding extremes, finding a balance, YinYang, centering ourselves?

  • Why do pagoda layers decrease in size as they ascend?

  • How does a Japanese castle's roof relate to mythical creatures/stories (the body of a fish, lion’s head)?

  • …

By answering questions like the ones above, you begin to solve the mystery of Japan in the minds of the tourists, and we ensure that our guests not only grasp the significance of the sites they visit but also understand the profound philosophical and spiritual underpinnings that make up the soul of Japan.

Thoughts or comments?