Written by Chisa

English-speaking tour guide & tourism data analyst in rural Kyoto. I spend my working days on the Japanese side of the counter — then write up what travelers can’t see from the other side.

Inaka Desk exists to translate the part of rural Japan that never made it into English — the phone-only inns, the Japanese-only timetables, the cash-only counters. I work on the Japanese side of tourism, so the guides here come from doing the thing, not summarizing someone else who did.

Why you can trust these guides

• Working English-speaking tour guide in Kyoto Prefecture
• Booking & sales experience at an inbound travel agency
• Native Japanese speaker

What I write about

My focus areas: rural Japan travel, ryokan booking, Kyoto countryside, inbound tourism, Japanese-only travel logistics.

How the site is organized

Guides fall into a few pillars: Method (how to cross the language barrier), Convert (the gear and money tools that make it work), and Field Notes (proof from working days in rural Kyoto). New to the site? Start with the Start Here guide.