Every traveler, and travel company, is different. We look forward to embarking on the planning process and learning more about you. To help you get the most out of your experience with us, we also ask that you please review these guidelines for planning together.
Input
Your input is essential to everything we do. We have sample trips on our website, but these are primarily meant to spark inspiration. We will design your trip “from scratch,” which is why it’s so important for us to learn about your interests, preferences, and priorities.
Timing
Timing is key. As briefly explained on our contact page, we typically recommend planning well in advance for various reasons. During the planning process, there may be times when we need prompt replies from you for planning purposes — for example, to make sure we can confirm a particular hotel or ryokan, or expert guide — though we will never rush you (and ask that you please refrain from rushing us).
Feedback & Revisions
We love customizing itineraries. It’s our specialty. The process of learning about you, and developing a bespoke itinerary that reflects your preferences (paired with our Japan expertise) is intrinsically iterative — and your input throughout the trip-design process is not only welcomed, it’s crucial.
After you’ve reviewed your proposed itinerary, provided feedback to ensure you’re thrilled with the plans, and booked your trip with us, our detail-obsessed Operations Specialists take the reins in bringing the details of your trip to life. This means confirming your accommodations, painstakingly planning with guides, obsessing over transport timetables and logistics, and all the other details that go into executing a seamless bespoke itinerary.
With so many details coalescing after you book your trip with us, it can be inadvertently disruptive (both in terms of logistics and Japanese etiquette) to make alterations once the booking process has begun. Though we prize efficiency where possible, the bulk of our process is very human-centered, and even seemingly small changes can have ripple effects.
With this in mind, we always encourage our clients to consider key preferences and priorities during the planning stages. Itinerary changes can be requested after booking has commenced, but given the often complex nature of such alterations, time spent on changes post-booking will be billed at a rate of $125 per hour (on the other hand, there are no fees for revisions requested before booking).
Perfection
We are not perfect, though we are perfectionists and take a great deal of care with everything we do. We work extremely hard for our clients, and take deep satisfaction in doing so. But mistakes and oversights can happen.
They are rare, not only because of our painstaking efforts, but also because things in Japan tend to run so gloriously well (one of the things we love most about Japan is how much people tend to care about even the smallest details). If something does not go as planned, you can expect us to do everything in our power to go above and beyond to make things better.
Communication
You can reach us primarily by email and telephone (+1-619-272-6978). We endeavor to reply to emails and phone calls as quickly as possible, usually within 1 business day. When it comes to phone calls, it can often be most efficient to schedule a time to speak, which we are always happy to do. Please note that we don’t use text messaging, and our employees do not provide their personal phone numbers.
Our team is staffed by hard-working people who also enjoy lives outside of trip planning. We’re passionate about what we do, and love working with enthusiastic travelers from around the world, but we don’t work 24/7. To help keep us fresh and productive, we adhere to a 4-day work week (Monday to Thursday), with Fridays and weekends off. With this in mind, please understand that we don’t typically reply to emails or phone calls when we’re off, except in case of urgent matters.
During your trip with us, you will have access to our 24/7 emergency line. The emergency line is expressly for emergencies, and only rarely do our travelers make use of it. Please note that we do not provide 24/7 concierge services, though if any non-urgent needs, questions, or requests come up during your trip, we will of course also do all we can to assist you.
Meaningful Experiences
Our goal is to provide you with an immersive and memorable trip filled with unique and meaningful experiences. We hope you will entrust us with your Japan travel planning, and if you have any questions please let us know.