Responsible Travel Japan

Tourcrafters Japan are devoted to responsible travel and tourism and it’s a key tenet of our business.

We understand that travelling in Japan has both positive and negative impacts on the environment and local communities. Our Responsible Travel Policy is for the positive impact of our tours to far outweigh any negative impacts. We truly believe that our travel will greatly benefit the local community. We create our tours so they are not offering passively consumptive travel. We seek to foster interaction with local communities.

The focus of our tours are to support local people and local communities, while also introducing visitors to the wonderful people we have met and places we hold dear. There is an emphasis on local throughout all our tours We use local accommodations wherever possible, local restaurants, and local markets and shops. We seek out accommodations and restaurants that showcase local cuisine and make use of locally sourced produce and foods to give you an authentic taste of the areas you are visiting. Cumulatively, these measures are to ensure that as much of your travel yen stays in the communities you visit as possible.

We use local guides, so you have a true understanding of the country, rather than having the society and culture interpreted by an outsider. Our guides are skilled and vetted, and we pay them a fair wage reflecting their skills and expertise. We also seek to introduce you to local craftspeople to help support traditions and crafts that may otherwise be under threat. We also choose ethical experiences. Where we visit with Ainu or Ryukyu peoples or ethnic minorities within Japan, we do so respectfully, to allow them to speak their truths, and to learn about their culture as interested parties. For our travellers exploring Japan on a self guided basis, our pre departure documentation provide cultural orientation so guests have an awareness of cultural norms and mores.

We also travel off the beaten path, sometimes into rural areas where most tours usually do not go. The beauty of Japan is found not just in its cities and museums, but in the rural cultural heritage where it is still lived. By supporting local communities and helping them to share their skills, local knowledge, history and culture with others from outside of Japan, we also help to stem the tide of rural depopulation created when young people have to leave the countryside for economic opportunity to and make a living. By providing opportunity through tourism, we help make it possible for locals to choose to stay local and earn a living.

We are also concerned about the environment. Japan is an island destination, and most visitors arrive by air. We encourage our guests to offset their air travel. In planning our tours, we endeavor to minimize the environmental impact of the tours through using public transport instead of private coaches and also aim to use suppliers that have responsible green policies in place. Where possible, we walk, to experience the area as local people do. On tour, we seek to recycle whenever possible and Japan has a fairly comprehensive recycling scheme. Litter is rare in Japan, and the Japanese expect to have to bring their trash back home with them to recycle or dispose of responsibly. Please join with us in seeking to reduce the use of single-use plastics by bringing a reusable water bottle. You may wish to purchase yourself a set of chopsticks in your travels. Not only do they make a great souvenir, they make a great, environmentally sustainable substitute for disposable chopsticks.

While we wish to introduce you to Japan’s people, we may also introduce you to Japan’s flora and fauna. We prefer to see animals in the wild, or in vetted animal sanctuaries or conservation centers. We support animal conservation and advise safe practices when we travel in areas where wildlife is likely to be present. On our hiking tours, we operate to leave no trace principles. We also keep to designated trails when we are hiking in areas that are animals’ natural habitats, so as not to infringe on these habitats.

Our in-house policies include recycling, the use of renewable energy, using recycled and sustainably sourced paper, minimizing energy and water use, encouraging the use of cycling and walking to work and using eco-friendly cleaning products