Shohei Toyoda is a professional guitarist, singer based in Kyoto since 2012. Shohei spent his childhood growing up in Dublin, Ohio from 1989 due to his father's job in the auto industry. His passion for acoustic guitar compelled him to pursue a degree in music from the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Since graduating in 2008, he has been teaching and performing professionally, and has earned several prestigious international awards in the acoustic fingerstyle genre. Fulfilling a dream of returning to live in Japan, Shohei has called Kyoto home since 2012 and started to work as a guide since autumn of 2019. Kyoto is the perfect place for Shohei as it's filled with rich history, numerous grand World Heritage sites, beautiful art and music scene, and has an incredible culinary scene as well. His passion for guiding and sharing Japanese culture and history was sparked when he had the chance to escort prominent international guitarists during their tour dates and workshops in Japan, including Tommy Emmanuel, Preston Reed, Andy Mckee, Doug Smith, Gareth Pearson, Mike Moreno etc. He especially loves taking guests to visit shrines and temples to share insights about Japan's unique religious perspectives and how that has influenced the modern tradtions and culture. He also loves to share insights about the artworks seen in imperial and shogunate palaces/castles.