Akihiro

I am a JMGA hiking guide as well as National Certified Tour Guide, a nationally recognised qualification to guide foreigners in foreign language.
I was born and raised in Kanagawa prefecture until I travelled to the US where I attended community college and a university in Seattle, in Washington, to study American and English literatures. During my student years abroad, I went backpacking all over Europe, and have also stayed in a farm in France, as well as studied at a French university in Nantes as a part of a university exchange programme.

Fate took me to Yakushima during my bicycle journey from Tokyo to Kagoshima, where I was recommended to visit Yakushima and never left. Since then, I have been tour guiding and mountain guiding in the island that I love for 8 years.

My wish is for visitors to be able to see, feel and understand the beauty of Yakushima through the tours that I provide.
Nice and kind is what I will be to you guest, and would you please be so to Yakushima.

In case I am unavailable on the day, my mountain guide friend Junichi (http://www.explore-share.com/mountain-guide/junichi-aida/) may guide you.