Time flies, and we’ll enter the next fiscal year at the end of this week. It has already been one year since I started this newsletter, and I couldn't imagine I'd come this far. Many thanks for subscribing to my newsletter. Japan A to Z is slowly growing, but it is climbing a big hill gradually. I’d rather be a turtle than a rabbit. Writing a foreign language newsletter every week has been tough, but at the same time, I enjoyed every moment of it. I learned a lot while writing the Japan A to Z newsletter. I finally started working as an interpreter/tour guide on the side recently with the easing of the restrictions on entry into Japan. I want to use this week as an opportunity to reflect on my new start as a tour guide — what I talk about when I talk about being a tour guide in Japan.
Changes in the past year
One year ago, I started writing on Substack as a means to keep up with my English skills and curiosity by the recommendation of my daughter. I didn’t think seriously about how time-consuming it would be or how it would dominate my time every weekend. I was skeptical about how far I could go, but I have somehow gone this far with the support of my family and friends. I definitely would not be here without the help and support of my subscribers. During my challenge in one year, I had lots of new findings, and all these experiences widened my views and perspectives regarding Japan and tourism.
There have been lots of changes in the way I approach each newsletter. I was very conscious at the beginning that I had to write original information that was not in the usual guidebooks and websites, and I often had trouble coming up with stories. However, after a few months of getting used to it, I began to have a vague idea of what I would write about that week. I still can’t say it is easy to decide on topics, but it’s becoming easier.
What to offer
When it comes to thinking about what to offer my subscribers, it is not only the unique information but also some kinds of expectation from visiting certain places. I started my guiding activities when the Japanese government eased restrictions on foreigners entering the country due to the pandemic in October last year. As an inexperienced person, at first, I was busy explaining about the place, but little by little, I realized the importance of quickly sensing what customers wanted and how they would respond to what was said. It does not apply when guiding large groups, but it is a good thing that I started with individual customers. I still have a lot to learn from guiding overseas tourists, but I feel that the guiding activities help to write my newsletter somehow.
The other day, I spoke to my daughter about what the current AI can do in our life. Then I realized that AI can do lots more than I thought, and I was so shocked that I had to reassure my understanding of AI. It is all about the border which exists between my world and what AI can do. My question is this; what can I offer my subscribers that AI can’t? The answer is “personal experiences” which AI really can’t create. In principle, traveling is all about that, experiences. It is the reason why we travel by spending our time and our money.
After one year of publishing Japan A to Z, I strongly feel that I should share my experiences with my subscribers, and hope it will encourage more people to visit Japan. It’s a pity that I had to cancel the “Sakura Bike Ride” this weekend due to the bad weather. I was expecting a short story with photos of cherry blossoms along the riverbank of the Tama River. Well, it is not the end of the world, cherry blossoms will bloom next spring, and I hope to write a story next year.
What to come
I mentioned that I started my new tour guide career on the side. With a limited 24-hour window, I will have to juggle their time between my day job, tour guiding, writing newsletters, and other things. I'm not sure when, but I may choose to write every other week in the future. In the unlikely event that the frequency drops, rest assured that this does not mean the end of this newsletter. Even if that happens, I'll try to manage to improve the quality of the content to make up for the frequency!
Thank you again for reading Japan A to Z. Your readership has been one of the biggest motivators that helped me to start my new career on the side in tour guiding as well as continuing this newsletter. I’ve learned a lot over the past year and I hope you’ve learned something along the way too!
I’ll end the newsletter with the usual cherry blossom forecast. Wishing you a good week ahead.
One Stop/Cherry Blossom Forecast
The Japan Weather Association released the latest Cherry Bloom Forecast for 2023 on Thursday. Temperatures are expected to remain above normal for the rest of the year, with both flowering and full bloom expected to be earlier than normal. In the Kanto region and westwards, the cherry trees will be in full bloom by the end of March. The cherry blossom front will finally reach Michinoku, and the Tohoku region, and the forecast is the earliest flowering in recorded history.
Well done! Looking forward to further newsletters, which help inspire a trip to Japan!
Congratulations, Hideo. I sure know how hard it is to keep writing regularly. Thanks again and keep up the good work!