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What our customers have to say...
The most important thing we can do to improve our service is listen to what our customers have to say, which is why you can now read their comments unedited on our website.
Upon returning from Japan all our clients are sent a review form and this is where you can see what they are saying about their experience of Japan and of our service.
Search the reviews, check the image gallery and see for yourself how our clients rate the InsideJapan experience.
How are we doing? (3 year average rating)
4.85/5 calculated from 2853 reviews submitted in the last 3 years
Alexandra (Great Britain (UK)) - Japan Unmasked, Mar 2026
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1. How would you describe your overall level of satisfaction with us as your tour operator?
All phone calls and emails before and after booking our tour with Inside Japan UK were dealt with quickly, efficiently and in a friendly manner. It was our first trip to Japan and we had a lot of questions all of which were dealt with very quickly and we never felt pressurised to book before we were ready to do so.
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2. Tour Leader name and satisfaction rating
Paul Ewen the small group tour leader for our 14 day Japan Unmasked Tour was superb. His knowledge and passion for all things Japanese were so impressive. His enthusiasm for the country and it’s history was infectious, we could not have had a better tour leader. This was our first experience of a guided tour as we usually prefer to be self guided, and I think with Paul at the helm it was the best decision for us! Our adult son is autistic, Paul was very sensitive to this and always answered our questions very quickly via a what’s app chat that was separate from the group chat. The Japan Unmasked Tour is fast paced with a packed itinerary visiting lots of different places in a 2 week period. The tour provided a very good balance of organised guided time versus free time. When we had free time Paul was always available to provide recommendations on the best way to make use of the time we had in a particular place. For example we had a full day of free time in Kyoto where is a lot to see and it can be overwhelming to decide what to do as Kyoto is a big city. Paul gave us a perfect itinerary based on us wanting to see a Temple and a Japanese garden without the crowds. He even made recommendations for cafes and places to eat along the route we took. Paul was very skilful at managing all the needs and expectations of our tour group of 14 participants. Nothing was ever too much trouble for him, he is a genuinely nice person who wants people to have a fantastic holiday in Japan and he will do all he can to make that happen. He epitomises what a perfect tour leader should be and goes to great lengths to uphold and maintain the high standards of the Inside Japan brand – he is happy to do it and is a real asset to the company.
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3. Consultant name and satisfaction rating:
Lily Bascombe our travel consultant always answered our questions in a very timely manner. She was very proactive in giving us ideas to think about while we were deciding if we were going to book a self guided trip or a small group adventure. I was happy to be guided by her and felt confident that as she had lived in Japan she was able to provide us with excellent advice.
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4. How would you rate your package in terms of value for money?
Excellent
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5. How would you rate the accommodation against your expectations?
All the hotels were very well located for access to restaurants/cafes/shops/transport options. They were all very clean. We read the trip dossier so we had some idea of what to expect but possibly some in the group were a bit surprised by the basic nature of the Temple lodgings and the Ryokan. The hotels in Kanazawa, Matsumoto and Shinjuku in Tokyo met our expectations better but the other hotels were all fine and we appreciated the fact that they were well located, were clean and the staff were friendly. The western style ones offered toiletries (face masks, cleansers, tooth brushes and toothpaste, hairbrushes, razors, shampoo, body wash etc which were all useful to have.
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6. Please give us your comments on the transport included in your package.
All the transport arrangements were excellent in terms of variety of modes of transport and were well thought out. From the pick up/drop off at the airport to the bullet trains, express trains, private coach, public coach and taxis to and from the accommodations. The luggage forwarding is an excellent service.
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7. Please tell us your thoughts on the meals included during your tour.
Breakfast was included every day on our Japan Unmasked Tour. The Western style hotels always provided a Continental style breakfast option which was much appreciated. Much as we love fish and are happy to eat it now and again for breakfast it was good have croissants, juice, coffee etc. The croissants were delicious everywhere! It was a real treat to eat home cooked traditional Japanese food at the Ryokan and the monastery. There were 2 dinners included one was at the Ryokan and that was superb. Paul took us out for Okonomiyaki in Hiroshima. It was good to try this speciality and it was nice to share this with the group.
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8. How do you rate the usefulness and standard of information in the Info-Pack?
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9. Would you consider travelling to Japan again?
Yes
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10. Would you travel again with InsideJapan Tours?
Yes
We thought the Japan Unmasked tour was very well planned and executed. The tour leader was superb, the accommodations were very well located and there was a good balance of organised time versus free time. We visited a lot of interesting places. If I am being pedantic maybe 1 night in Takayama instead of 2 nights would have been better and possibly an additional night in Kyoto to give us 2 full days in Kyoto instead of 1.5 days as there is a lot to see and do there. But overall I was very happy with the itinerary as it stood.
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