Shohei Toyoda is a professional guitarist, singer and guide based in Kyoto. Shohei spent his childhood living in Dublin, Ohio from 1989 till 2012. 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 2019. Kyoto is the perfect place for Shohei as it's filled with rich history, many important World Heritage sites, and beautiful art, and has an incredible culinary scene. His passion for guiding and sharing Japanese culture and history was sparked when he had the chance to escort prominent international guitarists on their tours and workshops in Japan, including Tommy Emmanuel, Preston Reed, Andy Mckee, Doug Smith, Gareth Pearson, Mike Moreno etc. He especially loves visiting shrines and temples to share insights about Japan's religious perspectives as well as comparing aristocratic and shogunate/samurai culture while visiting related sites such as the imperial palace and Nijo castle.