FAQ & glossary

Contact us by form or phone → we check availability → we send a quote (in Canadian dollars) → you review and pay → we issue your vouchers. Nothing is charged at the quote stage.

Visa, Mastercard, AMEX, and bank transfer. If you visit our office, debit cards and cash also work. Everything is billed in Canadian dollars.

Each operator and property has its own policy. We always hand you the exact cancellation terms that apply to your booking, in writing, before you pay. And before cancelling, ask us whether a date change would cost less. It often does.

Of course. Send us your dates, group size, and the places you want to go, and we will prepare a quote. There is no obligation to book.

Yes. That is actually the most common way clients use us. Out of your self-planned two weeks, “just one night at an onsen ryokan” or “just the Kumano Kodo lodging and luggage forwarding” is perfectly fine.

For cherry blossoms (late March–April), autumn foliage (November), Golden Week, and the New Year period, 6–9 months ahead; otherwise 2–3 months. For popular ryokan and Kyoto in cherry-blossom season, even a year ahead is not too early.

Your quote and payment are fixed in Canadian dollars. Once you have paid, the amount does not change even if the yen moves.

Quotes are free and there is no obligation to book. We will not chase you with follow-up calls either. Feel free to use us as one of the companies you are comparing.

It depends on each supplier’s policy, but changing is often cheaper than cancelling and rebooking. If your dates look like they might move, tell us early, even before anything is final.

Yes. We design around the generational differences: room assignments, food preferences and allergies, and how much walking each day involves. For more than 10 people we can also offer group fares.

The voucher you receive after confirmation states the meeting point, time, and emergency contact.

English. Self-guided products have no accompanying guide; you receive a full set of itinerary materials in English instead.

If the operator cancels, we refund that portion in full. If the tour runs but the views do not show up, that is not refundable.

Call the local emergency contact printed on your voucher. During Canadian business hours, we can also contact the operator in Japanese on your behalf.

No. Japan has no tipping custom, and guides will not accept tips. If the tour was great, a review and a genuine thank-you are the best reward.

Each product sets its own minimum age. Where none is listed, or if you want to bring a stroller, we will check with the operator before you book.

Tell us when you book. We pass the details to the operator and meal venues accurately, in Japanese. Advance notice works far better than explaining on the day.

Vouchers and itinerary materials come in English. Ask us if you also need a Japanese version.

We can no longer give an automatic yes. The price rose about 70% in October 2023 (7 days: ¥50,000), and it only pays off on long-distance circuits. Send us your route and we will run the numbers three ways: nationwide pass, regional pass, and individual tickets.

With the nationwide JR Pass you need a separate Nozomi/Mizuho supplement ticket (e.g. Tokyo–Kyoto about ¥4,960). To avoid the extra cost, take the Hikari or Kodama instead.

After your online purchase we mail it to your Canadian address. Online purchase closes 10 days before departure, so call us if you are inside that window.

On the Tokaido, Sanyo, and Kyushu Shinkansen, luggage over 160 cm in total dimensions requires a reserved oversized-baggage seat. North American suitcases often exceed that, so measure yours. The simplest fix is hotel-to-hotel luggage forwarding.

Three hours before an international departure is the guideline. Security at Narita and Haneda backs up in the morning and evening. On the day you fly home, allow time for tax-free procedures too.

For Tokyo–Osaka or Tokyo–Kanazawa distances, the Shinkansen is easier (stations in the city centre, near-zero delays, no security). Tokyo–Sapporo or Okinawa is a flight, full stop. Compare low-cost carriers with baggage fees and remote airports factored in.

One month before the travel date, at 10:00 AM Japan time. In cherry-blossom, foliage, and holiday peaks some trains fill right at release, so we recommend letting us book ahead for you.

They do different jobs. The JR Pass (if you buy one) covers long intercity legs; Suica covers city trains, buses, and convenience stores. Most trips end up using both.

International economy is typically 1–2 bags at 23 kg each. Leave 10–20% of your space empty on the way out, because shopping in Japan adds up faster than you expect.

Yes. Google Maps gives you exact departure times, platforms, and even which car to board. At the gate you just tap your Suica. It is the world’s most traveller-friendly “difficult” rail network.

On an iPhone you can issue one in Apple Wallet on the spot and top it up with a foreign card. If you want a physical card, buy the tourist Welcome Suica at the airport.

Weekdays 7:30–9:00 AM. City trains at that hour are not a crowd you can board with a suitcase. Simply scheduling your moves after 10 AM transforms how the whole trip feels.

Just ride back the other way. As long as you stay inside the gates there is rarely any extra fare. Show your ticket to a station attendant and they will sort out any adjustment.

The flag drop is around ¥500, so short city hops are entirely practical. Doors open automatically and no tip is needed. The GO app has the most cars, and you can type in your destination, so there are no language worries.

There is, but Uber in Japan dispatches regular taxis. There is almost no price advantage, so the GO app or a street-hailed taxi does the job.

Between cities, rail is overwhelmingly easier. A car earns its keep only in Okinawa, Hokkaido, and mountain areas like Hida. Driving requires an International Driving Permit (IDP). A Canadian licence alone is not valid. Get one at CAA before you leave.

Around midnight. Miss it and it is a taxi, or a café or internet café until morning. Check the last-train time before planning your night out.

Whether you board at the front or the rear varies by region, but with a Suica you just tap on and off. You will mainly use buses in Kyoto and on regional routes.

Signs, ticket machines, and announcements come in romaji and English as standard. If you get stuck, go to the staffed gate. Even attendants who are not fluent will solve it with a translation device or by writing things down.

A next-day, hotel-to-hotel suitcase delivery service (about ¥2,500–3,000 per bag). Leave your bag at the front desk and it is waiting at your next hotel the following day. The single most useful system in Japanese travel.

Yes. Hand it over at the delivery counter in the arrivals lobby and it reaches your hotel the same or next day, so you ride into the city unencumbered. On the way home, reverse it: hotel to airport.

Large lockers are scarce and often full. Major stations also have staffed left-luggage counters, the surer option if you only need daytime storage.

For a rail-centred trip around Japan, two is a lot. Either plan around forwarding, or take one large bag plus one carry-on size and ship the big one between cities. That is the comfortable way.

The classic move is to ship a whole box from your last stop to the airport. Convenience stores and hotels can send it. An extra checked bag is often cheaper than international shipping to Canada.

A traditional inn: tatami floors, futon bedding, yukata robes, and usually dinner and breakfast included. Dinner starts at a fixed time between 6 and 7 PM. If a train delay will make you late, call the inn.

It depends on the facility. The safe choices are inns with private rental baths or in-room open-air baths. Tell us when you book and we will confirm each property’s policy in advance.

No. We book at the cruise line’s published price. Ask us about round-trip flights, pre-cruise hotels, and port transfers in the same conversation.

It is. A standard urban double is 15–20 square metres, about half the North American sense of space. If you want room to spread out, book superior grade or above, or a full-service city hotel. In exchange, cleanliness and function are world class.

Easily. Japan is a twin-bed culture, and rooms with a single king are actually the scarcer kind. If a couple wants a king, we note it clearly at booking.

Almost every hotel front desk stores it free. The standard pattern is to drop your bags in the morning, go sightseeing, and check in that afternoon.

Yes, and you can specify. Newer hotels are fully non-smoking, but older business hotels still keep smoking rooms, so we mark “non-smoking” on every booking.

Some inns allow it, but a ryokan is an experience completed by its meals. For a first stay we strongly recommend dinner and breakfast included. If the dinner volume worries you, we will pick an inn that offers a lighter kaiseki.

Undress completely in the changing room (no swimsuits) → before entering the tub, sit and wash your whole body → keep your towel out of the water. Follow those three rules and you are fine. If a communal bath feels daunting, we will choose an inn with private rental or in-room baths.

Wrap the right side against your body first, then fold the left side over it (left over right). The reverse is how the deceased are dressed, so that is the one rule to remember. Walking around the inn and the onsen town in yukata is perfectly normal.

Canadian and US passport holders can visit for up to 90 days without a visa. Register with Visit Japan Web before departure and you clear immigration and customs with QR codes.

Usually yes, but Japan is stricter than North America. Some ADHD medications and codeine-containing drugs are prohibited items. More than one month’s supply of prescription medication may require advance import certification (Yakkan Shoumei), so always check by drug name before you travel.

It is not an entry requirement, but Japanese hospitals normally bill visitors in full and expect settlement before discharge. Check your coverage for medical costs and repatriation. For July–October, check it for typhoon-related itinerary changes as well.

In an earthquake, if you are indoors, get under a desk and wait out the shaking. Enable emergency alerts on your phone and you get a few seconds’ warning (works on foreign handsets too). Typhoons are forecast days ahead and railways suspend service on a published plan, so one buffer day in your itinerary buys peace of mind.

Japan only requires validity for the length of your stay (no six-month rule). But given transit-country rules and renewal backlogs, we recommend travelling with six months or more remaining.

Meat products (including beef jerky and foods containing meat extract) and fresh fruit are barred. Cash worth more than ¥1,000,000 must be declared. Jerky packed as a snack is the classic trap.

Absolutely not. Even though cannabis is legal in Canada, in Japan possession of products containing THC is a crime, and travellers have actually been arrested and prosecuted. CBD oil also carries a risk of THC contamination, so leaving it all at home is the only correct answer.

Major airports handle English. Show your Visit Japan Web QR codes and there is barely any conversation. If you are asked anything, it is only how long you are staying and where.

After 7 or more days abroad, up to CA$800 is exempt. Alcohol and tobacco have quantity limits. Keeping your receipts together makes the declaration smooth.

Completely unnecessary. Restaurants, taxis, hotels, guides: all of it. Leave money behind and someone will chase you down to return your “lost item.” Service is included in the price, and a word of thanks, gochisousama, says it all.

¥30,000–50,000 (about CA$300–500) per week is the guideline. Cities run almost entirely on cards, but small restaurants, temple and shrine admissions, and local buses still run on cash.

You do not need to exchange in Canada. Withdrawing at Seven Bank ATMs in Japan (inside convenience stores, 24 hours, English menus) is best for both rate and effort. Airport exchange counters are a last resort.

Family-run diners and ramen shops, temples and shrines, street stalls, some local buses, and small ryokan. “Cash only” famous restaurants genuinely exist, so you cannot walk around with zero cash.

Canadian Interac itself will not. A Visa- or Mastercard-branded debit card works for ATM withdrawals and in-store payments.

Eating out and transit cost less than in North America: a good lunch is ¥1,000–1,500, ramen around ¥1,000, the subway from ¥180. Hotel prices, on the other hand, have been rising, so budget those at North American levels.

A standard 10% (8% on food and drink), and displayed prices are tax-inclusive as a rule. Nothing unexpected lands at the register, and with no tipping either, Japanese bills may be the most transparent in the world.

A classic Japan problem. Loading them onto your Suica is the smartest exit. Dropping them in the donation box beside a convenience-store register is another standard move.

At the register. Take the slip from your table to the till near the exit. When you hand over a credit card, placing it on the small tray is the Japanese way.

Excluding lodging, ¥8,000–15,000 per person per day (three meals, city transit, and admissions) is a mid-range guideline. Leaning on convenience stores and set-meal restaurants, even ¥5,000 goes a long way.

In tourist areas and cities, almost always. Where there is none, Google Translate’s camera reads the menu instantly. Pointing at the food models in the window is also a fully legitimate way to order.

Honestly, it is challenging. Even “vegetable dishes” often use bonito dashi. Finding restaurants on the HappyCow app and reserving ahead works well, and for our clients we confirm and book suitable restaurants ourselves.

Showing a written allergy card in Japanese is more reliable than saying it aloud. For clients who book with us, we prepare a card with your allergies written out in Japanese.

Mostly, yes. Reservations are essential only at high-end sushi, kaiseki, and places made famous by the media. Hot spots book out weeks to months ahead, and we can reserve on your behalf at restaurants that do not take calls from overseas.

That is the izakaya otoshi (お通し), a seating charge of ¥300–500. It is not a mistake and not an upsell, and declining it is considered poor form.

Free water or tea arrives the moment you sit down, refills included. If you want to save on drinks when eating out in Japan, this alone makes it work.

Japan is not a super-size culture, so portions are usually finishable. You do not have to force yourself to clean the plate, but doggy bags are essentially not a custom here.

Not at all. Ramen and soba are meant to be slurped. Listen to the room around you and you will settle in right away.

Astonishingly good. Onigiri, egg sandwiches, karaage, and the seasonal sweets are genuinely part of the Japan travel experience. It is also your cheap, reliable late-night safety net.

The big three: hotel buffets, the “morning set” at old-school coffee shops, and convenience stores. Independent places open late, and not many are serving before 7 AM. On early-departure days, the convenience store is your friend.

A step up in floor level at the entrance is the signal. Ryokan, temple halls, tatami-floored restaurants, and fitting rooms. When in doubt, look for a shoe cupboard or slippers.

They were removed in the 2000s. Carry a small bag and dispose of trash at convenience stores, stations, and your hotel. Japanese streets stay that clean precisely because of the carry-it-home culture.

No phone calls, keep conversation quiet, wear your backpack on your front. Those three. The silence in the car surprises everyone at first; within three days it feels wonderful.

Inside temple halls (follow the signs), in museums, and never photograph maiko or geiko without permission. On the private lanes of Gion in Kyoto, photography is banned outright. When photographing people, ask first.

Surprisingly, smoking on the street is what is strictly banned. Smoke at designated smoking areas or in smoking-permitted venues. Heated tobacco is treated the same way.

Nightlife districts and izakaya are livelier and more forgiving than you might imagine. The line is simple: once you board the train, go quiet. Keep that one rule and you will not stand out.

A light nod of the head is plenty. Travellers do not need to worry about depth or repetition. Handshakes and hugs are not the norm, so following the other person’s lead is safest.

Raising your voice with “Sumimasen!” is the proper method, and it is not rude. If the table has a call button, press that.

Japanese people genuinely queue. Cutting in is the ultimate taboo. On escalators, stand on the left in Tokyo and on the right in Osaka. The dividing line is said to run somewhere around Sekigahara.

A torii gate means a shrine (bow twice, clap twice, bow once); a temple gate means a temple (a quiet palms-together, with no clapping). More than the mechanics, a quiet, respectful manner is what counts.

Buy online before departure and activate it by QR code. That is the most reliable route. Around ¥2,000–4,000 for a week, and you have maps and translation from the moment you land. We can also arrange it through our eSIM & Wi-Fi support.

We do not recommend it. It exists at convenience stores, stations, and hotels, but having no maps or translation while out walking is more inconvenient than you imagine. Bring an eSIM or a pocket Wi-Fi.

Perfectly. Its train guidance is more accurate than in any city in the world: departure platform, which car to board, and the fare included. The number one essential app for a Japan trip.

Google Translate’s camera mode. Point it at menus, signs, and ingredient labels and read them instantly. Voice mode handles conversations perfectly well.

Cafés and Shinkansen seats have power outlets. ChargeSPOT battery-rental machines sit in convenience stores around town and accept foreign cards.

No. Japan uses Type A plugs (the same shape as North America) at 100V, so chargers for phones, laptops, and cameras work as-is. Only heat-producing devices like hair dryers need caution.

Everywhere in the country, straight from the tap. The free water served in restaurants is tap-based too. You can refill your bottle as you go.

Start with your hotel front desk, and they will point you to a hospital that handles English. The Japan Visitor Hotline (050-3816-2787, English, 24 hours) can also locate medical care. Bring your insurance certificate to the visit.

Yes, drugstores are everywhere in town. But labels are in Japanese, so bringing the headache and stomach remedies you already know is the sure approach. You can also consult the pharmacist through a translation app.

July–August runs above 35°C with high humidity, and heatstroke is a real risk. Walk in the morning and evening and stay indoors midday. With vending machines and convenience stores every 50 metres, staying hydrated is never a problem.

February–April brings heavy cedar pollen. If you are allergy-prone, bring the medication you are used to. Joining the local mask-wearing culture will not feel out of place.

Crime risk is among the lowest in the world, and walking alone at night is an everyday sight. The one caution is touts in nightlife districts: do not follow “free information” storefronts or persistent solicitors.

Indoors, protect your head and stay where you are. That is the correct move. Japanese buildings are engineered for earthquakes; rushing outside is the more dangerous choice. Check your phone’s emergency alerts (they sound on foreign handsets too) and your hotel’s evacuation route, and you are prepared enough.

For comfort, October–November and late April to mid-May. Weather, scenery, and prices balance best then, so when in doubt, aim for one of those two windows.

Tokyo peaks around the end of March, Kyoto in early April, and later the farther north you go. Pinpoint bloom forecasts do not appear until March, so the trick is to build a sakura itinerary that stays enjoyable even if the bloom shifts a few days either way.

It starts in Hokkaido in late September; Kyoto peaks mid-to-late November. The colour takes about two months to travel from north to south. Book “Kyoto in October” and you will be looking at green maple leaves. Be warned.

It rains a lot, but hotels are cheaper, sights are emptier, and garden moss is at its most beautiful all year. Combine it with indoor pleasures like museums, food and craft workshops, and it becomes a connoisseur’s choice.

Tokyo winters run 0–10°C, far milder than Toronto; your usual down jacket is more than enough. Summer is muggier than any Canadian city. Spring and fall call for walkable shoes plus a light layer. Above all, shoes you can walk in matter most.

Skip Golden Week (late April to May 6), Obon (mid-August), the New Year period, and the sakura and foliage peaks. And move before 8 AM: even Fushimi Inari and Kiyomizu-dera are empty at 7.

July–October, September above all. Typhoons are forecast 3–5 days out, and railways announce planned suspensions the day before. One buffer day in your itinerary absorbs it.

Major stations and shopping complexes are fully equipped with elevators. Older temples and small stations still have stairs, so pairing the stroller with a baby carrier is the practical approach. Bringing strollers onto trains is a completely normal sight.

Family restaurants, food courts, and conveyor-belt sushi are the holy trinity: kids’ chairs, kids’ tableware, and tolerance for a bit of noise. Many izakaya with private rooms also welcome families.

Department stores, stations, and shopping complexes have clean, well-equipped baby rooms. Japan’s restroom facilities may be the best in the world, so this is one worry you can cross off.

On trains, ages 6–11 ride at half fare and under-6s ride free. Hotels have a culture of free bed-sharing for small children, so travelling with little ones is often cheaper than in North America.

Yes. Ask at any station and staff will assist boarding with a ramp, and Shinkansen trains have wheelchair spaces. Ryokan accessibility varies widely from inn to inn, so we confirm each property individually before arranging it.

Limit each day to one or two sights plus the travel between them. Sightseeing in Japan involves far more walking than people expect. Combining luggage forwarding with taxis, and leaving slack at the inn, is the pattern that works.

Spend ¥5,000 or more at a single store and show your passport, and the consumption tax comes off. Note: from November 2026 the in-store deduction ends and switches to a refund at customs when you leave Japan, so large purchases will be paid in full up front first.

Kitchen knives, stationery, matcha, Japanese whisky, and over-the-counter items like eye drops and pain-relief patches are the classics. Department-store food halls and 100-yen shops are souvenir goldmines too.

Shops and department stores run roughly 10 AM to 8 PM. Department-store basement food halls (depachika) start discounting prepared food an hour before closing. Convenience stores are open 24 hours.

No. There is no bargaining culture, and the displayed price is the final price. In exchange, the quality you get for that price is world class.

Meat products are the big one. Wagyu jerky obviously, but instant noodles and snacks containing meat extract can also be seized. Fresh fruit is out too. Processed seafood, sweets, and condiments are almost always fine.

Fixed-price stores such as Daiso and Seria. Stationery, tableware, organizers, and Japanese-pattern goods sell for ¥110 apiece at several times the quality the price suggests. As a place to take home a piece of everyday Japan, it is the most popular shopping stop among travellers.

Yes. After a credit review, we support monthly invoice billing (credit accounts). See Corporate & group travel for details.

Ten or more on the same itinerary is the guideline. Group fares let us hold seats before the name list is final.

We do. Beyond homestays, school visits, and cultural programs, we design the procedures for minors as well: chaperone ratios, consent forms, and the rest.

During Canadian business hours, we contact your hotel or tour operator in Japan, in Japanese, on your behalf. Overnight and early morning, when the time difference is against us, use the local emergency contact printed on your voucher.

Police: 110. Ambulance and fire: 119. The Japan Visitor Hotline (English, 24 hours) is 050-3816-2787.

Yes. We are a Japanese-founded travel agency, so you are welcome to consult us in either Japanese or English.

The local emergency contact on your voucher (the operator or your hotel) is the first call. Email us as well, and we will follow up first thing the next business morning.

We ask that you reach us by email, phone, or the form. Contacting inns and operators in Japan, including the ones that only answer the phone, is something we handle for you, in Japanese.

Yes. We can also issue English-language itinerary and payment certificates for insurance claims. Just ask.