Date & Time: Friday, April 6, 9:15 am – 3:00 pm
Spot: Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, Jufukuji Temple, Kewaizaka Trail, Genjiyama Park, Zeniaraibenzaiten Shrine, Itsuki Garden, Daibutsu Hiking Course, Kotoku-in Temple (The Great Buddha), Hasedera Temple, Yuigahama Beach
Visitors: A German couple and two daughters
Attendants: 1 KSGG member
Languages: English
The German family was my first visitors to take care of as a volunteer guide, so I was very nervous. They visited Kamakura at the end of their trip in Japan. They stayed in Japan for two weeks and went to lots of places such as Hokkaido (northern island), Kansai (Kyoto and its vicinity), Hiroshima, and Hokuriku (Japan Sea side) regions. What should I show them in Kamakura? The teenage girls wore a headphone and sunglasses, were obsessed by cellphones, showed little interest in scenery, and seemed withdrawn. How could I make the tour leave them with good memories? Though I was full of anxious feelings, I cheered up myself and started the guide.
Wherever we visited I always suggested sightseeing options and let them discuss where to go and what to do. It was successful. They enjoyed climbing the Kewaizaka Cutting Road and strolling the long distance of the trail to a beach in Kamakura on their own. I hope they remember the hills, the beach and the fresh air in Kamakura as one of the attractions in Japan when they return to their country. The teenagers were in high spirits in the sandblast of windy Yuigahama beach. My pedometer indicated over 20,000 steps. In a joyful mood, we promised to see each other again in Germany or Japan and finished the tour.