Undisturbed Cultural Immersion

11th May 2011

Undisturbed cultural immersion

The ‘golden days’ of travel in Japan are back,
declares InsideJapan Tours.

Typically, Japan doesn’t feature on the well-trodden tourist trail, making it an exciting destination for travellers looking for unique cultural experiences. All can be enjoyed against a backdrop of ultra-modern cities co-existing with ancient tradition, tranquil mountain scenery and semi-tropical island beaches. For ten years, InsideJapan Tours has embraced the charming quality of travelling in a country vastly different from our own, where a foreigner is conspicuous but always warmly welcomed - and never more so than now.

This year - a year that has brought a triple-fold disaster, adverse FCO travel advice and sensational headlines - the cherry blossom season, traditionally Japan’s busiest tourist season, was one of the quietest for a long time. Popular spots such as Kyoto (approximately 465 miles from Fukushima – the same distance as from London to Dundee) and Kumamoto on the southern island of Kyushu (approximately 915 miles from Fukushima – the same distance as from Penzance to the Shetland Islands) lacked the usual crowds of overseas visitors.

The drop in visitor numbers has been felt by all, especially small, family-run traditional guest houses and local restaurants. But, from a visitor’s perspective, InsideJapan Tours likens the current travel experience to that of over ten years ago – the relatively low number of tourists means peaceful journeys on well-trodden routes and the opportunity to appreciate major sights, normally obscured by crowds of foreigners. As declared by InsideJapan Tours, the ‘golden days’ of travel in Japan are back.

InsideJapan Tours’ co-founder, Alastair Donnelly, recently back from a trip to Japan said: “The spring weather has been beautiful and the cherry blossom stunning, yet there was barely a non-Japanese face to be seen in well-visited places, such as Kyoto or in the mountains. Now is the time to travel to Japan - enjoy undisturbed cultural immersion and fully appreciate the sublime calm of Zen gardens, the stunning beauty of the Alps and ancient temple architecture.”

After the disasters, almost 40% of tailor-made clients for March rebooked for later in the year, with 60% opting for travel in April and 84% for May. InsideJapan Tours has continued to run approximately 70% of its small group tours from March through to May, albeit with reduced numbers.

Alastair Donnelly says: “Our clients have always been touched by the warmth of the Japanese people, whose hospitality frequently exceeds expectations, but now the locals are more grateful than ever for our visits. Thankfully, people are looking beyond newspaper headlines and are still travelling to Japan.”

With a festival-full summer, glorious colours in the autumn and stunning snowscapes in the winter, there is plenty of choice ahead for travelling to Japan. InsideJapan Tours offers a range of small group tours and self guided adventures throughout the country, as well as tailormade trips to suit interests, time frame and budget.

InsideJapan Tours’ Tohoku tsunami fund continues to raise money for the Japanese charity Civic Force. Please donate: http://www.justgiving.com/insidejapan