Nippon Navigators Private Tours

07/06/2026

On our way to Kyoto for a two day tour to explore the ancient capital!

06/06/2026

One place worth visiting while in Nagoya is the Tokugawa Art Museum and the neighboring Tokugawaen Garden.

The museum houses the collection of the Owari Tokugawa family, one of the main branches of the Tokugawa clan that ruled Japan as Shoguns for more than 250 years. Inside are samurai swords, armor, paintings, tea ceremony items, and other treasures that have been passed down through generations of the family.

Next door, Tokugawaen is one of Nagoya's most beautiful traditional Japanese gardens. Ponds, walking paths, waterfalls, and seasonal flowers make it a pleasant place to spend a few hours away from the city's busier districts.

Together they offer a fascinating look at the history, culture, and wealth of the family that governed Japan for centuries and are well worth adding to any visit to Nagoya.

04/06/2026

We were out in Tokyo with a family from Bulgaria exploring two very different areas of the city.

We started in Asakusa, Tokyo's old sh*tamachi, and spent some time in Nishisando Shotengai. The street is known for its hinoki cypress wooden walkway and Edo-style atmosphere. It is only a short walk from Sensoji, but feels a world away from the crowds around the temple and Nakamise-dori. Walking across the wooden boards with the traditional shopfronts and lanterns around you feels much closer to the image many people have of old Tokyo.

Afterwards we headed to Ueno and Ameyokocho. The area became famous as a black market after World War II, helping supply hard-to-find goods during Japan's recovery. Today it remains one of Tokyo's busiest shopping districts and one that is always changing. Shops come and go, restaurants open and close, and every visit feels a little different from the last.

It was a great day showing our guests some of the history behind these areas and how quickly Tokyo can change from one neighborhood to the next.

01/06/2026

We are off again and the start of a four day tour starting in Tokyo, Kyoto, and finally Osaka with a family of three from Bulgaria. It’s going to be a great time as we explore each of these amazing cites with them.

01/06/2026

A lot of people arrive in Tokyo with a long list of places they want to see.

The challenge is not finding things to do. It is deciding what is actually worth your time.

Tokyo is one of the largest cities in the world, and many visitors spend far too much of their trip moving from one side of the city to the other trying to tick locations off a list. Before long, the day becomes more about trains, stations, and maps than actually experiencing Tokyo.

That is why we take a different approach.

Rather than trying to cram half the city into a few hours, our tours focus on exploring an area properly. Places like Asakusa, Ueno, Yanaka, or the older sh*tamachi neighborhoods have far more to offer than most visitors realise once you step beyond the main sights and start exploring the streets that connect them.

Because all of our tours are private, we can adjust the pace throughout the day. Some guests want to spend more time at temples and shrines, others prefer exploring local streets and learning about the history and character of an area.

Tokyo rewards people who slow down and explore it properly.

If you are planning a trip to Japan, take a look at our Tokyo tours and custom itineraries and see a different side of the city.

31/05/2026

One thing we try to do at Nippon Navigators is give guests the full picture on places, not just repeat the same overhyped talking points people see all over social media.

Nara is probably one of the best examples of this.

To be clear, there are absolutely worthwhile parts of Nara. Todaiji is impressive, some of the older temple areas are beautiful, and historically the wider Nara Prefecture region played a major role in the development of early Japan and several early capitals were established there before Kyoto. But the modern tourism image of Nara often feels far more polished online than the reality people arrive to experience.

A lot of visitors arrive expecting some peaceful historic city full of spiritual atmosphere and end up finding huge crowds, tourist congestion, deer droppings everywhere, and long lines built around social media moments.

Nakatanidou is probably one of the clearest examples of this. The mochi itself is fine, and yes, this style of fast mochi pounding has existed for years, but what people are really lining up for now is the performance. The shouting, dramatic hammering, crowds filming on phones, and the whole spectacle around it has become more about the show than the product itself.

And honestly, we find many visitors leave Nara feeling a bit underwhelmed because the city gets marketed so aggressively online as some essential “must see” destination. In reality, for people looking for atmosphere, traditional streets, temples, and a more balanced historical experience, places like Kyoto or Kanazawa often deliver that feeling much better.

That does not mean Nara is bad. It just means we think travelers deserve honest expectations instead of constant hype.

Part of good guiding is not simply telling people where to go, but helping them understand what places are actually like before they build unrealistic expectations around them.

31/05/2026

We have been fortunate over the years to guide people from all over the world through Japan, and one of the things that has helped Nippon Navigators grow the most has simply been guests sharing their experiences afterwards.

Because our tours are private and often quite personal in how they are planned and guided, reviews really help future travelers understand the kind of experience we aim to provide and whether our style of touring is the right fit for their trip.

A lot of people booking tours in Japan are trying to avoid large groups, rushed schedules, and overly scripted experiences, so hearing directly from past guests makes a big difference.

For everyone who has joined us on a tour already, thank you again for choosing Nippon Navigators. And if you enjoyed your experience with us, we would really appreciate you taking a few moments to leave a review on our Google Business page.

https://g.page/r/CXlfFCl0pk9nEBM/review

30/05/2026

A good guide knows how to avoid the crowds and use their deep knowledge of the city layout and backstreets to move quickly from sight to sight while preserving the atmosphere of Kyoto.

While we occasionally need to pass through a busy area, we know exactly how to bypass the congestion whenever possible. We are dedicated to giving you the chance to visit Kyoto in a truly memorable and authentic way.

30/05/2026

Way to go Team Japan from Kariya, Aichi Prefecture and their win for best float in the opening of The Odyssey of the Mind world finals!

They have been working hard for their events and challenges and we wish them all the best in those endeavors.

https://www.youtube.com/live/o6z1dEQpQjk?feature=shared

Join us to celebrate the associations and teams that have converged on Ames, Iowa from nations around the world!