GET TO KNOW OUR TRAVEL GUIDES SERIES: LET’S MEET MICHIE FROM TOKYO!

We have an amazing team here at Arigato Travel who are all hard-working, persistent, and just super fun! Today, we would like to introduce you to Michie, a senior guide associate in business development here in Japan.

How are our guides doing lately? Well, let’s find out!

Hi Michie! Before we get started, can you introduce yourself to our wonderful readers? Where are you originally from?

Hello everyone! I’m truly honored and excited to be featured in this guide series. Thank you for this wonderful opportunity. I’m a true Tokyoite – born and raised right here! I currently live near Harajuku with my husband. We have a 19-year-old son who’s pursuing his passion for baseball in California, playing at a junior college, and he is hoping to continue at a four-year university in the US.

As you can tell, sports play a big part in our family life. My husband plays tennis almost every evening after work and is an expert skier. I take tennis lessons weekly and enjoy playing with friends on weekends. We also love watching sports together, as there is something for everyone. Also, I do have a bit of a K-drama addiction, which sometimes keeps me up too late! In addition to all the activities, dining out and trying different foods is a favorite event for me. Unagi and soba remain my top loves – a true Tokyoite’s delight. My favorite soba shops are Kawakamian in Omotesando and Toshian in Shiroganedai.

What’s one fond memory of your home you would forever keep to this day? Is there a special place that remains forever in your heart?

This might not be the typical answer, but some of my fondest memories involve family trips. When I was seven, we flew to Osaka, which was my first time on an airplane. I distinctly remember the excitement of being on the plane and how impressed I was with everything, including the flight meal. It was a simple sandwich, but the butter made it exceptionally delicious to me. My mother didn’t cook often with butter, so it was a new and exciting taste for my seven-year-old taste buds. That flight experience was so enjoyable and memorable that it sparked my desire to become a cabin crew. That dream was fulfilled at the age of 24 by joining Cathay Pacific. The experience allowed me to travel extensively and further appreciate the connection between travel and enjoying good food.

Did you always dream of being a tour guide, or did other opportunities lead you here? Tell us more about your career story.

After high school, I attended a women’s college, which was quite common for young women in Tokyo at the time. However, I found that it wasn’t for me, as I missed the co-ed environment I was used to. Through my mother’s connections, I got the opportunity to live with an American family and study in Hawaii, then continued my studies in Iowa, attending a small college where I studied business administration. Upon returning to Japan, I worked as a secretary at KPMG for a while before joining Cathay Pacific as a cabin crew member. After four years of being stationed in Hong Kong, I decided to return to Tokyo. While flying on private jets for some time, I also began working as a real estate agent. It was a specialization in expatriate housing in central Tokyo, a job I truly enjoyed, and my clients were primarily expatriates from the US who had relocated to Tokyo. I received many referrals and built strong relationships with security companies that frequently had personnel changes. By my dedication and work with my clients, I was awarded the Centurion award twice by the Century 21 Main office.

When I got married at 34, I became a ‘Sengyo shufu,’ a full-time housewife, which had been a dream of mine since my younger days. My generation was raised with the idea that a woman’s happiness lay in marrying a good husband and becoming a full-time wife, focusing solely on family. Many of my friends got married and left their jobs, and I always wanted to do the same, which I did, but soon I regretted leaving the workforce. So, after settling into married life, with my determination, I started taking courses to become a licensed guide. After successfully passing the exam, I volunteered as a guide for the Shibuya city office, which eventually led me to become an Arigato Travel senior guide.

Were there any mind-blowing/life-changing moments you had with a guest while on tour?

I’ve been fortunate to meet so many wonderful people on my tours, as they are usually friendly and fun-loving, and I truly enjoy spending time with them and learning from our conversations. My experience with Arigato Travel’s training was life-changing. After obtaining my national guide license, I participated in training with several tour companies. However, most of that training was quite dull, focusing heavily on historical explanations, locations, and facts without teaching me how to genuinely connect with guests. So I dug a little deeper, and when I had the opportunity to train with Arigato Travel, it was a series of eye-opening experiences. It was truly mind-blowing, and it solidified my decision that Arigato Travel was the place where I wanted to work. I truly enjoy the connections made from then to this day!

We’ve got lots of tours here at Arigato Travel. I know this may be hard, but can you tell us which is your favorite and why?

I truly love all the tours I lead, so it’s hard to choose just one. But, if I had to pick, I might say Yanaka. It is such a wonderful downtown area that has retained much of its retro charm. It hasn’t been heavily developed, and it has a fantastic ‘shotengai’ shopping street filled with charming, family-owned shops. I’ve recently become friends with the owner of a rice-distributing shop, who is in his 80s and loves chatting with our guests. He even gives out handmade bamboo back scratchers! There are so many delightful people in Yanaka, and it really offers our guests the chance to connect with real, local residents.

Is there one food you always want to share about when you go out guiding tours? A hidden gem, perhaps?

I always make sure to talk about Umeboshi. It’s a pickled plum, and it’s very popular as a filling for Onigiri (rice balls). You’ll also often find Umeboshi in the center of a bento box with rice. The sourness of the tangy plum helps prevent the rice from spoiling, and its saltiness is helpful during the hot, humid summers. When I was a child, my mother made her own and made me eat one every day to keep the doctor away, much like ‘an apple a day’ in Western countries.

Aside from our tours, what is one place you have visited in Japan and would 100% recommend to anyone because of the scenery or food? Please tell us why!

This is another very difficult question, as there are so many wonderful places to share in Japan. I’ve loved everywhere I’ve been! But if I had to choose one, I’d probably say Nagano. My family often goes to Nagano for skiing and also to escape the summer heat. Nagano has many ‘onsen’ (hot springs) and delicious soba noodles because they produce a lot of buckwheat there. Last fall, I visited the Nakasendo Trail and walked from Tsumago to Magome. It was a bit of a challenging walk through the mountains, but it was a fantastic experience. I truly felt like I was transported back to the Edo period, and I highly recommend these areas.

Thank you, Michie-san, for sharing with us about your life experiences and your enjoyment in working for Arigato Travel now. Your expertise surely inspires us all to one day lead and be ambassadors of Japan! We hope our readers will also be motivated to book our tours and enjoy you as their knowledgeable guide.

Featured Photo Credit: Michie Kubota

Book one of our summer food tours on your next summer vacation in Japan, and savor some amazing Japanese cuisine and meet our awesome tour guides!