Jiji -- Apr 20
English-speaking guides will be available for visitors to the Imperial Palace in Tokyo from the beginning of May, in response to a surge in the number of foreign tourists, the Imperial Household Agency said Thursday.
A walking tour of the palace is usually offered twice a day from Tuesday to Saturday.
According to the agency, some 300 to 400 people participate in each tour, which takes about 75 minutes, and visitors from abroad now account for half of them.
Currently, explanations and instructions by staff are given in Japanese only.
For the new service, the agency will hire four part-time employees who are fluent in English and provide easy-to-understand explanations about the palace's historical background.
News source: Jiji
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