About Nara Guide Club(NGC)
NGC(Nara Guide Club) is a volunteer guide(free guided tour) group for foreign tourists and was established in 2007. We can offer a guided tour of Nara in 3 languages (English, Korean and Chinese). At the present, the number of memberships is about 100 and we are regularly studying about Japanese history and culture, ancient buildings, interesting sightseeing spots and so on. So, many of members have already finished the 1year training course as a tour guide. We can take foreign tourists to sightseeing spots located in city center and the outskirts of Nara city, such as Todaiji Temple, Kohfukuji Temple, Kasuga Shrine, Naramachi Town, Gangoji Temple, Yakushiji Temple, Toshodaiji Temple, Horyuji Temple and so on for free. You can request a guided tour from our web site. In addition to providing guides, we can also translate brochures of temples, museums, hotels and so on, and support the school activities on the World Heritage sites in Nara organized by local schools. NGC members are registered as Goodwill Guides of JNTO (Japan National Tourism Organization.
| Our History | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | April | Established. |
| 2008 | September | Registered with Japan National Tourism Organization |
| 2009 | January | NGC free tour guide service was taken up by Asahi Newspaper. |
| August | Certified as the NPO by Nara Prefecture | |
| August | Joined the UNESCO children’s Performing Arts Festival in East Asia as volunteer interpreters. | |
| September | Yomiuri Newspaper took up the NGC on the special articles of “Commemorative Events of the 1300th Anniversary of the Heijo-kyo”. | |
| 2010 | Apr.-Oct. | NGC free guide service started at the main site of “Commemorative Events of the 1300th Anniversary of the Heijo-kyo”. |
| October | Joined the World History City Convention as volunteer interpreters. | |
| November | Received commendation from Nara Prefecture. | |
| 2011 | June | started FACEBOOK |
| 2012 | May | started fixed spot guide of Kofuku-ji Temple |
| August | joined to the 3rd “The East Asia Local and Regional Government Congress” as volunteer | |
| Octiber | NHK (TV) Nara station introduced activities of NGC | |
| November | started fixed spot guide of Tohdai-ji Temple with Suzaku, EGG and SGG. | |
| 2014 | August | started fixed spot guide of ISUIEN |
| 2015 | June | School Library Association introduced NGC. |
| 2017 | October | Held NGC 10th Anniversary Commemoration Party |
| 2022 | March | Participated in the Chubu Community Center Culture Festival “Chat Session ~ Let’s Communicate in Various Languages” |
| October | With the lifting of entry restrictions for individual foreign travelers, the state of the fixed-point guide at Kofukuji Temple was broadcast on NHK Nara and NHK Kansai. | |
