Hello, and welcome! Thank you so much for visiting my blog, "Tour Coordinator."
My name is Johnny Yokoi.
I have been living in the Los Angeles and Las Vegas area for 25 years now.
For a quarter-century since moving from Japan, I have worked as a tour coordinator and guide driver, guiding countless clients to Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, and beyond.
In addition to my work in the travel industry, I have also been a professional in the world of video production for many years, specializing in wedding and honeymoon photography, documenting international conventions, and creating videos.
I launched this blog to pour everything I have into it: my 25 years of local experience combined with my professional expertise in both travel and video production. It was born from a single, heartfelt desire: to become the ultimate guidebook for your journey to the West Coast.
Why I Started This Blog
As a tour guide, there are two things I hear from my clients more than anything else.
The first is a pure cry of excitement: "Wow, I've never seen a view like this!"
And right alongside it, a sigh of relief: "I was so anxious until we actually got here..."
Applying for an ESTA, navigating transportation across this vast land, concerns about safety, the language barrier... I came to understand all too well how the more information you gather in Japan, the more your anxieties can grow right alongside your excitement.
It's also not uncommon for clients I meet on tours to say things like:
"I wish I could have talked to someone like you sooner."
"There's so much you just can't figure out from the information online."
I feel immense pride and joy in being able to help my clients have the best possible trip as a professional who knows this area inside and out. At the same time, however, a thought began to grow stronger each day: "Isn't there a way I can offer this sense of security to more people, right from the planning stages?"
Perhaps my knowledge and experience could resolve the anxieties of travelers I haven't even met yet, and multiply their excitement for the journey ahead. This blog was started, inspired and driven by the voices of all the clients I have had the privilege of meeting over the past 25 years.
Why My Information Can Help You
What I share on this blog is not simply a collection of facts you can find elsewhere on the internet. It is:
- The local atmosphere and the most current, real-time information that only someone who has lived, worked, and driven through this area every day for 25 years can provide.
- The insights gained from my experience as a tour coordinator, seeing firsthand where travelers struggle and what truly moves them.
- The knowledge of the safest and most efficient travel routes, perfected through my work as a guide driver.
- The expertise as a photographer in knowing the perfect time and place to capture the most stunning scenery and create the best memories.
I pour all of these elements into my articles without holding anything back. I promise that the information I share will serve as a powerful compass, elevating your trip from "just sightseeing" into a truly unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime experience.
To Make Your Journey Wonderful and Fulfilling
My promise to you through this blog is simple.
It is to fully support your trip's success from right here on the ground.
There would be no greater joy for me than if this blog could become a more reliable resource than any guidebook on your shelf, and a local friend you feel you can turn to for anything.
So, let's start planning the trip of a lifetime together, with 25 years of experience packed into this blog! I sincerely hope your journey is wonderful and deeply fulfilling.
Sincerely,
Johnny Yokoi