Anyone who has spent any time in Tokyo will know that the possibilities are endless, and with an open mind and spirit of adventure those ‘only-in Japan’ moments can occur. Rather than plan a detailed minute by minute itinerary for our clients, we prefer to find them the perfect guide and let the magic happen.

We have searched long and hard to build our network of guides and can match you with some of the best in the business, who are also experts in art, architecture, history, fashion and food, to name a few.

To give you some ideas, here is a small sample of some of the tours we have arranged in the past:

• Uncovering Edo Tokyo
• Tokyo Backstreets
• High Fashion to Street Fashion
• Gourmet Tokyo
• Sake tasting & dining in Kagurazaka
• Discovering Japanese Tea
• Exploring ‘Little Edo’ (Kawagoe)
• Ultimate Ramen dining
• Cycling Tokyo’s neighbourhoods
• Tokyo of Yesteryear
• Tokyo artisans
• Hiking & private dining at Mt. Takao
• Urban Retreat in Kamakura
• Introduction to Kabuki (Buraku, or Noh)

 And whilst this is a far from exhaustive list, these are some of the experiences we can arrange:

• Learn ninja secrets from one of the last remaining ninja families, who were brought to Tokyo by Tokugawa at the beginning of the Edo period to train his samurai
• With one of the world’s leading experts on samurai swords, visit a master swordsmith to watch him work in his home forge just outside Tokyo
• A photo shoot/journal with Tokyo based multi-award winning photographers
• Enjoy a private tea ceremony, and learn ‘the Way of Tea’ with a 1^st degree instructor of the Uransenke School of Chado
• Watch a morning training session, and witness the strength of the sumo wrestlers up close at a Tokyo stable
• Experience private cultural workshops: introductions and lessons in tea, ikebana, incense listening &/or calligraphy
• Indulge with a private sake tasting workshop
• Have yourself &/or your possessions blessed in a fire festival in a Tokyo temple
• Dress in kimono for the day
• Relieve stress with a taiko drumming workshop; although be warned you will want to go back for more
• Visit the wholesale section of the Toyosu fish market, selecting fish for your personal sushi making workshop & lunch
• Visit a local supermarket with a chef and learn how to select and prepare Japanese basic and seasonal ingredients
• Make your own plastic food, so real your family may try to eat it
• Drive a supercar through the streets of Tokyo – an experience you will never forget!

Considering how small the islands of Japan are (roughly 26 times smaller than the US) the diversity of landscapes, history, culture and food that can be found here is quite amazing, and it is a shame that many do not make it past the cities of Tokyo, Kyoto and possibly Hiroshima as there is so much to discover.

Some of our favourite places are:

• The volcanic landscapes of central Kyushu
• The natural onsen, hot springs, of the Nyuto valley
• The primordial forests of Yakushima
• The remote island of Sado
• The otherworldly heart of the Shimokita Peninsula, Ozore san
• The three sacred Dewa Sanzan mountains
• The remote Shikoku Karst plateau of Kochi
• The art islands of the Inland Sea
• The stunning region of Umi no Kyoto known for the longevity of its local population
• The virgin Shirakami beech forests
• The picturesque villages of the Kiso Valley

Getting to any of these places can be a challenge, however with the right guides and information, it is always worth the effort.

Once there, as well as the usual cycling, hiking and walking tours that we are able to arrange, we can also arrange some very unique experiences. Such as:

• A private catamaran tour of the art islands
• Training with Japan’s ancient Yamabushi priests (think mountain ninja)
• Paragliding inside one of the world’s largest calderas
• Foraging for mountain vegetables with the locals
• Whale watching
• Swimming with turtles
• BBQing on the beach with ama (pearl) divers
• Creating a piece of pottery with one of Japan’s most respected ceramic artists
• Working with the weavers of Amami Oshima to create your own unique piece.

Many refer to Kyoto as Japan’s cultural capital and it can seem as different to Tokyo as night is to day. Indeed when you are there it can be hard to believe that these two incredible cities are a relatively short shinkansen, bullet train, ride apart. Close enough indeed for a day trip, as long as you are happy to wake up early.

Again, we have an extensive network of guides as well as a long list of experiences that we are able to arrange.

To give you some ideas, here is a small sample of some of the tours we have arranged in the past:

• Understanding Japan through its gardens
• Dark Kyoto
• Discovering Japanese Tea
• Early morning temple visits
• Cycling Kyoto’s neighbourhoods
• Rural Kyoto
• Kyoto artisans
• Samurai Joe’s Kyoto
• Osaka Street Food

Some of our more popular Kyoto experiences include:

• Enjoying a private tea ceremony in the renovated temple home of an architect turned tea master
• Visiting geisha in their invitation only tea houses for afternoon tea, dinner, or after-dinner dinks
• Relishing the opportunity for an after-hours temple tour complete with temple light-up
• Creating your own unique piece of indigo dyed art or clothing
• Experiencing private cultural workshops: introductions and lessons in tea, ikebana, incense listening &/or calligraphy
• Relaxing with an early morning temple meditation
• Indulging with a private dinner and sake tasting at a wonderful family brewery close to Osaka
• Participating in the early morning prayer service in one of Kyoto’s beautiful rural temples
• Dressing in kimono for the day
• Relieving stress with a taiko drumming workshop; although be warned you will want to go back for more
• Learning to butcher a whole fish & slice perfect sashimi
• Shopping in Kyoto’s kitchen (Nishiki market) for the ingredients for your cooking class
• Visiting the studio of a working artisan to learn a traditional craft, such as bamboo, ceramics, weaving or metalwork.

We frequently plan trips focussed on a client’s specific interests, and the Japanese understand this better than most populations in the world. This is a country with more sommeliers than France, where it’s not unusual for an average salaryman to be an advanced martial artist or for a sushi chef to also be a passionate tuba player; the Japanese have great respect for pursuing special interests to great depths.

In the past couple of years, we have planned a trip following in Basho’s footsteps (the Narrow Road to the Deep North) for a Hollywood A-lister, a hidden onsen tour for one of Tokyo’s most venerable families, a gourmet extravaganza for one of America’s top celebrity chefs, a ‘Wood of Japan’ tour for a group of visiting artists and environmentalists, and a holistic mind & body experience for a VIP family, to name just a few of our unique offerings..