Choosing a Tour
The question isn't whether your guide passed Japan's licensing exam. It's whether they can communicate, engage, and adapt—skills the exam doesn't test.
September 12, 2025
8 mins read
The English proficiency threshold for Japan's national guide license corresponds to CEFR B1-B2—roughly what Japanese high schoolers target for university entrance. The exam is genuinely difficult: fewer than one in five candidates pass. But it tests geographic trivia, historical dates, and tourism regulations—not storytelling, personality, or whether you'll enjoy spending eight hours together.
What B1-B2 Actually Means
Japan's National Government Licensed Guide Interpreter exam requires Eiken Grade 2 English proficiency. That's CEFR B1-B2—upper intermediate. It's enough to write a letter, follow a presentation, or explain basic information with prepared notes. It's not the "advanced foreign language skills" that official marketing suggests.
B1-B2 allows a guide to deliver a scripted explanation of Senso-ji Temple's history. It doesn't guarantee they can field unexpected questions, adapt to your specific interests, or hold a natural conversation when the script runs out.
The Script vs. Conversation Problem
The gap between scripted competency and conversational fluency matters more than most travelers expect. Industry observers note that many guides "simply recite memorized facts or struggle with spontaneous conversation."
This doesn't mean all licensed guides have limited English. Some are fluent—they exceed the requirement. But the credential itself doesn't prove fluency. It proves you cleared an upper-intermediate threshold. For more on evaluating English-speaking guides in Tokyo, we cover the range of skills and what to look for.
Geography, History, Regulations
The National Government Licensed Guide Interpreter exam covers six subjects:
Foreign language proficiency (in your chosen language)
Japanese geography
Japanese history
Japanese culture (general knowledge)
Tourism industry regulations
Relevant laws and guiding practices
All sections except the foreign language portion are administered in Japanese. This creates a significant barrier for non-Japanese candidates—regardless of how deeply they know Tokyo or how fluently they speak English.
Sample Question: Capital Cities in 743 AD
An actual exam question from the history section:
"In 743, Emperor Shōmu issued the imperial edict to construct the Great Buddha. Which was the capital city at that time? ① Heijō-kyō ② Naniwa Palace ③ Kuni-kyō ④ Shigaraki Palace"
This tests whether you memorized that the capital was Kuni-kyō in 743. It doesn't test whether you can make this information interesting to a twelve-year-old or a first-time visitor who just wants to understand what they're looking at.
What's Missing from the Test
A written exam can test what you know. It can't test how you communicate it.
The exam has no practical component—no mock tour, no interaction with travelers, no assessment of how you handle a family with jet-lagged children or a couple who just want restaurant recommendations. You can pass with perfect scores and have zero experience leading anyone anywhere.
The Complaints: Memorized Facts and Stiff Delivery
The most common complaints about tour guides—licensed or unlicensed—center on exactly the skills the exam doesn't test.
Travelers describe guides who "just recite memorized history lessons." They report experiences where "the expensive guides seem stiff and boring" while volunteer guides at the same sites are "sweet and personable." One reviewer noted their guide "could not answer questions" beyond the prepared script.
These complaints appear in reviews of both licensed and unlicensed guides. The credential doesn't predict which experience you'll get.
The Praise: "Like Exploring with a Friend"
When travelers describe great tour experiences, they mention personality, warmth, and adaptability—not credentials. The phrase "like exploring with a friend" appears across platforms.
Praised guides are "personable," "warm," and able to adapt "to our needs." Travelers remember guides who shared personal stories, adjusted pacing when energy flagged, and made unexpected recommendations based on the conversation.
What travelers never mention in positive reviews: whether their guide passed a government exam
What Changed
Until 2018, providing paid tour guiding services to foreign visitors without the National Government Licensed Guide Interpreter certification was technically illegal—though rarely enforced.
In 2018, the Japan Tourism Agency revised the law. Paid guiding is now legal without a license. The change recognized that the licensing system was creating barriers without guaranteeing quality experiences.
What the Title Restriction Actually Means
The license still carries one legal protection: only certified guides can use the title "通訳案内士" (Tsūyaku Annai-shi) in Japanese. Unlicensed guides are also prohibited from using certain terminology that might suggest official certification, including "Interpreter Guide" and government-related titles like "Government certified guide."
This is a title restriction, not an activity restriction. Unlicensed guides can provide the same services—they just can't claim the official credential they don't have.
Major Tokyo tourist sites do not require guides to be licensed for entry or access. Temples, museums, and general destinations are open to guides regardless of licensing status.
The license proves you passed a genuinely difficult exam. Pass rates range from 9% to 21% depending on the year and language. For English, rates fall between 16% and 24%.
But passing an exam and giving a great tour require different skills:
What the License Proves | What It Doesn't Prove |
|---|---|
Baseline knowledge of Japanese geography, history, and culture | Storytelling ability or engaging delivery |
B1-B2 foreign language proficiency | Personality, warmth, or humor |
Familiarity with tourism regulations | Pacing and reading the room |
Ability to prepare for and pass a standardized test | Deep knowledge of specific neighborhoods |
Adaptability when plans change | |
Experience with families, seniors, or other traveler types | |
That you've guided anyone recently—or ever |
Only 20-30% of registered licensed guides are actively working as tour guides. The licensed guide population skews older—many pursue certification as a second career or retirement pursuit rather than a current practice.
The license is a floor. Many excellent guides exceed it without the paper. Many licensed guides never grow beyond it.
The Real Risk
The question "licensed or unlicensed?" assumes licensing status is the relevant filter. It's not.
The real risk in booking a tour is not knowing who you're getting. Marketplace platforms and tour aggregators assign guides after payment. You pick a date, pay, and wait to learn which guide shows up.
Travelers describe this as a "lottery"—you don't know what kind of guide you'll get until they arrive. Whether that mystery guide is licensed matters far less than whether you could evaluate them before committing.
What Actually Protects You
Knowing your guide before you book protects you. Credential status doesn't.
This means:
Seeing specific guide profiles, not just company descriptions
Watching video of guides speaking and interacting
Reading reviews mentioning specific guides by name
Having direct contact before committing
The operators who hide their guides behind booking walls create risk. The operators who show you exactly who you're getting reduce it. Licensing status is irrelevant to this structural difference. Understanding what tour guide pricing actually includes helps you compare what you're paying for.
Skip "is your guide licensed?" Ask these instead:
About the Guide
Can I see who I'm getting before I book?
How long has this specific guide lived in Tokyo?
What neighborhoods does this guide know deeply?
Does this guide have experience with [families/seniors/photographers/etc.]?
Can I see video of this guide speaking?
About the Booking Process
Will I know my guide's name before I pay?
What if my assigned guide doesn't feel like a good fit?
How do you match guides to guests?
Is there a waitlist situation where I might get reassigned?
About Accountability
What happens if I'm not satisfied with my tour?
How do I reach you during the tour if something goes wrong?
Do you have reviews mentioning specific guides?
Video content tells you more in thirty seconds than any credential. A guide's on-camera presence reveals personality, fluency, and energy level—the things that matter. For a complete framework, see our 10 questions to ask before booking a Tokyo private tour.
You see your guide's profile when you book—video, background, personality. . No mystery assignment after payment. You know exactly who's spending the day with you, and a satisfaction guarantee backs every experience. See how this works with Tokyo Essentials.
At Hinomaru One, we design culturally rich, stress-free private Tokyo tours for first-time and seasoned travelers. Unrushed. Insightful. Always customized.
