Conversations from Kochi: Kiyo Tomonaga (Omakase Tour)
The afternoon was unseasonably warm as we made our way to historic Kochi Castle to meet tour guide Kiyo Tomonaga (65). Under the welcome shade of a table inside a newly developed park in front of the castle, we were all set to begin our interview when a marching band slowly began to gather. Sensing this tranquil place was about to get real loud, we moved locations to the nearby and extremely beautiful Kochi Castle Museum of History.
Born in Muroto, a cape town on the sea located in southeast Kochi, Kiyo is petite, soft-spoken, and kind. After passing the notoriously difficult National Government Licensed Guide Interpreter exam to gain her certification, for the past five years Kiyo has worked as an English-speaking guide for private, one-day tours of Kochi City.
“I wanted to be an English-speaking tour guide since I was in junior high school,” she says, recalling her first experience speaking to an international visitor when she was on a school trip to Kyushu (the large island southwest of Honshu). “We went to Oita and Kumamoto, and then on the ferry back from Kyushu, there was an international visitor aboard. Having grown up in the countryside, I’d never seen someone who wasn’t Japanese before. Seizing the opportunity, I wanted to try and speak English with them using phrases I’d learned like ‘Do you prefer coffee or tea?’ Seems like a weird question to ask now,” she laughs. When the visitor answered her question, she was elated. “I felt the joy of communication and thought that one day, that’s the kind of work I wanted to do.” She credits her passionate English teacher for instilling a love of English in her, which encouraged her to speak to the visitor that day.
Today, Kiyo takes families and other small tour groups to the biggest Kochi City tourist attractions, like Kochi Castle, Kochi Prefectural Makino Botanical Gardens, Chikurin-ji Temple, Hirome Market, and more. Having grown up in the prefecture, when asked what she thinks is Kochi’s biggest draw, her answer is, well, everything. “The Kochi coastline stretches out from east to west and the views are so dynamic. You have the scenic views of mountains, rivers, and the sea. Then there are the locals, and of course the history and culture, like Kochi Castle. There are a lot of distinct cultures in the prefecture: different dialects, different food cultures, and more. It’s never boring here.”
With so much to see, she is careful to remain flexible with her plans. “As a tour guide, you need to be ready for anything. Sometimes, there are plans that fall through, and when that happens, I go through my mental list of ideas and try to be as flexible as possible.” Kiyo is attentive to her customers’ needs and wants, often finding inspiration in her surroundings and in what her customers have to say.
She recalls a time when she was taking a couple from England around Chikurin-ji Temple, which was offering a special goshuin (a red stamp or seal visitors to temples and shrines can receive for a small fee) featuring a dragon rising up to the heavens in commemoration of the Year of the Dragon. “I told them about the goshuin and it just so happened that the wife was born in the Year of the Dragon. When I explained that those born in the same year as the current Chinese zodiac year are thought to be very lucky, they ended up getting the goshuin to commemorate their visit. It’s a special memory,” she says.
By going to locations to scout them in advance, Kiyo is able to keep an eye out for new places, often gathering information that way instead of online. “I like being able to unearth new treasures that way,” she says, smiling. Naturally full of curiosity, she’s exactly what you’d want in a tour guide. “I’m always on the lookout for what my guests are interested in. I mean, it’s not exactly fun to be lectured about a topic you’re not interested in, right? So, I’m always sure to ask them what they like and then adjust accordingly.” That’s perhaps the biggest draw of a private tour: it can be catered precisely to your interests and needs.
Passionate about her home, Kiyo wants visitors to experience Kochi with all five senses: to see, hear, touch, smell, and taste everything that the prefecture has to offer. “I don’t want them to just look at some tourist attraction and then that’s the end of it. I want them to feel the wind on their faces and get a feel for where they are.” It helps that the people of Kochi are open and accepting of new people and things. “Guests often tell me how friendly the people here are. They don’t really have their guard up and are pretty accepting for the most part. There are also some really fascinating characters here,” she says with a laugh.
Her favorite season to go around Kochi City? “Spring or fall. I would avoid the summer months. Now, I know the famous Yosakoi Festival is in the summer, but that aside, it’s really rough to walk up to Kochi Castle Tower in the brutal summer heat! If you come in the spring, there are so many gorgeous places to see the cherry blossoms.”the way, the water here is warm and you end up in the drop-pool where you can be helped.”
As the afternoon light turns hazy, I ask her what message she’d like to convey to potential visitors. She doesn’t hesitate in her answer, “If Kochi is a pool, I want visitors to jump in! Go to deep, local places, talk to the people here, experience the local culture and way of life.” Just like Kiyo jumped into the deep end that day on the ferry when she worked up the courage to use English for the first time, you never know where a giant leap (or a small hop) can lead you.
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Omakase Tour
Best season: Spring and fall
