CHESTER, England -- In the nave of the famed cathedral in Chester, a Londoner speaking fluent Japanese leads a party of Japanese tourists. He tells them that there may have been a Christian church on this site nearly 2,000 years ago, and that there certainly was one 1,000 years ago. A Benedictine abbey founded in the 11th century later became Chester Cathedral, which today is a repository of magnificence. The guide leads his group under arches, by vaulting pillars, through chapels and cloisters. Each visitor exclaims at the cathedral's immensity, its stained glass windows, its carved, medieval choir stalls near wrought iron gates. The cathedral is the centerpiece of Chester, a walled Roman fortress on the River Dee. Keeping its age-old streets and balconied walkways, its myths and legends, Chester is a favorite place with Japanese visitors.
David Springett, the Londoner who speaks fluent Japanese, is a tour guide who specializes in showing Britain to Japanese visitors. He knows what appeals to people from Japan, and is flexible in tour planning. "Since I've been doing this job, I've learned a lot about Britain," he said. "Now I like to be able to offer tours that are a little bit different."
David's earlier foreign languages were French and German. "I was always attracted to tourism, and after school thought about doing European studies," he said. Whilst he was still a student, he went one summer to France, and one summer to Germany. "I heard of summer jobs abroad, and as well as learning the languages I wanted to go to places where I could work during the summers," he said. "Then I heard about a home-stay program in Japan. Knowing nothing, I went to stay for two months with a family in Fukuoka. Something must have clicked. I thought, 'Ah, I'm going to learn more about this country and its language.' "