Top 5 reasons to join us in Japan
Explore Japan the way a bucket-list destination deserves
Written by Lizzy Atwood Wills, Founder
Originally Published May 20, 2023
Visiting Japan for the first time can easily become an overwhelming & disorienting experience. Between complicated train systems, obvious language barriers, and the sheer amount of choices you face between restaurants and activities, it is very easy to feel stressed. Where do you even begin planning a trip that has so many unknown variables?
I totally get it. In fact, I would feel the exact same way if not for one advantage that uniquely opened up Japan for me—my parents were tour guides there. After years of running the same trip with the same hosts, my parents formed lifelong friendships with their Japanese partners. Now, I’m continuing the family tradition and running that same time-tested itinerary with a fresh new twist!
Our first time back to Japan together was full of scouting and reconnecting with old tour partners. My dad passed on many of the relationships he made, and I’ve made more since, working with our local guide to perfect the trip with cultural experiences, amazing food experiences, quaint traditional hotels, and a lovely mix of energized exploring paired with time to slow down and relax. This trip offers something very special: a mix of cities and mountains, scratching what we believe to be the ultimate vacation itch.
We’ve spent hundreds of hours perfecting this trip.
It’s all in the details people. Let’s cut to the chase: trip planning is hard! Not only has the pandemic added a layer of complication, trip planning itself is at least a part-time job all on its own, and even if you spend many hours parsing through reviews, endlessly googling, and scouring instagram for the latest and greatest, you might still have some experiences that end up a little… less than great. You probably also have a job, social commitments, and have been working extra hard to finally be able to check out on vacation. The truth is, the amount of hours we spend planning, testing and trying, scouting, reserving activities and hotels months in advance, is just not realistic for someone who is casually planning a vacation. Let us do the hard stuff for you, so you can just show up ready to enjoy, knowing the details are handled.
2. Unparalleled Hospitality
In the Japanese Alps, we visit multiple hotels that know my family well, and treat us as such. The Kamijos, who operate one of the hotels we’ll visit, are ready to welcome our group in with the warmth of family, send us on our trek with local snacks, and welcome us home with a visit to the onsen for your tired feet, and a feast that feels like it should only be reserved for royalty. Seiji-san’s hotel also has an amazing onsen and super tasty traditional Japanese food, and Yamaguchi-san will make sure we’re right at home with a view at his hutte that’ll make you feel like you’re on the edge of the world.
3. Your memories, captured perfectly
Our professional photographer will be right there with us from start to finish, committed to capturing the magic and allowing you to put your own camera down and pick the karaoke mic up. She’ll make sure you can fully indulge in the moment with precious memories captured beautifully! Our hope is that this not only provides you with trip memories you actually want to share (not just endless selfies), a trip photographer also allows you to genuinely live in the moment, and enjoy all those juicy moments of learning, creativity, connection, and joy!
4. Translation and personal connections through our local host
Our local guide’s personal commitment to his work means incredible connections to artisans, private tours through temples, and extremely valuable translation skills. You know how you show up to a tourist site that’s over-crowded, and just wholly not what you thought you’d get from the photos you’d seen online? Fear not, we have the intel, connections, and know-how to navigate making sure we can have a meaningful experience without feeling trapped in big bus tourist territory.
5. Lifelong Connections
It’s just not possible to venture to Japan with likeminded strangers, share incredible experiences, and not end up being friends. Imagine this: you’re on a misty trail through the Japanese Alps with an intimate group of people who are experiencing the same awe and wonder that you are, who also wanted to be able to share that moment with others. They want the exact same adventure you signed up for, and all you had to do was show up.
I, for one, can’t wait to meet you!
Sounds amazing, right? Click here to check out the full itinerary and find some daydream inspiration.
Love,
Lizzy