Photo/Illutration A “joiner” guide, second from left, can act as an interpreter between tourists and a restaurant manager in Osaka. (Provided by Osaka Metro Adera Co.)

OSAKA--Specialized tours are guiding overseas visitors to some of Osaka’s hidden gems for eating and drinking while allowing them to mingle with the locals.

The Osaka Joiner tours, which was started in spring by Osaka Metro Adera Co., an affiliate of Osaka Metro Co., uses dedicated guides to support the tourists and ease any concerns about the language barrier.

The tour packages cater to smaller groups, and same-day reservations can be made.

Osaka Metro Adera said it hires guides called “joiners” to help visitors from outside Japan overcome linguistic and other problems at small stores and restaurants.

The guides’ role is to “join” people together.

They take tourists to places that may be difficult for foreign visitors to locate on their own, such as eateries and retailers in compact commercial facilities.

The joiners also act as interpreters to help sightseers gain a wider wining-and-dining experience.

The standing-style pub Mizogu, famed for its ethnic dishes and located in the Nipponbashi district of Osaka’s Chuo Ward, is one destination in the service.

Although easy to find for locals, the pub is on the second floor of a building, so foreign visitors often overlooked it before it joined Osaka Joiner’s endeavor.

“I am looking forward to seeing our connections broadened,” said Sota Mizoguchi, 35, manager of the business.

“The approach is interesting. I use gestures and try to talk to patrons, but I feel interpreters are useful,” he said. “I would like customers to enjoy conversations to create good memories here.”

About 20 joiners, mainly in their 20s and 30s, are used by Osaka Metro Adera. Although they typically communicate with participants in English, some can also speak Chinese and Spanish.

A total of 350 destinations primarily in Nanba and Shinsaibashi at Osaka’s Minami entertainment district are featured on the tours, including karaoke parlors, anime-themed stores and traditional crafts shops.

The company plans to include more locations, including those in Umeda and Tenma, in the program.

The fare for a 180-minute tour is 4,000 yen ($25) to 5,000 yen per person, depending on how many people take part. Its theme can vary from a “personally arranged local foodie and shopping trip” to a “tour of regional karaoke shops and bars” and an “experience of otaku culture.”

A daytime package suggested by Osaka Metro Adera includes a walk and a meal along a shopping street. Participants visit restaurants to taste “okonomiyaki” pancakes and fried “kushikatsu” skewers before going shopping.

A night stroll allows tourists to not only sample okonomiyaki and kushikatsu but also visit an underrated “izakaya” pub for interactions with locals.

Users can talk to the organizer beforehand to adjust the content of their tours.

Osaka Metro Adera has reported positive feedback from participants who admired “the friendly and kind nature of the guide” and were “happy about communicating with locals at Osaka-style establishments.”

“Our hope is that participants will be able to see what this town is really like, beyond its created image, so they can experience people’s friendliness and other local attractions,” said Akihito Yoshida, head of Osaka Metro Adera’s business creation headquarters.

Tour packages can be booked on the Osaka Joiner website at (https://reserva.be/osaka_joiner) or at an Osaka Joiner counter within the Namba Walk commercial complex in Osaka’s Chuo Ward.

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