If you have already visited Japan you probably have seen a lot of Tokyo and Kyoto. But when the locals travel in Japan, they may go to the beach and swim and snorkel, eat great street food at festivals with grand fireworks displays, bike along fabulous rocky cliffs, luxuriate in a natural onsen, day trip for a special meal, marvel at modern art installations, fly fish or raft through Japan’s many rivers, and join spiritual pilgrimages.

Here are some of our favorite local experiences that you won’t find anywhere else.

Enjoy a private island
A private island and yachting excursion in the Izu peninsula. The waters surrounding the Izu pensinsula are well-known for exceptional seafood, and the daily catch is often prepared however you like.

Sailing and Beach Party
A special sailing event experience and lunch. Enjoy the local atmosphere with our guidance, do a walking tour of Enoshima island, lunch and a join our local friends for a beachside party where you can relax and refresh with a cold local beer.

Experience a Local “Hanabi” (Fireworks) Festival
A local “Hanabi” (Fireworks) Festival: one of the best things about Japan in the summer. These colorful, exciting, local, and very festive evenings are great fun and we will give you the guidance and inside tips to enjoy these like the locals do.

Private and Local Sushi Making, Eating and Sake Pairing
A private sushi making session with a renowned Sushi master. Even better than the sushi making class itself, you’ll enjoy a fine sushi meal and sake pairing in this intimate setting.

Beach Party!
Beat the heat at a local beach along the Shonan coast line. We’ll have a private area staked out along with access to one of our favorite “Umi-No-Ie” (Beach huts, cafes and restaurants)) that pop up for only two months each year during the summer. We’ll also traverse a bit of Kamakura along the way, with its exceptional culture and coolness.

Biking Japan
A fantastic and fun day of biking with our guidance along the coastlines of the scenic Miura peninsula.

Japan’s Artist Islands of the Japan’s Inland Sea
Naoshima and Teshima, two fantastic art islands located in the Japan inland sea.

Shikoku: The most mysterious of Japan’s main islands
Shikoku, Japan’s fourth largest island but completely different from other parts of Japan with its deep ravines, mysterious mountains, enjoy fantastic refreshing whitewater rafting and nature. You can also get spiritually refreshed. Join a part of the greatest pilgrimage in Japan covering the entire island and 88 different temples and holy sites.

Hokkaido Fly Fishing
Fly fish in Hokkaido, an intense and unspoiled oasis of nature in the short summer months of this northern Japan island.

Scuba, Snorkeling and Tropical Beaches
Enjoy fantastic scuba, beaches, snorkeling, and relax and enjoy a completely different side of Japan in the Okinawan islands. The Ryukyu (the indigenous peoples in this island chain) culture and cuisine is still felt in these tropical islands. Our friends on several of these islands can give you an unrivaled local experience.

Truly Local Food Culture
Experience a “foodie” dream tour traversing the mountains of Niigata and Nagano with fantastic skiing in the winter and lovely nature and hiking the rest of the year. Consistent throughout the year is the exceptional food – from special Japanese Hida-Gyu (highly marbled beef) in the Japan Alps to the seafood near Kanazawa and Toyosu on the Sea of Japan.

The Ise Islands and Japan’s Most Important Shrine
There are over 50 large and small islands that dot the Ise coastline. Ise is home to Japan’s most important and holy Shrines – Ise Jingu – as well as and to the famed “Ama” – female pearl divers. Exceptional scenery and seafood abound, and your local host is a famed sushi master. You can enjoy snorkeling, pearl diving, kayaking, golf, or even rent a catamaran. Helicopter transit available from Tokyo and Kyoto.

Our tours regularly include local and unique travel opportunities that you won’t find anywhere else.  Click here to contact us for your travel plans.

To see what is new in Japan for travel in 2023, click here.