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Yutaka was Awesome!  Great tour. Very zen! 🧘🏻

It was amazing. Yutaka was friendly and a great guide. Thank you.

This was a very special tour. We got to walk a bit and the guide was very helpful and clear. Everyone was extremely nice and we even got to ask the monk a few questions. Wonderful experience, highly recommend.

Fantastic, really recommended experience! 
Yutaka was great and very informative!! 
You get a very good idea of what Zen is, and he is very knowledgable of the topic :)

My guide Yutaka was very compelling and informative to listen to. It was just me on the tour today but it exceeded my expectations! It was very personal and very enjoyable. It's hard to describe the grandeur of the sites you visit unless you actually go.

Our Guide, Yutaka, was an amazing guide. Very knowledgeable and very interactive. He is very considerate and answers all your questions. The meditation and temple visits were awesome. Easily, one of my highlights of Japan trip. All in all it was value for money.

Our guide Yutaka was super! Very welcoming and informative!! Definitely will come by to do the meditation again!

Yutaka was great, the tour was so informative even before the meditation, and the lunch after was great! The zen meditation was wonderful, definitely a lot of things i will take with me my whole entire life!!

Our guide Yukata is super! Very welcoming and informative! Definitely will come back again!

I have a very good experience with Yutaka San as the tour guide. He has explained various information about temple history and japanese tradition in entering temples. Enjoyed the garden tour and atmosphere, allowing oneself to relax and put mind at peace. Meditation session is good with clear explanation given in booklet and a nice inner search meditation is experienced. Definitely recommended for others to give a try when you are in Kyoto.

Das war während der zweiwöchigen Reise der beste Tourguide. Yataka hat sich perfekt um uns gekümmert, alles gezeigt und erklärt. Ich kann Yutaka uneingeschränkt empfehlen.

The guide Yutaka Yoshida was very knowledgeable and explained everything in detail and in good clear English. We were a group of only 6 so it was very efficient and friendly. Later the lunch was also very tasty and cosy. Highly recommended.

Our guide Yutaka was very pleasant and very knowledgeable.

Yutaka was an informative and funny guide. Once in a lifetime experience doing the monk guided meditation.

Herr Yutaka Yoshida war toll, lustig, unterhalsam. Allgemein die ganze Tour war wunderbar.

Super fun tour! Our tourguide yutaka was very nice and had a lot of informations. Excellent!

Yutaka is a wonderful guide who made our tour truly special. We loved every moment of it and would happily recommend him to anyone.

Yutaki was a wonderful guide, knowledgeable and personable, and made sure we had a great time. Also it helped by it not being such a busy time, and he did a good job trying to keep it more private and personal.

Today’s Zen Garden tour with Yutaka was an absolute highlight of my time in Kyoto! I learned so much about the traditions of Zen Buddhism and Shintoism. We enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere of a beautiful temple garden, and the meditation session that followed was a special way to immerse myself in the practice. I also had the opportunity to ask the monk questions. The meal afterwards was delicious, too. All in all, it was an experience I highly recommend!

What an amazing experience! It was our first time in Kyoto and doing this zen meditation felt like a great experience to try out. Our tour guide Yoshida Yutaka was super helpful right from the start. We found him right away and he was so patient with all our questions throughout the tour. We had the choice to do this tour on our own, but honestly I’m so grateful we booked this tour because I wouldn’t have gained as much Info as I did and it made the experience so much better. Thank you!

Such an amazing experience! I learned so much about Zen, and the meditation practice was truly special. Yutaka, our guide, gave clear and thorough explanations that made everything easy to understand. Highly recommended!

Yutaka was very accommodating, generous, and informative throughout the trip! He’s very knowledgeable and entertaining as a host, and the food he provided us was very delicious!

Yutaka is an Excellent tour guide!! He is very patient, knowledgeable & very pleasant to his guests. He is definitely a 5-star tour guide!!

Yutaka YOSHIDA is an excellent company to have , very informative and engaging. He made sure our experience was seamless and memorable , he went beyond any typical/ordinary tour guide usually provides .

Yutaka was amazing tour guide. He told us a lot of information. The meditation was great. I recommend it to everyone!

Yutaka was amazing, kind, prepared and fun. Best tour of our trip to Japan!!!!! Highly recommend!

Yutaka was incredible! Very knowledgeable and we learned so much about meditation. Highly recommended experience

Yutaka’s tour was amazing! We had so much fun learning from him and meditating for the first time. Highly recommend to anyone who is curious about exploring the religions of Japan. You won’t be disappointed

Our guide was knowledgeable, engaging and informative, sharing the history and philosophy behind the garden and nearby temples. The guided Zen meditation was the highlight of the experience, encouraging us to slow down, be present and appreciate the garden in a much deeper way. I left with a greater understanding of Japanese culture and would highly recommend this tour.

I had an amazing experience! Yutaka was a great guide, very knowledgeable about the area and answered all my questions. The meditation was a really cool experience and it was nice to chat with the monk at the end. The food was very yummy as well. Such a great day.

Yutaka was amazing ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️He took me round lots of temples and a beautiful zen garden. Then we did a meditation with a monk which was a beautiful experience. We finished it off with a lovely traditional Japanese meal. Highly recommend he’s wonderful ⭐️⭐️

Yutaka was my guide and it was an incredible tour! I did this by myself for my birthday and I really felt like it helped me clear my mind and learn so much about meditation. He even met me when I was 20 minutes early and showed me around some extra places. 100% recommended this tour!

It was truly a special experience. The zen meditation with the monk in Kyoto was very beautiful and authentic. It was not easy; in fact, it was quite challenging, but for that reason, we enjoyed it immensely and it left us with something precious.A special thanks goes to our guide, Yutaka, who was fantastic! Very skilled, friendly, kind, and helpful. He made the entire experience even more interesting and enjoyable with his explanations and enthusiasm.We recommend this experience to anyone who wants to get to know Japanese culture and spirituality more closely. Thank you, Yutaka!

I really enjoyed my day learning about zen meditation and the opportunity to immerse myself in this through time spent in a zen garden and a meditation led by a Buddhist monk. Yakatura was a fantastic guide, knowledgeable and considerate. The lunch was delicious and beautifully presented.

Really lovely experience to get to know Zen Buddhist culture better, as well as see several beautiful locations in Kyoto. Yutaka Yoshida was a wonderful tour guide for the full experience!

Yutaka was a fantastic tour guide, we had a memorable day visiting the temples & we learned lots along the way. He was full of interesting information and local knowledge. The temples were stunning and not too busy with other tourists. Lovely guided meditation session with a monk & a delicious vegan lunch to finish off the tour perfectly. We highly recommend this to anyone looking for an authentic experience.

Yutaka is an amazing host! Very organised and explained every step in advance, so it felt very easy. Very kind and helpful, patiently giving answers to any question we have. We ended up just 3 of us including Yutaka. First walking around Tofukuji area then a group meditation (2 x 15min) and q&a with a real monk. Then satisfying vegan lunch (good one as someone who eats meat!). Highly recommend, very unforgettable and unique!

Yutaka gave us a very good tour and lots of information to keep. Great experience, highly recommend!

Our guide Yutaka was very friendly and informative! We had a great time visiting the temples, collecting goshuin, and meditating with the temple monk. I came with my group of teenagers who also loved the experience

Loved the experience and the temples and Yutaka was very helpful and nice and he made it very fun

Loved it and thoughly enjoyed Yutakas company. Thank you from east Tennessee 🙏.

Yutaka  was excellent very knowledgeable and easy to understand. Learn much more about Japanese culture and temples today, very much appreciated and thank you!!

Fantastic tour and Zen meditation experience. Our guide, Yutaka, was exceptional. The temple tours themselves were a very Zen experience. Highly recommended!

We had a wonderful experience on this tour. Meetup was simple and straightforward, and our guide, Yutaka san was there early, waiting for us. The tour of the sub temples were peaceful, and Yutaka san spoke excellent English. The English booklet was so nice to have during the Meditation and the vegan lunch delicious. Highly recommended.

Mr. Yoshida was an excellent and knowledgeable guide.  Throughout the tour he provided us with information about what we were seeing, paying particular attention to historical significance. Before the actual Zen meditation, he gave us a brief overview of what to expect.  Inside the Zen meditation he once again explained the procedure and gave us English translations of what the monk would say.  During the meditation he clued us into what pages of the handout we should read since the monk was officiating in Japanese Due to physical limitations, Mr. Yoshida provided one of us with a chair after finding sitting on the carpet too difficult. He also arranged for us to get a picture with the presiding monk at the end of the meditation.We learned quite a bit from this experience and credit Mr. Yoshida with making it an enjoyable as well as informative experience.

It was really an unique experience.4 hrs flew by and the host - Yutaka was amazing.

Our experience in Kyoto with Yutaka was truly unforgettable and one of the highlights of our trip to Japan. From the very beginning, Yutaka was incredibly kind, knowledgeable, and attentive, making us feel welcomed and comfortable throughout the entire day.The tour was beautifully organized. Visiting the Zen garden was a peaceful and inspiring experience, and the Zen meditation session was deeply meaningful and authentic. It gave us a rare opportunity to connect with Japanese culture and spirituality on a much deeper level.The lunch was also excellent and perfectly chosen, adding another special touch to the day.This was not just a tour — it was a deep cultural and personal experience that we will remember for a very long time. We highly recommend Yutaka to anyone visiting Kyoto who wants something authentic, thoughtful, and truly special.

Yutaka was a wonderful guide and host! He was very knowledgeable about the area and history, he was very entertaining and friendly to all guests. Would definitely recommend him to anyone looking to learn more about Zen Buddhism and nearby temples and shrines.

Yutaka was a great guide. We were able to see a lot of different aspects of Zen Buddhism.

We had a great and exciting Zen Temple Tour with Yutaka Yoshida in Kyoto! He has an incredible amount of knowledge and explained everything in a very interesting and engaging way. We learned so much about Zen Buddhism, the temples, and Japanese culture. Yutaka was also very friendly, passionate, and made the whole experience enjoyable from start to finish. We highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Kyoto! Also the food was amazing!

Our guide yutaka is perfect! He is very kind and informative, he guided us to had an amazing meditation trip we can ever wanted. The tour is well designed also, definitely will come again next time!

It was a really beautiful experience, but the best part was definitely our guide, Yutaka!

The tour was amazing and our guide Yutaka yoshida was so lovely and funny! Highly recommended!

We had a tour with Yutaka - there were only 2 of us, so we had plenty of time to talk. Likewise, Yutaka had more time to explain things to us in detail. We saw beautiful temples and gardens. The meditation was very relaxing. To conclude, there was a vegetarian lunch that was also super delicious. All in all, a fantastic experience, and I would book it again.

The tour with our guide Yutaka Yoshida was wonderful! He told us a lot of interesting information about the temples and shrines. The Shazen meditation was an experience that I will never forget. We visited many beautiful places that were little visited, and therefore the tour was very relaxing :-)

Yutaka, Our guide was excellent — knowledgeable, friendly, and made the entire experience smooth and enjoyable. We learned so much and truly appreciated the attention to detail and local insights

Simply amazing. Yutaka made it even more enjoyable. He explained everything throughout. Lunch was fab. Thank you, fully recommend.

Our tour guide Yutaka was a very nice person and had a really good experience with him

AMAZING temple trip in Kyoto~~~Mr. Yutaka is an excellent tour guide, thank you very much for today & I must join again next time 🥰🥰🥰

Very nice experience, Yutaka was very helpful and knowledgeable, he gave us a lot of explanations

We had a very nice experience with Yutaka. Walking around temples of all sizes was amazing. The zazen meditation with a Buddhist monk was a very good experience.

An excellent experience with our tour guide Mr.Yutaka brought us a good memory with the Zen class and temple trip in Kyoto

An unforgettable experience in Kyoto. The Zen meditation, beautiful temple setting, and traditional Shojin lunch were all incredible-but what truly made this special was our guide, Yutaka  Knowledgeable, warm, and deeply thoughtful, Yutaka created such a welcoming atmosphere and shared the history and meaning of Zen in a way that felt both peaceful and inspiring. This was more than a tour—it was an experience I'II carry with me. Highly recommend.

Amazing and unique experience.  One of the highlights of our time in Kyoto. Yukaka was a very knowledgeable tour guide.

Amazing experience, we learned so much about zen and meditation practice. Yutaka our guide was very kind and answered all the questions we had about zen and Japan culture. I highly recommend the tour!

Such a great experience! Yoshida was amazing and taught meso much about Japanese culture! Also loved the meditation class, for sure one of the highlights of my trip!

Our guide gave us a great tour through the Zen temples of Tofukuji in Kyoto.  We started punctually and  had a nice walk, first to the modern Zen garden , where we had almost half an hour to meditate and explore quietly the views of rooms and the garden. Then we walked back to another temple, where we met the monk and took part in the supervised meditation.  Mr. Yutaka Yoshida prepared us very well, explaining the details and expected behaviour.  After the meditation, he enabled us to talk to the monk, and responded well prepared and satisfying to all our questions,  even translating the key thoughts of the monk's sermon, also at the final interesting vegan lunch. That was really a great and serious intro to Zen . It took a little longer than anticipated, until 3 pm.

Mr. YUTAKA is very friendly, knowledgeable, and an excellent guide. He explained everything clearly and made the whole experience enjoyable and easy to follow. We had a wonderful time today and truly appreciated his kindness and professionalism. Highly recommended!

Very Impressive! The lessons i got today from the tour will obviously make my life much more happy and peacful. Thank you Yutaka-san for explaining things in japaness to english for us to understand such a profound meaning of Zen in english, unless we cannot understand them. I would really recommend this experience for everyone. Zen medition is something you should true at lest once.

We had Yutaka Yoshida for our guide and he was absolutely amazing. We had a very nice time. Yutaka was very friendly and he knew a lot of interesting facts. Much recommended!!

Excellent experience. Yataka was very friendly and we all enjoyed it in every way.

Yutaka was the best guide. Thank you very much for beautiful day and all information. Highly recommended. ❤️

We had a really sweet man named Yutaka! He was so amazing and he teaches us a lot of things about budhismus coulture. And we also had a lot of fun!

We had an incredible and peaceful experience with our guides. We honestly didn’t know what to expect but it was more than insightful. We learned more about Buddhism and Shintoism in Japanese culture. Yutaka and Rai made our experience one of a kind. They shared their knowledge and experiences with us that made us feel more connected. Both were so respectful and kind! The zen garden was beautiful, the meditation was a learning experience and the meal was delicious. I couldn’t recommend this experience enough!

Very interesting and rewarding tours. Mr. Yutaka Yoshida, our guide was very kind, attentive, friendly and above all competent. Strongly recommend.

We had an amazing experience!! Both of our guides were super friendly and very knowledgeable about the history of the shrines. We really learned a lot and it was so helpful when visiting other shrines. We would definetly book with them again!!

Definitely the beat experience we had so far in Japan! And the vegan monk meal was delicious. Thank you Yutaka YOSHIDA for the wisdom you shared with us, i definitely recommend this experience to anyone who is interested to learn things nobody will teach you.

This experience was truly exceptional. The small group made it feel very personal, and the temple stops were beautiful and thoughtfully chosen. We learned so much along the way, and the meditation session in such an intimate, peaceful temple setting was incredibly refreshing.The lunch was absolutely outstanding - one of the best we had in Japan.A special thank you to Yutaka, our guide, who was so kind, attentive, knowledgeable, and genuinely welcoming throughout. He made the whole experience even more memorable.Without a doubt, one of the highlights of our trip to Japan. Highly recommended!

I had a great time on the tour with Yutaka. It was very informative, and the meditation was a great was to recentre in the middle of a busy holiday. Thank you Yutaka!!

Fabulous initiation to Boudhism, with training session in meditation. Excellent and very friendly and knowledgeable guide.

Yutaka was our guide. He was very informative and knowledgeable about the gardens, the temples, and even the shrine within the temple. We had a lot of fun despite the rain. The actual meditation was so relaxing and peaceful. My watch said I had low cardio activity after the meditation; I was so relaxed. First time that has ever happened with me. lol. The lunch afterwards was great too! We also had good company. I would definitely recommend this experience especially with Yutaka!

I had an amazing time on my Zen Meditation tour! My guide Yutaka was great, personable, and very informative throughout the experience.

Great day tour. The small group makes the experience more personal and meaningful. Yutaka was so friendly and knowledgeable. I highly recommend this tour.

First of all I understood wrong the length of the experience by 2 hours or so, so we were able to experience only the Zen Meditation part of the trip. Activity was unique and definitely worth it. Our guide was very nice and understanding with our schedule problems. Would definitely recommend this activity if you are interested in understanding the zen meditation and experience it in practice.

Yutaka was a lovely host and helped make the experience very enjoyable.  The meditation portion was exactly what I was hoping.  Everything was professional and the food was delicious!

We had a wonderful experience with Yutaka on this tour. He was very knowledgeable and gracious. The tour was filled with beautiful and serene places and the guided meditation was enlightening. Highly recommend.

Excellent guide - yutaka Toshiba. Very knowledge and his EnglishWas great !

Such a beautiful tour experience!!! Tour guide Yutaka Yoshida was wonderful!

Wonderful tour with Yutaka Yoshida, who supervised me during the Kyoto Zen meditation. The visits to two temples and Zen gardens were followed by the Zen meditation, which was a special experience for me. With the help of Mr. Yoshida's translation, I was also able to ask the monk for advice and talk to him personally after the meditation. A unique experience. Highly recommended.

Great tour with meditation  organised with Yutaka Yoshida

Yutaka is a lovely guide who I learned a lot from. He was friendly and made sure we were well taken care of. We had a nice Japanese vegan lunch, learned about and practiced zazen and spent some time in a beautiful zen garden. I would recommend the experience.

It was incredible! I booked through magic trip and my tour guide was Mr. Yutaka as my tour guide and he was wonderful, such amazing energy and I was able to enjoy every bit and felt very comfortable as a solo traveler. I honestly didn’t know what to expect from this zen meditation garden tour but it was the best experience I’ve had. I would highly recommend if you are wondering what tour to do. The temples and garden were beautiful and the meditation was so relaxing. The group was also so great, shared nice conversations and made great memories! Thank you Mr. Yutaka yoshida. :)

This to exceeded all of my expectations, because Yutaka, our guide was fabulous We were able to walk private neighborhoods, view beautiful temples and shines, then have a meaningful meditation experience with a monk. Zen meditation relaxes and nourishes the soul. Wonderful to take a break from the hustle and bustle of city tourism. Excellent experience.

This was an amazing experience and our guide Yutaka in fantastic guide. Highly recommend

Very interesting and relaxing tour Yutaka was very helpful and full of interesting information, zen meditation was very peaceful and relaxing we thoroughly enjoyed it and will recommend to friends thanks again Yutaka for a great tour

We had such a wonderful experience. Yutaka is very down to earth and walked us through the whole entire experience. We obtained so much information about the history of Buddhism and zen -we grew to love the culture and the beautiful city of Kyoto so much more. At the end we had a lovely meal and they even catered to my vegetarian diet!

This was, without question, one of the most meaningful experiences of my entire two-week trip to Japan. I had always been curious about Zen meditation, but this tour did more than answer my questions—it genuinely inspired me to begin incorporating the practice into my daily life.First, I have to highlight our guide, Yutaka, who was absolutely exceptional. He has a rare ability to weave together the history, philosophy, and cultural nuances of Zen Buddhism in a way that feels effortless and engaging. Nothing felt like a lecture—everything felt like a thoughtful, natural conversation. He also went above and beyond to personalize the experience, guiding us through proper temple etiquette and even helping us begin our goshuin journey.The tour itself was beautifully paced. Yutaka met us right outside the train station with a warm welcome, and from there we explored a range of temples—from the grandeur of Tofuku-ji to the quiet intimacy of Komyo-in. Each stop offered its own unique beauty, from meticulously designed gardens to stunning architecture, all enriched by Yutaka’s insights.One of the most special aspects was the opportunity to participate in guided meditation with an actual monk at Tofuku-ji Temple. It was introduced in a way that felt respectful and accessible, never intrusive. Afterward, the monk generously spent time answering our questions and listening to our reflections, which made the experience feel even more personal and meaningful. We also had additional time to practice meditation at Komyo-in, surrounded by its serene gardens.Throughout the experience, Yutaka was incredibly attentive—seamlessly translating, checking in on us, and ensuring we were fully present and comfortable every step of the way.The day concluded with a thoughtfully curated lunch, where my wife and I had the chance to reflect on everything we had experienced while continuing to learn more about Japanese culture. It was the perfect ending to an already unforgettable day.I truly cannot recommend this tour enough. Since returning to the U.S., I find myself reflecting on this experience often, filled with gratitude. It left a lasting impression on me, and I’m excited to carry what I learned into my everyday life.

Yutaka

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Kyoto Zen Meditation & Garden Tour at a Zen Temple with traditional Sho-jin lunch

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