Experience the Very Best of Japan

Welcome to JapanQuest Journeys, the leading tour operator (DMC) specializing in bespoke ‘tailor-made’ luxury journeys to Japan. For decades we have lived the Japan that our clients experience. The exacting standards that we expect for ourselves, family and friends underlie the holistic experience that we provide to our guests.

With our unique single country focus and offices in the US and Japan, we provide travelers from around the globe, or through their travel intermediaries, an unparalleled level of knowledge and service. Our highly experienced travel planners in the US will work with you to create a journey that is tailored to your specific interests while our team on the ground in Japan is there to ensure that your trip is flawlessly executed.

Japan's Winter Charm

Japan is a beautiful place to visit any time of year, but winter is a particularly magical time to explore the country and during a much less crowded time. Kyoto’s ancient temples and shrines are enveloped in serenity, their wooden structures and sometimes snow-covered grounds exuding timelessness. Gardens such as Kenrokuen in Kanazawa are even more enchanting in the wintertime, when the trees can be laden with snow. Shirakawa-go, a village in the Japanese Alps, transforms into a fairytale scene, with its farmhouses blanketed in snow and its streets lit by lanterns.

Special Experiences & Insider Access

Another highlight that our clients often mention after returning from their trip to Japan are the opportunities they have to engage one on one with people from multiple aspects of Japanese life. Wonderful memories will be created in the course of day to day encounters during your travels in Japan. We will provide you ways to engage with experts in areas in which you may have a specific interest including art, architecture, the way of tea, cooking, flower arranging, craftsmanship, Zen Buddhism or activities perfect for kids such as kenbu and wagashi.

Whether spending time in the home of one of our dear friends learning about Japanese cooking, discussing Zen Buddhism with a Priest at a centuries-old temple or learning about Japan’s modern architectural masterpieces with an architect, we will provide you with the opportunity to indulge your interests.

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Some of Our Favorite Special Experiences

Yuzen Dye Artisan

Meet with a yuzen artisan at his workshop to learn about kimono design and a unique technique for dying kimono fabric.

Way of Tea Ceremony

Learn the ancient Japanese Art of Tea from a master during a tranquil and refined tea ceremony at a beautiful temple.

Kaku-uchi

Spend time with a sake sommelier to develop your knowledge of sake and increase your pleasure and awareness of this wonderful drink.

Wagyu Cattle Farm

Explore a Wagyu cattle farm in rural Takayama, where a farmer raises breeding cattle and calves with his family and cultivates rice paddies and feeds crops.

Hiking in Japan

Trek on mountain paths in spiritual surroundings, along pilgrimage trails or in the Japanese Alps. Venture to the remote island of Yakushima for rainforest hiking.

Wagashi

Learn how to make wagashi; traditional Japanese sweets that are often eaten before drinking matcha or Japanese green tea.

Our Signature Journeys

Our shorter duration Japan tours from our Signature Journey Collection, offer our clients unique options for visits to some additional amazing, timeless and culturally enriching areas of Japan that are more off the beaten path. These trips can easily be incorporated and adapted as you like with any of our bespoke journeys.

Combined with some of the absolute best and eclectic accommodations in the country, our luxury Japan trips are masterfully crafted to meet the interests, passions, and style of travel of our worldwide clientele.

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Luxury Hotel and Ryokan Collection

Our Favorite Properties

Our exclusive selection of the most distinguished hotels and ryokans, personally visited time and again, let you revel in Japan's heartfelt hospitality leaving nothing to be desired and all the time ensuring an unforgettable journey perfect in every aspect imaginable.

Bulgari Hotel Tokyo is now open, bringing Bulgari's contemporary Italian style and glamour to the capital of Japan. Occupying the 40th to 45th floors of the Tokyo Midtown Yaesu skyscraper, the hotel is located in a central and convenient area and is within walking distance to some of the city's top attractions including the vibrant shopping area of Ginza. Bulgari Hotel Tokyo is home to 98 rooms and suites, as well as Bulgari Hotels & Resorts’ signature dining experiences.

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What Our Clients Are Saying

I worked with Scott to make my itinerary. He was fantastic and I highly recommend him. He is extremely knowledgeable. He responded to my emails and phone calls immediately and fulfilled any request I had. All of the scheduling for rides, flights, trains and private meetings with individual artisans was seamless. The guides he uses accommodate all requests made that veered from the original itinerary. Highlights of the trip were private meetings with a chef, gold leaf artisan, kimono artist, and a painter/printmaker currently exhibiting in New York.

Ellen Salwen –California (November, 2023)

Our Commitment

JapanQuest Journeys is committed to excellence, delivering a unique in-country experience that is unparalleled and safe. Our clients truly access Japan, through the lens of insiders who know it exceedingly well.

Sincerely,