Suggestions for Improving Japan Awaits Tours in Akita

I sometimes work as a local guide in Akita through Japan Awaits.

Through these experiences, I have noticed several areas where I believe Japan Awaits could improve its service, especially when it comes to private tours in regional areas such as Akita.

One concern I have is that Japan Awaits seems to place strong emphasis on taking guests exactly to the places they request. Of course, respecting a guest’s wishes is very important. However, sometimes guests request places that may not be suitable for the season or may not meet their expectations once they actually visit.

For example, some guests ask to visit Ogata Village outside the cherry blossom season.

Ogata Village

Ogata Village was created by reclaiming what was once the second-largest lake in Japan. It is a rural village with wide, flat farmland and long, straight roads. This kind of landscape is quite rare in Japan.

One of its most famous spots is Nanohana Road. In spring, cherry blossoms and rapeseed flowers bloom along the road at the same time. The contrast between the pink cherry blossoms and the yellow rapeseed flowers is truly beautiful, and many visitors come to see this scenery during the season.

However, outside the cherry blossom and rapeseed flower season, Ogata Village may not be very impressive for tourists. The scenery is mostly flat roads and open farmland. Because of this, even if a guest requests to go there, I sometimes feel that I should suggest another destination instead.

The Akita Museum of Art

Currently, Japan Awaits recommends places in Akita such as the Akita Museum of Art, Akita City Folk Performing Arts Heritage Center, Akita Prefectural Koizumigata Park, Senshu Park, Akita Red Brick Folk Museum, Akita Port Tower Selion, and Hotel Komachi Natural Hot Spring.

However, many of these recommended places are concentrated in Akita City. Akita Prefecture has many other attractive destinations, such as Oga, Kakunodate, Lake Tazawa, Nyuto Onsen, Masuda’s traditional storehouses, Yokote, Gojome, Ani, and Mount Moriyoshi. If tours focus only on Akita City, guests may miss the broader charm of Akita Prefecture.

Another issue is that guides cannot directly ask guests in advance what they are truly interested in.

Yurihonjo city

On one tour day, a guest suddenly told me that they did not want to visit shrines, temples, museums, or gardens. But when I asked where they wanted to go instead, they did not know. In such situations, it is difficult for a guide to prepare a satisfying alternative on the spot.

If we could know in advance what guests are interested in, and what kinds of places they want to avoid, we could prepare much better tour plans. For example, the best destination will be very different depending on whether a guest is interested in nature, history, local food, photography, local lifestyles, or hidden places.

I also believe that communication between the guest and the guide before the tour would make the experience much better. If we can exchange even a few messages before the tour day, the guest may feel more comfortable, as if they are meeting someone they already know rather than a complete stranger. This would be beneficial for both the guest and the guide.

In addition, Japan Awaits currently has very few Akita tour plans listed on its website. Famous destinations such as Tokyo and Kyoto have many tour options, but Akita has far fewer choices.

Some guests who come to Akita are not looking only for famous tourist spots. They may want a deeper local experience or places that only local people know. That is why I believe Japan Awaits should make better use of recommendations from local guides.

As someone who lives in Akita, I can introduce guests to places that are difficult to find in ordinary travel brochures. I can take them to unique places that only local residents know well.

I hope Japan Awaits will consider the following improvements:

1. Create a system where local guides can suggest better alternatives based on the season, weather, and guest satisfaction, instead of simply following the guest’s requested destination.
2. Prepare a questionnaire that allows guests to share their interests and the types of places they want to avoid before the tour.
3. Recommend tourist destinations across the entire Akita Prefecture, not only within Akita City.
4. Include more places recommended by local guides in tour suggestions.
5. Allow simple communication between guests and guides before the tour day.

A truly valuable travel experience is not simply about taking guests to the places they request.

It is about suggesting places that are worth visiting at that particular time, places that match the guest’s interests, and places that only a local guide can introduce.

By doing this, travel experiences in Akita can become much more special and memorable.