Small-Group and Custom Japan Trips
Unforgettable Travel Experiences to Japan
Our mission is to provide unique, hands-on experiences in Japan to create memories that will last a lifetime. We strive to give you exciting travel experiences that involve all five senses – sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch. Our focus is visiting farms and markets, taking classes and learning new skills, meeting new friends, and sharing good meals together. So, roll up your sleeves and be prepared to get your hands dirty (so to speak), because we know this can be one of your most satisfying and unforgettable experiences ever!
Peace of Mind
Japan is a fascinating country with a unique culture, food, and language, but it is often confusing to travelers. So, let us navigate you through the complexity of booking, guiding, and translation/interpretation so you will experience the best of what Japan has to offer.
Small Group Journeys
Join one of our carefully curated Small Group Journeys for a new experience and new friends. Our tours visit large and small cities like, and are always limited to ten like-minded travelers for a hands-on, authentic travel experience.
Custom Trips
Create your dream trip to Japan with us! Choose from our four unique sample trips, decide on the type of accommodations, places to visit and style of your trip. Our Japan specialist will curate a one-of-a-kind journey just for you.
Sustainability
As a travel company, we are committed to helping sustain the environment and local economies, and preserving cultures, by working with local artists and craftspeople, farmers, and private inn owners who share the same beliefs and values.
Flexible Booking
To provide you with comfort and assurance in booking, Tanpopo Journeys is offering free cancellations. We will also waive the re-booking fee for all reservations booked with us until the end of 2021.
Join One of Our Small Group Journeys
Our Small Group Journeys are always personable and have no more than ten like-minded people. So enjoy the attention to detail and hospitality of our knowledgeable guides and you will forget that it is a group tour. A great value and perfect for both solo travelers and friends.
Edible Japan, Fall 2022
This culinary tour is led by a food blogger/chef and carefully curated to explore the best of Japan’s culinary traditions. The tour starts in Tokyo, the ultimate cosmopolitan city, and then to Nagano and Yamanashi in the southern Japan alps to explore the roots of Japanese cuisine. Enjoy a guided market tour, cooking classes, stay in a Zen temple, whiskey sampling, farm visits, and much more.
7 days | 8 People
Textiles and Traditional Arts of Japan, Fall 2022
This unforgettable Small Group Journey across Japan introduces you to Japanese textiles and culture. Warm hospitality will welcome you from Tokyo to Gunma, Nagano, Kanazawa, and Kyoto. The tour includes visits to weaving and pottery studios, textile workshops, and many UNESCO World Heritage sites.
11 days | 10 people
Textiles of Kyushu,
Spring 2023
Welcome to Kyushu. This tour starts in Fukuoka prefecture, where it explores Yame, a destination for Kurume Kasuri, a Cultural Heritage. Indigo dyeing, Kurume kasuri weaving, artisan paper making, and a green tea farm visit are all part of this amazing opportunity in visiting rural Kyushu. The port city of Nagasaki is unique and not to be missed.
8 days | 8 people
Sample Journeys. Customized for You!
As we are all different, we travel differently, too. Our Japan specialists will carefully put together a custom trip to fit your needs and wishes. Please choose from one of these four unique sample itineraries and let us customize it for you. Your journey to Japan is sure to be one of its kind.
Quintessential Japan
Our Quintessential Japan Journey is a good choice for your first trip to Japan. It includes all the highlights: market visits, a cooking class, a stay in a traditional ryokan with a hot spring and kaiseki meal, visits to UNESCO sites, and much more. Enjoy a stress-free journey that includes local guides, central hotels, and must-see sightseeing. It’s perfect for families, couples, and friends. You will fall in love with Japan.
Tokyo > Mt. Fuji > Kyoto > Osaka > Hiroshima
Start from $4999
Details
Japanese Arts and Crafts
Travel through central Japan on a journey to discover the roots of Japanese arts and crafts. Many towns and villages in this region are home to textile and other fiber arts and are yet to be explored by foreign travelers, making the regions an ideal destination for a guided tour. Meet local artists, visit their studios, and listen to their stories. It will be an experience you will never forget.
Tokyo > Gunma > Ueda > Kanazawa
Starting from $3400
Kyushu, Land of Fire
Welcome to Kyushu, the southernmost main island of Japan, where you will find undisturbed nature, and a unique cultural landscape and history. Part of Kyushu’s distinct culture comes from Japan’s long-standing isolation from the rest of the world: one port in Kyushu was the only place in Japan where international trade was permitted. This, plus its distance from the capital and its distinctive climate and geology, made Kyushu rich and diverse in its cultural landscape. Enjoy bathing in a hot spring at Mt. Aso, delicious local foods, and friendly hospitality.
Fukuoka > Kumamoto > Mt. Aso > Nagasaki
Starting from $4999
Naoshima Art Island and Beyond
Discover the harmony of nature and art in internationally recognized art destinations of the Chugoku region. Visiting a Japanese garden, participating in a tea ceremony, and learning about Bizen pottery, indigo dyeing, local sake, and local cuisine are just a part of this journey. Enjoy your time on Naoshima Art Island in the Setouchi inland sea. This journey is not to be missed.
Tokyo > Okayama > Naoshima > Hiroshima
Starting from $4800
Our Commitment to You
Tanpopo Journeys is an independently-owned travel company located in St. Paul, MN, USA. Our mission is to work with artists, farmers, craftspeople, and small businesses to foster and help them preserve traditional Japanese crafts and food production methods and to share them with you. We would love to curate a one-of-a-kind travel experience for you.
Hours
Mon – Fri: 10am – 5pm (CST)
Sat: 10am – 3pm (CST)
Contact
Tel: 651-734-3923
koshiki@tanpopojourneys.com
benjamin@tanpopojourneys.com