About Us

National Government Licensed Guide Interpreter Net Kanazawa (LINK)

We are a group of qualified National Government Licensed Guide Interpreters based in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, specialized in guiding around Kanazawa and its attractive neighboring destinations including Noto Peninsula, Kaga Hot-Spring Area, Shirakawa-go and Gokayama Villages, and Takayama City.

What We Do

Tour Guiding

Professional guide services provided by nationally accredited guides.

Interpretation

Interpretation services for lectures, seminars, business meetings or media events.

Translation

Translation services for legal forms, manuals, websites, leaflets, or business letters.

International Business Assistance

Let us help make your international events successful.

Dispatch of Language Teachers

Instructors are available for English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Italian, Korean, and Thai lessons.

Other

Please contact us at info@kanazawaguidelink.jp for any more information you might need.

Guide Fees

Fixed bookable period: Full day (8 hrs.) 30,000 ~ 50,000 yen.

Fixed bookable period: Half-day (4 hrs.) 18,000 ~ 30,000 yen.

Overrun or extension of a bookable period costs +20% per hr.

* Fees are subject to change depending on the number of guests and other conditions.

* The client must bear all other costs incurred by the tourists, including entrance fees, transportation costs, meals, etc.

Please contact us for a quotation.

Guides by Language

Please communicate with each guide directly at the contacts provided below. Conditions and rates of service are to be agreed upon with each guide. The National Licensed Interpreter-guide Net Kanazawa (LINK) does not take any responsibility for such services rendered.

FAQ

Q: What are the features and differences between National Government Licensed Guide Interpreters who are the members of your organization (National Licensed Interpreter-guide Net Kanazawa--LINK) and Kanazawa Visitors Hosts administered by Kanazawa City?
A: Kanazawa Visitors Hosts was established in the spring of 2017 with their accredited area limited to Kanazawa City and has services provided in English only. Applicants for this certificate must have at least a pre-first grade certificate of STEP (Test in Practical English Proficiency) or have a minimum TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication) score of 730.
National Government Licensed Guide Interpreters, on the other hand, are certified to guide all over Japan. LINK was established in 2012 with its members providing services in Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture, and its neighboring prefectures. To obtain this certification as a guide interpreter in English, for instance, an applicant has to have either the first-grade certificate of STEP or have a TOEIC score of 840 or higher. In addition, services are provided in many languages other than English.
Q: How soon should I book a guide?
A: While two (2) weeks in advance is usually enough to reserve a guide, it is recommended that you make a reservation as soon as possible after your itinerary is confirmed. Even six (6) months is not too early to book a guide especially for cherry blossom (April) or foliage (November) seasons.
Q: How much is the cancellation charge?
A: Standard rates are 30% of the guide fee for within two weeks of the reservation, 50% for within one week, and 100% for notice given on the day or the day before your tour.
Q: What is included in the guiding fee?
A: The guiding fee covers guiding services only. Anything other than guiding services such as the guide’s transportation to/from the venue, transportation during the tour, admission fees*, meals and accommodation are at the customer’s expense. (*Many facilities exempt guides from admission fees.)
Q: How long does it take from Kanazawa to key destinations?
A: Please see below for transit times between Kanazawa and key destinations.
Tokyo: 2 hours 30 minutes by JR Hokuriku Shinkansen bullet train.
Kyoto: 2 hours 10 minutes by JR limited express trains.
Shirakawa-go and Takayama: Please note that Shirakawa-go is located just in between Kanazawa and Takayama and it takes about 1 hour and 10 minutes to get to Shirakawago. And then, approximately 50 minutes to Takayama by a chauffeured car. Although booking is needed, chauffeured cars allow flexibility of both time and route and can accommodate stopping in at Gokayama, for example. Highway buses are also available with required seat reservations to go to these destinations for less expense if you can plan well for departure/arrival times and the time to/from the places you would like to visit. Either way, all our members can provide guide services throughout the tour to those destinations.
Wajima: The transit time to Wajima is 1 hour 50 minutes by a chauffeured car with advanced booking. If you use the “Wajima Go” tour bus operated by Hokutetsu Kanazawa Bus, you will leave Kanazawa around 8:00 AM, enjoy the highlights of Wajima, and come back to Kanazawa around 5:00 PM. This tour includes a visit to the morning market, Wajima Lacquerware Center, Senmaida Rice Fields, Kiriko Lantern Museum, and Chirihama Beach Driveway (subject to weather) with guiding in Japanese. There is also an inter-city bus connecting between Kanazawa and Wajima (reservation not required) to take you to Wajima in 2 and half hours with no stops at major attractions. Our members will be happy to provide guiding services in both cases.
Q: What is the best way to get around Kanazawa City?
A: Since most of the attractions are located in the central Kanazawa area, able walkers can enjoy the city on foot. You can also use Kanazawa Loop buses with a one day pass which can be purchased at Kanazawa Station for 600 yen. The taxi fare will be 1,000 – 1,500 yen even to rather remote attractions in Kanazawa.
Q: What cultural activities can I enjoy in Kanazawa?
A: There is a variety of traditional and cultural experiences you can enjoy such as making gold leaf goods, painting on Kutani porcelain, wearing a kimono, Kaga Yuzen dyeing, and wagashi making. Most of these require a reservation.
Q: Can I see geisha in Kanazawa?
A: There are seasonal geisha events in Kanazawa which you can book online, or you can ask luxury ryokan style inns or ryotei restaurants to arrange a party with geisha for you.