Japan family vacation for all ages

Planet

We very rarely include any domestic flights in Japan, with travel instead being by train, bus, on foot, by boat and even cable car (known as 'ropeway' in Japan). This means that environmental impact has been kept at a minimal level, and you can simply sit back and enjoy the views as you travel!

We encourage our clients to buy or bring along their own chopsticks to avoid the single-use chopsticks that are found in many eateries; one of the recommendations we make is that during one of the first days in Tokyo they pick some up in one of the small shops in the avenue approaching Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa.

Tap water in Japan is very clean and safe to drink so we also recommend bringing along a refillable bottle to avoid single-use plastic.

There are many communal onsen (hot spring baths) in Japan and many of these are very historic. We encourage our clients to visit the hot springs of Hakone especially, where the waters are replenished each day with recycled water.

In rural Japan including places like Takayama and smaller onsen towns we favour working with small, independently run ryokan and guesthouses that work to preserve the local cultural heritage. Some places, such as on the historic and immaculately-preserved Nakasendo Way, are in centuries-old heritage buildings on narrow streets with all electricity cables buried underground.

We encourage our guests to re-use their towels to reduce energy use, and to refill water bottles to minimise the use of plastic water bottles. In our trip information we recommend people bring refillable or filter water bottles and avoid buying single-use plastic.

There are many temple complexes in Japan which receive many visitors. We ask our travelers to respect the environment at these, behaving appropriately and sending guidance in our pre-trip information.

We only arrange visits to the famous "snow monkeys" in winter, when they're naturally in the warm water. We don't visit in summer, as it would mean guides coaxing the monkeys out of the forest for people to see.

Some of the Japanese islands, such as Okinawa, are home to very sensitive ecosystems, so protecting the environment is a priority. We encourage travelers to book boat trips or sightseeing excursions only with reputable and responsible outfitters. We work with our local partners to ensure that all excursions into the reef are done with certified operators. National Park fees and permits help direct revenue into where it is needed to promote conservation.

If visiting Fuji and the nearby lakes, we would urge our customers to heed advice about not feeding local wildlife, sticking to allocated trails only, taking out everything you take in (leaving nothing behind) and keeping themselves safe as they explore.

People

All our tours in Japan are run in conjunction with local partners that have been chosen partly because they provide a fantastic service but also because they share our environmental and social goals.

Where guests enjoy the services of guides throughout their visit, we ensure that these guides are able to answer questions and give an excellent insight into the way of life in the region.

We book a lot of special Japanese experiences, including calligraphy lessons, cookery classes, gold-leaf workshops, Samurai experiences and sumo performances, among others. These all help preserve Japanese culture and serve to educate travelers about traditions, as well as providing employment and income for the people that run them.

As much as possible, we work with locally owned hotels and guesthouses, promoting relationships with hoteliers who offer refillable toiletries rather than single-use sachets or minis. We recommend that our clients eat in independent establishments and visit independently owned shops and markets and are constantly adding to our list of recommendations which is sent to travelers before they go.

Our programmes are run together with partners that are owned and run by Japanese people and who share our belief in the importance of operating in a socially responsible way, paying staff fairly and offering appropriate working hours and conditions. This is a small-scale company rather than a large corporation, meaning more transparency and accountability.

By booking with us, you will be supporting various regional guides and service providers (e.g., hotel staff, market stallholders, ticket sellers etc), promoting employment and good job opportunities for people coming up through training.

This trip is LGBTQ+ friendly and we welcome families of all types on our trips.