長岡 賢二 Kenji Nagaoka MK歴 14年
アメリカの大手旅行雑誌が発表する“旅行で訪れたい世界の都市ランキング”で、昨年、京都が日本の都市で初めて「1位」に選ばれました。
今後ますます外国人のお客様が増えていくと予想される中、英会話ドライバーのハイヤー部門の課長である長岡賢二社員にお客様とのエピソードを尋ねました。
In the "Ranking of World Cities One Wants to Visit During Travelling" survey results released by a leading travel magazine in America, Kyoto was chosen as Number 1 among Japan's cities for the first time last year.
Since it is expected that the number of foreign visitors will increase more and more from now on, Kenji Nagaoka who is a section manager of Hire Section of English-speaking driver is seeking out encounters with customers.
Last year, Kyoto has been chosen for the first time as "the first place" in the cities of Japan in the "Ranking for the city of the world that want to be visited for travel" in United States major travel magazine announcement.
From now, as the increasing of foreign customers is expected, Nagaoka Kenji, the manager of higher department for speaking english driver asked the employees about the episode with the customers.
●外国人のお客様が最も喜んでおられたエピソードを教えてください。
既に何度かお供したことのあるフランス人のご婦人2人組でしたが、観光地化してしまったところには興味がないということで、静かで昔の田舎を想起させる木津川市加茂町の浄瑠璃寺にお連れしました。"This is exactly what we have wanted to see in Kyoto."(これこそ自分たちがずっと京都で見たいと思っていたものです)と感激して参拝されていました。
They were a party of two French women I had attended with several times before. As they told me that they were not interested in too much touristy place, I took them to Joruriji Temple in Kamo Town, Kitsukawa City, which is a quiet place and reminds of old days countryside. They were so impressed, and prayed saying that, "This is exactly what we have wanted to see in Kyoto."
It was two French women who I had already escorted several times. As they said that they were not interested in the place that had become much the sightseeing spots, I took them to Joruriji Temple of Kamocho, Kizugawa-shi that was quiet and reminded of the old country side. They were moved and enjoyed worshipping the temple saying, "This is exactly what we have wanted to see in Kyoto."
It was several times accompanied the French women of 2, that not interested with the tourism places, so we quietly take them to Jōruri-ji of kizugawa Kamo cho to evoke the old days of the countryside.
"This is exactly what we have wanted to see in Kyoto." (This is what we had wanted to see in Kyoto) and impressed and had been worship.
●初めて京都に来られた外国人のお客様をご案内する際に気を付けていることはありますか?
日本でクレジットカードを使えないお店が多いことを心配されるお客様が多いです。最近は海外のクレジットカードで日本円が引き出せるATMや外貨を日本円に換金できる両替所も増えてきたのでよくご案内しています。
There are many customers worried about not being able to use credit card.
There are more places than before that you can buy with foreign credit card and ATM thay you can withdraw Japanese yen or exchange currency so I guide them to those places.
Not a few visitors worry about the fact that, in Japan, there are pretty many shops where there credit card is not available. Actually, ATMs accepting foreign credit card to get cash in Japanese yen, and exchange counters which can exchange foreign currencies to Japanese yen are recently increasing. So, I always try to let them know about that.
●実は外国人のお客様はこんなことを思っています!ということはありますか?
お客様によって、上空に広がる電線網を面白いと感じられる方と、醜いと感じられる方がいらっしゃいます。中には、まれですが、電線の下には立ちたくないという方までいらっしゃいます。私も京都のより良い景観のために、早く電線の地中化が進めば良いと思っています。
In terms of fixed-wire networks in the sky, some visitors feel them interesting, others feel them ugly. Sometimes I see, actually rarely though, some visitors who would not like to stand below such wire networks. I myself wish laying power lines underground activities would be accelerated in order to improve landscape of Kyoto.
Depending on the visitors, some feel that the electric wires spreading over the sky are interesting and others feel them ugly. It is rare, but even some persons do not want to stand under the electric wires. I also think that they should soon go ahead with putting them underground for the better scenery of Kyoto.
●外国人のお客様をエスコートする時に心がけていることを教えてください。
外国の方にとっては京都は文字通り異国の地です。私どもの姿が見えないと不安に思われると思いますので、特に混雑するところでは出来るだけ常に視界から外れない位置取りを心がけています。
ただし、ひっそりとした古寺などではあえて気配を消して静けさを味わってもらうなど、TPOを考えたエスコートを意識しています。
Kyoto is exactly the area in the strange country for the foreign customers. They might feel anxiety if I am not in their sight, so I keep being their insight as much as possible especially where is clouded.
I am conscious of the situation, however, as I go hiding to enjoy the silence at the old temples without noise.
Kyoto is the land of literally foreign country for the foreign visitors. Because I think that they seem to be anxiety if we cannot be saw, especially at the crowded places, they always try to take positions that do not depart from the view as they can.
However, at the place such as the quiet old temple, the escort who considering TPO aware to erase the sign and get a taste of tranquility.
●お客様へのメッセージを英語でお願いします。
We are very different from bus tour guides. We escort you depending on what you want to experience in Kyoto no matter what it is. Please rely on us!
→ ドライバー一覧に戻る
We are very different from bus tour guides. We escort you depending on what you want to experience in Kyoto no matter what it is. Please rely on us!
→ Go back to the driver list
We are very different from bus tour guides. We escort you depending on what you want to experience in Kyoto no matter what it is . Please rely on us!
→ Return to the Drivers' List
◆休日の過ごし方は?
京都の上京、中京、下京の、いわゆる“田の字”地区とその周辺を散歩します。業務上、車で頻繁に通るところですが、改めて歩いていると新しいお店や見逃していたひっそり佇む老舗など、新しい発見があり飽きることがありません。
I take a walk around up town, middle town and down town in Kyoto, so called "Shape of Chinese character, Ta" area and around. I often go through such area on business by car, but I am never tired of those area in walking because I always find something new, such as new shops and very quiet old long-established stores which I have long been missing.
I take a walk around the area called "Ta no ji" at Kamigyo, Nakagyo, Shimogyo in Kyoto and its surrounding area. Because of my job, I often drive around the area, but when I walk on foot, I encounter new discoveries, such as new shops and long established stores that have been quietly hiding in sight; therefore I never grow tired of it .
◆お客様へのメッセージ
私は英会話ドライバーのハイヤー部門の課長を拝命し、2020年東京オリンピックに向け出来るだけ多くのドライバーが英会話での接遇ができるようになるよう、英会話教育制度の仕組みづくりのお手伝いや、他のドライバーの動機付けのために個々への声がけなどを行っています。
「日本へ行くならMKを使おう」と世界中の方々に思っていただける日が来ることを目指しています。
I always try to help in establishing English conversation education system, and help in inviting other taxi drivers to study English to motivate them in order for as many taxi drivers as possible to be able to host foreign guests in English, after I started to play a role of the manager of English speaking taxi drivers department.
I wish the day would come soon when all of the people in the world think, "Whenever you visit Japan, use MK."
I was assigned to be a manager of taxi section where drivers can speak English.
I am supporting to establish the system of English conversation education to enable
that many drivers can handle customers in English for Olympic Games held in Tokyo in 2020.
I am also supporting each driver to motivate other drivers.
My goal is that some day people from around the world say "We should use MK when we go to Japan."
I was appointed a chief of the English speaking drivers of taxi section. Looking forward Tokyo Olympic in 2020, I would like to make a contribution to create English education program for our drivers, inspire them to learn English, and make many drivers capable to speak with customers in English.
"Let's use MK if going to Japan" I hope many people around the world will think so.