First of all, let me ask you a question.
Does this story sound familiar to you?
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You've searched everywhere — the Internet, social media, podcasts, and travel books. Still, you have little clue on authentic experiences you're seeking because most of what you could find is written or created by foreigners, not locals living in Japan, or Japanese sites that are not localised properly to English.
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You're overwhelmed with too many options. You've collected information and made a long list of places to visit, but you have no idea about how to narrow it down.
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You found a sample itinerary on the Internet, but you know it won't work for you because you'll be travelling at a different time of the year and it won't meet what everyone in your group wants.
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You know a few things you'd like to try, but you're struggling to find where to try it and put them together in the best order, or you're not sure whether what you've planned is feasible.
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You're busy with your life, so you want a faster journey to create the Japan travel experience you truly desire.
How do I know all these? Let me introduce myself.
I'm Miyuki, Licensed Guide + Japan Experience Creator.
I've been travelling around Japan since my childhood. I've travelled extensively both domestically and internationally, while making connections with locals and learning about their culture.
In the past 5 years, I've been in Japan's tourism industry, helping to create travel experiences as a tour guide and travel designer. I've also worked with local governments in gaining awareness of less visited areas of Japan.
Over the past 24+ months, I've been serving hundreds of international visitors, and I've also spent thousands of hours of time understanding their needs and creating programs that help achieve personalised, authentic and immersive travel experiences, which I define as the Uniquely Japan Experience.
Imagine having...
Simplified Process
that helps you identify your interests easily and effectively so that you'll get clear on the types of experiences you want to achieve on your trip.
First-hand knowledge
that will help you make the best decision on places to visit, accommodation and cultural activities so that you'll create your Uniquely Japan Experience.
Personalised Guidance
to create your tailor-made Japan travel itinerary that will guide you through where to visit, what to do, and how to get around in the best possible way.
This would make your planning easier and faster, right?
Through this 8-week program, together we'll:
Map out your personalised Japan travel itinerary that includes places to visit, activities and accommodations.
Locate the best travel route that makes your trip easier and more enjoyable.
Have your accommodations and activities booked, saving hours of research time.
Get yourself ready to achieve your Uniquely Japan Experience the best way possible.
What my amazing clients are saying
Miyuki gave us options I wouldn't have been able to find on my own.
Ron and Jan from the Netherlands
What really struck me was what Miyuki said about how to plan a trip to Japan: we should think about what we want to experience instead of what places we want to visit.
Miyuki gave us options I wouldn't have been able to find on my own, such as good traditional Japanese hotels with hot springs, local festivals and sights that are lesser known but well worth seeing.
Her service is really professional and well organised. Miyuki really helped us make progress with our itinerary and supplied us with lots of ideas and helpful links. This process really confirmed the things that interest us. I feel very happy and the trip is more prepared than ever!
Extra information about the habits of Japanese people was really useful too. A lesson about the way of the Japanese (日本人道) gave us a lot of the value.
Miyuki’s itinerary planning services are above and beyond.
I’ve used a few similar services to plan trips in the past. Miyuki is the most helpful by far.
After some emails and an initial meeting, she developed a detailed itinerary which we reviewed and adjusted together. She then helped advise us on route, accommodations and activities based on our preferences. We were given guidelines and roadmap to follow and it was immensely helpful. I especially appreciated the care she took with recommending traditional accommodations and locations to stay.
We were able to create an itinerary we are excited about and are comfortable with our navigation from place to place. There are four of us planning this trip and I think it helped everyone get what they wanted out of it.
Morgan and Nick from the United States
Miyuki really gave personal recommendations that catered to our priorities and steered us towards the most authentic experiences.
I would never have had the confidence to plan everything on my own without Miyuki’s help.
Kirsty from Scotland
I would probably have ended up with a trip to Tokyo and would have missed all the experience that I achieved along the way.
Being able to talk to Miyuki face to face at the start, which gives more confidence that the advice you are getting is tailor made to you and not just something that has been copied and pasted from the Internet. Miyuki has also been patient with me changing my itinerary, providing me with the benefits of adding in an extra city and swapping around the order of my visits.
I am thankful for Miyuki's suggestion of Hikone as I was unaware of the location before, and it was one of the highlights of my trip. I would advise anybody doing a multi city tour to build in some down time in local areas.
The travel app Miyuki has recommended was invaluable on the trip itself.
We loved working with Miyuki!
The format of the program was easy to follow and having a file to build out our trip and ask questions allowed for a seamless planning experience.
We loved working with Miyuki and all of the suggestions she provided based on our interests.
We are confident the itinerary we have planned for our upcoming trip will provide us with an adventurous and balanced experience. We are excited to visit the big cities but really looking forward to experiencing some of the quieter towns along the coast and in the mountains.
We had such an amazing time in Japan. I'm so glad we got to try the different hot spring onsens and stay in a traditional ryokan. We had so many memorable experiences and hope to visit again soon!
Zach and Kelly from the United States
Miyuki’s recommendations were great and we really enjoyed our time in Japan.
Here's what's inside:
Japan Travel Planner & Priority Clarity Finder
A ready-to-use, fillable spreadsheet is provided to help create your custom travel itinerary. It includes a priority clarity finder, which assists in identifying your preferences and in creating priority lists for experiences and destinations.
Your Personalised Japan Travel Itinerary
Not sure about what option would best suit your interest and how to find the best travel route? Fill out your priority clarity finder and I'll make the first draft based on your interests and needs.
2 × 60 minute pre-travel consultation sessions
In the first session, I'll walk you through all the options I suggest for your personalised itinerary. The second session will be an opportunity for you to finalise the details and have all your questions sorted so that you'll be fully ready to create your Uniquely Japan Experience.
Unlimited private chat support
Need guidance on how to make bookings? Want advice on which choice would meet your interests better? Need your itinerary reviewed after making adjustments? I'll help you with all that to best support your planning and decision making process for a period of up to 8 weeks.
1 × 30 minute post-travel debrief session
Reviewing your travel experience is an important step for you to best plan your future trips. Let's discuss the ways to better prepare for your next trip to Japan.
This is not just an itinerary creation program. It's focused on building the knowledge for you to accomplish your Uniquely Japan Experience the best way possible.
Here's why building the knowledge is essential.
1. Make the best decisions in your travel planning journey.
The better you know about your options, the more confidence you'll gain about your choice. Your knowledge makes a difference in choosing the best option for you and in minimising the risks of disappointment.
2. Appreciate Japan's rich cultural assets better.
Japan has a rich culture and history. Your knowledge will determine the level of appreciation you'll gain at each heritage site you visit. You can even interact with locals more effectively by utilising your knowledge of Japanese culture and language.
3. Create an experience beyond your itinerary.
Creating a well-planned itinerary alone won't guarantee the best experience. Travelling comes with a series of unexpected encounters. Your knowledge can give you the ability to adapt to the changes and turn them into memorable experiences.
4. Help sustain local destinations and customs.
There are so many options beyond famous tourist spots. Your knowledge will assist you in selecting options tourists are unaware of, which may be more beneficial to you and destinations. You'll also be better prepared for the local customs and traditions if you're informed in advance.
Now let's take a look at how I can help you with that...
special bonus
The Japan Travel Bundle
The 8-week course to build Japan travel knowledge that creates your Uniquely Japan Experience easier and much more enjoyable.
Let's dive deeper into the inclusions...
Every week, I'll guide you through the following key components in creating your Uniquely Japan Experience. You'll be encouraged to take action based on practical guidance I'll share with you through self-paced content such as tutorial videos, audio files, and downloadable guides, which will support you in completing your Japan travel planning journey successfully.
Week 1
Set
travel priority
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How to simplify your various options on where to visit.
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Be aware of how your choices will shape your experiences on what to see, what to eat and where to stay.
Week 2
Learn about
the time of the year you visit
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What Japan is like throughout the year and how it's like when travelling in each season and during traditional events and holidays.
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Build appropriate expectations for your time of the year to visit.
Week 3
Find
accommodation
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Different types of accommodations that are widely available in Japan.
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Gain a good understanding of locations, budget and service levels you should expect for each option.
Week 4
locate
travel route
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Japan's extensive train networks and how to best utilise public transport.
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How to use apps that can locate the most appropriate travel route from place to place.
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Gain confidence to change your travel schedule comfortably even at the last minute.
Week 5
Learn
Japanese history
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The basics on Japan's major historical time periods from the Emperors and aristocrats to samurai to modernisation.
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Learn about the context behind major cultural heritage that you'll be visiting.
Week 6
Know authentic
Japanese cuisine
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A variety of authentic Japanese cuisine from high quality multi-course meals to casual street food.
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Discover how these foods are associated with particular seasons and specific destinations.
Week 7
Pick up
basic Japanese
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Simple Japanese words and phrases that you can use at shops, restaurants, stations and accommodations.
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Learn about what exactly to say, how to best start conversations and what responses you should expect.
Week 8
Prepare for
the Japanese mindset
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Japanese behaviors and customs, which you may not be used to in the West.
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Be aware of possible scenarios at different places you may come across and how to respond to these situations.
Let's summarise!
The 3 steps we'll complete through this program
Define
Identify your interests and get clear about your travel priority.
Design
Design your travel itinerary. Confirm your interests, and make bookings.
Deepen
Deepen your knowledge.
Be ready to create your Uniquely Japan Experience.
Here's why I'm the best person to work with:
I've worked with clients with different needs, ranging from families to couples to solo adventurers, mainly from the United States, Europe, and Australia, designing and creating their personalised Uniquely Japan Experience.
I've travelled around Japan extensively, from famous destinations to smaller rural towns, and continue to explore new places every month. I know Japan well enough to make personalised recommendations based on your travel priorities.
I'm a journalist turned licensed guide. I've spent thousands of hours learning about Japan's history, culture, geography, and anything that makes Japan a unique destination to visit. I'll teach you everything you should know before your trip to Japan in an engaging way!
Sounds great!
What's the investment?
The fee is based on the number of days you'll be in Japan with a minimum investment of
JPY 115,000, which is about $ 730 USD.
If your trip is for more than 10 days, JPY 5,000 per day will be added to the minimum investment.
To give you an idea, the prices for 14-day and 21-day travel planning will be
JPY 135,000 ($860 USD) and JPY 170,000 ($1080 USD).
Up to 10 days
(the minimum investment)
JPY 115,000 ($730 USD)
11+ days
add JPY 5,000 per day to the minimum investment
What my amazing clients are saying
I really appreciate how special Miyuki made our family's trip to Japan.
Japan was one of, if not the most difficult places, to plan a trip to. I started to plan some things. Miyuki redirected me kindly because little did I know, I was going to end up spending half my trip on a train. She saved me from myself.
Miyuki was very thoughtful about helping me craft the right itinerary for my family of five. I was able to ask her so many detailed questions, a lot more detailed questions than one would usually ask a travel agent because she was really intimately involved in what my family would like.
We covered a lot of ground in our 10 or so days and really loved it. We couldn't have covered as much ground if I had to plan this on my own.
Lorie from the United States
Miyuki made my planning experience a lot more stress free.
We had an amazing, once in a lifetime trip!
Kaitlyn from the United States
I was looking for an authentic, cultural experience for my first time in Japan. My challenge was finding travel information from native Japanese people. I did not want a travel itinerary based on foreigner's blogs, of which there are many.
I loved Miyuki's travel itinerary. It also relieved the stress of endless research on my own.
We had an amazing, once in a lifetime trip! We especially loved Koyasan, the minshuku stay in Shirakawa-go, everything related to food, the art museum near Mt Fuji and the autumn colors.
I thank her so much for all of her help - it made it a most memorable experience.
Miyuki is very organized, helpful, informative, and professional.
Before joining this program, we were facing challenges of knowing where to go, narrowing down the choices, making a route and assessing whether a location was worth visiting.
It was so nice to have a partner in planning! Miyuki really took time to understand what we wanted to do and make recommendations accordingly. Review of our itinerary was invaluable. We also appreciated the very tailored advice. It saved us a lot of time in planning.
Now we are confident in our trip and feel much more prepared!
Amanda and Graeme from the United States
We highly recommend the program to other people interested in traveling to Japan!
I can't thank her enough!
Michael from the United States
The value of Miyuki's guidance for planning my itinerary has been immeasurable.
After finding out my interests and a few specific activities I wanted to accomplish during my upcoming visit to Japan, she provided a list of cities and sites for my further research which led me to a few more places I didn't know about and probably would never have known about without her.
A couple of things I did on my own without her help rounded up as not being as good as the stuff that she has recommended. I cannot recommend her enough.
If you have an opportunity to use her services, you won’t regret it.
Got questions? I've got the answers!
Which one is the choice for you?
The Uniquely Japan Experience is not a group program, so you will have personalised support, have all your questions answered and complete your travel planning journey easier and faster.
Do it yourself
General
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A cookie-cutter itinerary covering only major tourist attractions that are full of international tourists
Time consuming
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Hours of researching without knowing what you are looking for and using the Internet where misleading, biased and promotional content do exist
Lack of trust
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Online communities where a number of people are sharing their own opinions that confuse your decision making process further
Work with me
Personalised
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Your tailor-made travel plan based on your interests with recommendations on lesser-known and yet worth-experiencing places and activities
Time saver
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A simplified travel planner that helps identify your interests easily, combined with first-hand Japan travel experience and knowledge that makes your decision-making process faster
Reliable
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An accountability partner who helps you make the best decisions and will build a friendship that lasts even after your trip
Here's the REAL difference:
It's not a done-for-you service like many other travel designers provide.
Here's why I offer the 1:1 Uniquely Japan Experience as a done-with-you model.
You and I both know that travelling is full of the unexpected, like weather, delays, and crowds, which means even a well-designed itinerary may not always go as planned. It's important for you to be adaptable to changes and knowledgeable about how to turn them into memorable experiences.
That's why this program is designed for you to build Japan travel knowledge through creating your custom itinerary together.
Through the Japan Travel Essentials, I'll be also assisting you to:
1. Understand your potential challenges and make the best decisions with that in mind.
2. Increase the chances of delightful surprises, such as meaningful interactions with locals.
Does this sound like what you need?
Real Words from My Client
Miyuki has opened the door for me to interact with locals and break the ice.
Her language course online and the material provided proved to be invaluable for getting around at train stations, shopping centers, museums etc.
Only a few language skills make a huge difference!
Andreas from Switzerland
A Final Note from Me, Miyuki:
My aim for this program is to give you the A - Z to create a memorable experience in Japan. To the best of my knowledge, there's no other program that's focused on both crafting a personalised itinerary and building the knowledge to accomplish your Japan travel experience the best way possible.
You may have spent hours researching, been overwhelmed with too many options, and almost given up trying to plan on your own.
Trust me, Japan travel planning is so much fun and doesn't require too much of your time if we do it in the right way.
I'm here to provide you with the directions, guidance, and resources to create your Uniquely Japan Experience easier, faster, and more enjoyable.
Ready to do this together?
