Mission Tourcrafters Japan

Our Mission and Ikigai

We started with a very simple mission – to design and operate Japan’s most inspiring adventures, truly more than vacations. We weave together a tapestry of destinations, not just popular ‘must-see’ sights, but more importantly the hidden corners of this beautiful archipelago that you might otherwise miss, that provide unique perspectives on this rich and diverse land. Our itineraries are handcrafted and we carefully select every component of our tours. Our ultimate goal is to provide you and your clients with an enriching experience through learning, understanding and appreciating Japan’s culture, nature and people while providing a positive impact on local communities.

We create tours of Japan that are elevated beyond a series of destinations linked together by combining these with the discovery of lesser-known rural areas of the country with charm and by fostering interaction between people through a foundation in community-based tourism.

Tourcrafters Japan tours are ‘imperfectly perfect’. We create a setting where under the concept of ichi-go ichi-e each connection is unique. All are participants – both local people and travellers – so connections are not pre-packaged scripted tourist moments, they allow for a natural flow of connection and authentic interaction. These series of moments or shunkan-no- renzoku become the snapshots of emotion that provide enduring shared memories and moments in time.

Contact Tourcrafters Japan to plan your Japan tour with experts who wish to reveal to you aspects of Japan you would not otherwise see. We offer a variety of tour types and themes. Our tours page provides you with further details. We take as our inspiration the Japanese enso – a circular form, often painted with brush and ink, which is a focus of meditation in the zen school of Buddhism. It is a shape replete with symbolism. It contains all and nothing, it illustrates connection, and can also represent the cycle of life. It is perfect yet at the same time imperfect. In many cases, the enso is not a full circle – and in this sense it can be a journey without completion, a story still to be told, a future not yet written. An open enso is inclusive and not exclusive. When an enso is drawn, it is a focused creation of the moment, and is a manifestation of the person drawing it. The enso is created in a single stroke and there can be no hesitation. The imperfection of enso makes it the perfect representation of the imperfect nature of existence. It is imperfectly perfect and this same concept sits at the heart of what we do. Why would a travel company take the idea of imperfection as its core belief? Many might think that this is counterintuitive when so many companies promote themselves as offering a ‘perfect’ experience. For the team at Tourcrafters Japan, it is imperfection that elevates our tours. Our tours do not tell a static story of completion, in a closed, rigid experience to be consumed. We believe that travel is so much more – that travel is participatory, and is best rooted in community, connection, and interaction. It has the power to transform and the power to elevate. Until you join us in Japan, the story, and your story, is not yet written. Like the enso, it is open and inviting. Your experiences are found in their moment and in their connection you make to Japan in your travels. Without you, these experiences are still incomplete, still imperfect. Your time in Japan will have a departure date, but the experiences and memories of these moments become a part of you that you bring with you throughout your life.

Additionally, the enso represents to us our connection to each other as people, no matter where we are in this world, and our connection to the earth around us. We are committed to sustainability and the circular economy and fostering forms of travel that benefit not just the traveller, but the communities our travellers visit. The tours we create are designed to allow these destinations to tell their own story. Travel is not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ experience that takes place in a void. Your tour encompasses the history, the culture, and the traditions of every place you visit. We seek to bring you into our communities to create a community with us. We work to bring your hopes and dreams into that community. Contact us to discuss your travel plans. We’d love to welcome you to our communities.