Date & Time: Tuesday, April 4, 10:00 am–4:00 pm
Spots: Matsuya Sohonten(Candy Shop), Heigenji Temple, The Chinese Garden Shinshu-en, Hayashi Doll Shop
Visitors: 5 Singaporeans ( Couple, their son and his friends)
Language: English
Guided by 2 KSGG members
The visitors come to Japan every spring and asked us for guiding several times before. They requested to have an experience of watching Kanbutsue, a celebration of the anniversary of Buddha’s birth and go to a Korean barbecue restaurant. As this was not their first visit to Japan, I decided to give them an experience of making Japanese candy called Tontoko Ame. While the children wearing happi coats and aprons enjoyed experiencing it, the couple took photos and videos of them. After enjoying Kanbutsue, and having sweet tea at Heikenji Temple, we strolled around the Chinese Park Shinshu-en in Daishi Park. We were disappointed that cherry blossoms hadn’t bloomed yet, but one of the couple with a problem in the knee had a good chance to rest there. At the restaurant we had lunch, a waiter remembered them and they promised to go to the restaurant again. At the end of the tour, we saw dolls for the Boy’s Festival and the shop owner drawing parts of faces on dolls at Hayashi Doll Shop. They seemed to be surprised to find how long it takes to become a qualified craftsman and see his sensitive brush stroke. I thought I need to improve my guiding skill for their next trip.