Raphaël

The Soulful Explorer

  • I live in Kanazawa
  • I speak English, Español, Français
  • Verified Local host
  • Response time less than 2 hours

Hi there! Nice to meet you

Raphaël

Welcome, fellow traveler. If you're searching for more than just a tour—if you crave stories, hidden wonders, and moments that stay with you long after the journey ends—you're in the right place.

As The Soulful Explorer, I don’t just guide; I craft experiences that bring Japan to life in a way that feels personal, immersive, and deeply enriching. Having lived across continents and made Kanazawa my home since 2019, I understand what it means to see a place not just as a visitor, but as a local, a storyteller, and a bridge between worlds.

With me, you’ll step beyond the usual, into a Japan that whispers its history, breathes its traditions, and quietly reveals its unforgettable beauty.

This is more than a journey—it’s discovery, connection, and a new way to see Japan. Let’s wander with purpose. Your adventure starts here.

  • I live in Kanazawa
  • I speak English, Español, Français
  • Verified Local host
  • Response time less than 2 hours

Book one of my offers in Kanazawa

Let's explore Kanazawa together! As your local guide, I'll show you the best of Kanazawa on a private & personalized tour for you.

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All Withlocals tours are completely customisable to your needs. Just let me know your preferences for a private and personalized experience!

Reviews

Gabby
7 June 2025
We had only 2 days in Kanazawa and booked Raphaël on a whim and I’m so glad we did. Raphaël took our requests seriously and filled our 3-hour tour with all things we wanted to see and do. He has a vast knowledge of Kanazawa and was able to answer most of our (many) questions. And if he didn’t know something, you knew he was going to look it up later for the next tour. Raphaël took us to the quieter parts of town and stopped by local artisan shops at my request. While Raphaël is not from Japan, you could tell how much he respects the culture and wants to learn as much about it as he can. At the end of the day, I would recommend Raphaël as a tour guide to anyone and wish we had more time with him. Highlight of Kanazawa
christine
2 June 2025
We recently had an enjoyable afternoon walking Kanazawa with Raphael, he is very knowledgeable about the history and obviously has a passion for the area We certainly learnt a lot of interesting things that you would not know or find if walking solo Thanks RaphaelKanazawa tour with Raphael
Vladimir and Zena
23 May 2025
Review We had a great time with Rafael touring Kanazawa. He gave us a wonderful introduction to the history of Kanazawa, showing around Higashi Chaya District, but also giving us some ideas and highlights for visiting Kenroku-en garden, Kanazawa Castle, Naga-macho Buke Yashiki district, and sharing so many interesting stories and insights about the local history and past and present culture. We truly appreciated Rafael’s very personal and easy going attitude. Overall, a great experience. We liked Kanazawa before but liked even more after tour with Rafael. Highly recommended to anyone visiting the city!Great experience with Rafael in kanazawa
Valerie
22 May 2025
My husband and I had an incredible day with our tour guide, Raph, exploring Gokayama, Shirakawago, and Kanazawa. From start to finish, Raph made the experience smooth, engaging, and truly memorable. His English was perfect, which made communication easy and enjoyable. His deep knowledge of the area’s history, culture, and hidden gems added so much depth to our visit—he brought each site to life with fascinating stories and insights. Raph was also incredibly flexible, happily adjusting the pace and itinerary to match our interests and energy throughout the day. On top of that, he was personable, upbeat, and fun to be around—it felt like we were traveling with a friend who happened to know everything about the region. Highly recommend Raph to anyone looking for a meaningful, flexible, and enjoyable tour experience in Japan! Many thanks, Raph, for a delightful day!!Outstanding tour and overall wonderful day!
Louise
21 May 2025
We all loved out tour with Raphael. He worked around places we had already seen and customised the tour to take us to new places. He was full of information about Kanazawa and it was great to learn the background and history of places. I would definitely use Raphael again.Fun and Informative
Thomas
19 May 2025
Raph gave us extensive information on Kanazawa, its religion and history. It was an entertaining tour and we would book Raph for sure again. We easily can recommend him as a formidable guide.Excellent knowledgable Tour
Roland
13 May 2025
Dear Raphael, in one day you made us love Kanazawa. We got to see all the historical places and had great food. Your explanations were very clear and interesting. Thank you again for this wonderful day. Cher Raphaël, en une seule journée, tu nous as fait découvrir Kanazawa. Nous avons pu découvrir tous les sites historiques et déguster d'excellents plats. Tes explications étaient très claires et intéressantes. Merci encore pour cette merveilleuse journée. Le groupe des six. A une prochaine fois.One day in Kazanawa
FELTS
11 May 2025
Raphaèl est tres attentif à repondre à toutes les questions avec précision et anecdotes. Par son intermédiaire nous avons perçu la culture japonaise et découvert de bonnes adresses à Kanazawa.Approche sur mesure
Stephen
5 May 2025
We highly recommend Raphael for tours in and around Kanazawa. My wife and I had a great day with Raphael touring the area around Kanazawa. Raphael is a charming and knowledgeable guide. He speaks English fluently (is a native French speaker) and is very comfortable speaking Japanese. He knows Kanazawa and the surrounding area very well, and is a curious and enthusiastic person. My wife has some dietary restrictions and Raphael was wonderful in helping us find good restaurants that could accommodate our needs. He was also really flexible and patient, and cheerfully made some changes in the planned schedule to suit our interests. We had a second day tour with Raphael, and when my wife wasn't feeling well, Raphael was very willing to pivot and the two of us changed our plan to include some hiking in the hills north of Kanazawa. Raphael has a very nice car that he uses for his day trip tours. Raphael was also really helpful in suggesting things we could do in Kanazawa on our own. We highly recommend Raphael. After a day together, we count him a friend and can't imagine a better guide to Kanazawa and area.Great day trip around Kanazawa with Raphael
Michael
30 April 2025
Raphaël was a great guide for our family, customizing the tour to match our preferences and taking care to balance making it interesting for the adults and moving at a pace and with topics that were interesting for younger kids! He went out of his way to also accommodate an extra request of helping retrieve a left behind item for our daughter at a restaurant which made her day. Spending a morning with Raphaël is a great way to start your time in Kanazawa as he helps to orient you to the city and make recommendations that go beyond the tour as well.Wonderful tour for our family in Kanazawa

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