Marc enjoys sharing the understanding and the knowledge he gained over the years regarding traditional Japanese culture, Kyoto’s historical patrimony and Japanese society. After earning a Ph.D. in Biology and an M.A. in Psychology in France, he originally came here to carry out postdoctoral research. Passionate about the history and culture of Japan since childhood, he decided to stay in order to learn and study it first-hand. He studied several crafts including pottery, as well as several traditional arts. After many years of study, Marc was granted a 2nd degree tea ceremony instructor certificate and obtained a 3rd Dan in iaido. He also became a connoisseur of Japanese antiquities which he has been collecting and restoring. Before settling in Kyoto, he lived all around the country, in the countryside as well as in large cities for more than 12 years; a rich experience providing him with a wide knowledge of Japan. Marc now lives in the heart of Kyoto with his family in a 100-year- old house he is currently restoring. He presently teaches foreign languages at university and instructs local Japanese guides.

Kana holds a BA in English from Doshisha University, Kyoto, and another BA in Japanese Classical and Traditional Arts from Kyoto University of Arts and Design. She is also qualified as a tea master from Urasenke school of tea ceremony and is an experienced government-licensed guide. Kana has been studying and working in Kyoto since 2000. During her leisure time, she loves playing the shamisen, and she also performs Kyogen (Japanese 650-year-old UNESCO heritage theater). The Zen Buddhist philosophy, “live in the moment”, has been always the core tenet of her life.

Elizabeth has lived in Kyoto for more than thirty-five years. She is a professor of Japanese religions and Buddhism. In particular, she has studied Japanese graveyards, the Fushimi Inari fox shrine, and Buddhist doctrine. She loves yoga, cats, walking, and visiting Europe. Elizabeth is from San Rafael, California. Before life took her to Japan, she spent two years in Beijing (as a graduate student at Beijing University), a year in Taiwan (studying Chinese), and a year in Dharamsala, India (studying Buddhism). She has an M.A. in Religious Studies from Stanford University and a B.A. in Anthropology from Princeton University.