See the real Japan and experience its culture beyond the typical tourist sites. You'll walk through busy streets, ride the bullet train, and enjoy local foods. Each tour is customized to fit the preferences of the group.
Posted By : 993suzannew
We couldn't have had a better experience than our tour with Becki and Shaun. From our initial email interaction months before our trip, we were only met with professionalism. We appreciated the copious communication and preparation before our trip. Becki and Shaun sent us useful written information and videos to prepare us for our trip. The information about etiquette were particularly helpful! We also found the pre-departure Zoom meeting a nice added touch. We got to "meet" Becki and Shaun and ask any questions we still needed answered before we departed. Once we arrived, everything ran smoothly. We could tell much planning and preparation went into coordinating the trip for our full group of 8. As for the size of this small group tour, 8 is perfect. We felt we could navigate busy train stations and crowds in a manageable way because of the size of our group. Becki and Shaun had us maneuvering bustling public transportation seamlessly and we always had plenty of time to get from one place to another. We especially liked how we had a brief meeting every morning to go over what we were doing for the day. We also ended every evening with a brief heads up regarding what to expect the following day. All of our accommodations and group meals were excellent. We also particularly liked the emphasis on cultural experiences. We tried several different types of Japanese restaurants and local foods. For example, we went to many temples. a geisha show, a traditional ryoken overnight, dressed in kimono and were educated along the way. Be prepared to walk A LOT! This tour mainly uses public transportation and your own foot power. Comfortable walking shoes and layers of clothing are a must. Pack as lightly as possible because you are responsible for moving your own luggage from hotel to hotel. Becki and Shaun are warm, welcoming and we could tell they love their small group tour business. Most importantly, we could tell they love Japan and are very happy to share this beautiful and unique country with curious and adventurous travelers. We can't recommend Japan and More enough. Book one of their tours - you won't be disappointed.
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Posted On : 2024-07-01 12:14:02 
Posted By : robertjL4767YQ
"Japan and More" are the perfect traveler's companion to Japan. We love to travel, but do not enjoy large tour groups or travelers who don't take the time to learn the local customs and etiquette. Becky and Shawn designed a custom experience based our likes, interests, and activity level while keeping the group size small (8 people). Perfect! They helped steer us towards the most cherry blossoms and curiosities we had time to see. Along the way, they provided guidance on etiquette and proper behavior so we had the maximum positive interaction with the locals. We went on a 10 day Cherry Blossoms tour filled with beautiful parks; impressive temples, shrines and museums; top notch off-the-beaten-path restaurants; an amazing Geisha performance in a historic theatre; multiple trips to the mountains for a traditional ryokan or an historic village (with a 388 yr old sake distillery); expertly guided train rides; fun shopping districts.
Exploring Japan with them was less like following the itinerary of a one-size-fits-all large tour company and more like visiting friends who live in a foreign country. We highly recommend Japan and More.
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Posted On : 2024-04-06 19:08:37
Posted By : christX7127NU
I have to admit that when my spouse wanted to go to Japan, I was intimidated. The more research I did, the more worried I became: I was worried about maneuvering the culture appropriately and was worried about not speaking or reading the language. I studied the basics of the Japanese language before going and watched Becki and Shawn's intro to Japan videos before leaving.
I wish I could tell my pre-trip self how much I would fall in love with Japan! The Japanese people are gracious and welcoming in every way. They were so nice and accepting. They love when you try to speak Japanese and are more than willing to help you learn. And then there's Japan and More: Becki and Shawn made this trip an amazing experience. The tour was organized and efficient from start to finish. We were able to immerse ourselves in the Japanese culture and were able to see and do everything we hoped to. We went on this trip as strangers and walked out with new friends. The tour stops are all very special in their own way and we enjoyed each and every day. Please don't limit yourself on any of the experiences: Life is way too short - feed the deer, wear the kimono, and take part in the karaoke. It was all so fun!
I truly cannot recommend that you experience Japan with Becki and Shawn enough. The itinerary and experiences are exemplary. We did not want to leave and cannot wait to visit Japan again!
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Posted On : 2024-04-06 16:21:50
Posted By : C997OXchrisg
We had a wonderful tour of Japan with Becki and Shawn of Japan and More tours. They have a deep understanding and love of Japan, its culture and customs, people, history and sites. In ten days we saw so much of Japan including Buddhist and Shinto temples and shrines, an autumn festival, a kimono museum, World Heritage sites in Nara and Kyoto, a dinner with a Maiko and much more. The tour is fast paced and you travel as the Japanese do - on subway, trains and foot. Traveling this way ensures you have many authentic encounters with the people of Japan. This was amongst the culturally richest ten days of our lives.
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Posted On : 2023-10-15 13:32:12
Posted By : 243DonnaS243
Having never done a small group tour before, I was really excited for this new adventure. Booking this trip with Becki and Shawn was definitely the right decision! Their detailed information and communication before the trip was so helpful and I felt like they were friends before we even met in person. Our group dynamics were wonderful - everyone was so nice and we traveled well as a group. Becki and Shawn went above and beyond to make sure everyone had time to make the trip their own. Their knowledge of the complex rail and bus system was spot on and made our traveling effortless.
Although we were hit with an unexpected heatwave in September, Becki and Shawn made sure we did everything we came to do - sweat and all! They even gave us each a hand held battery operated fan to help with the extreme heat!
Highlights of the trip for me included a cooking glass at
" Mayuko's Little Kitchen" ( she was amazing!), a traditional tea ceremony and dinner with a Geiko (geisha)- loved it! A spontaneous stop to Karaoke on the way back to the hotel in Kyoto was so much fun!
The Japanese people were friendly, warm and kind and I was so impressed with the cleanliness of everything!
The relationships that Becki and Shawn have with the local people made these experiences one of a kind.
Japan is a beautiful country and seeing it with Becki and Shawn was just perfect!
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Posted On : 2023-09-23 04:59:57
Posted By : 840dougv
Do yourself a favor and book a tour now! With Becki and Shawn you will do more than sight see you will experience Japan on a deep level. Their decades of experience in Japan affords you opportunities to do things that would not even be thought of on other tours. From eating at authentic mom and pop restaurants to meeting and being entertained by an authentic Geisha it truly is the trip of a lifetime!
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Posted On : 2023-05-20 20:29:20
Posted By : 364lianaa
Japan is one of my favorite destinations now because of this tour. I definitely would not have been able to see or do many things on my own without Becki or Shawn’s help !
There were so many processes that I hadn’t even thought of, like how to get our rail passes or suica cards, etc. All of this was handled happily by them.
They were very accommodating in that if you asked for help with a reservation, they would help you book it since they knew the language.
On one of the days we had more free time, and Shawn had sent us a bunch of shops and restaurants to check out in the area we were in. It ended up being one of our favorite days of the trip because we would have never explored that area otherwise.
I went with my sister, and I think we both will be returning to Japan in the future because of our experience with Japan and More. I will DEFINITELY be signing up for another tour from them when I go. :)
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Posted On : 2023-04-08 12:03:43
Posted By : il3n3na
This was the best international vacation experience I have ever had. I have been on a Rick Steve’s tour of Europe and this was even better. The extra-small group tour was an amazing stress-free way to explore Japan. It was great having American tour guides who had lived in Japan show us the best places to eat, shop and visit while explaining the different cultural norms. I am intimidated by the language barrier when traveling internationally and I don’t enjoy planning the logistics of a vacation so the tour was perfect for us. Everything went off without a hitch due to the meticulous planning of Becki and Shawn. We were able to relax and have fun and not have the stress of getting around an unknown place. We were taken such good care of and it was a pleasure traveling with our guides.
This tour exceeded every expectation I had and made my 2019 Mother-Daughter trip one of the best ever. Japan and More is a professionally run operation with a team that has a talent for what they are doing.
p.s. Do not believe Shawn when he says he is not good at karaoke.
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Posted On : 2019-12-22 12:52:43
Posted By : 11Allan11
An outstanding experience! This is my third visit to Japan and the first time I join a tour with Japan and More - but certainly not the last, as we intend to visit Japan many more times. Shawn and Becki are knowledgeable, accommodating, extremely organized and showed a perfect touch in giving us 10 days that were fun, instructive and relaxed. I cannot think of a better way to visit this spectacular country.
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Posted On : 2019-12-15 14:18:10
Posted By : davidrR5138CI
My wife and I travel extensively and have done several small group tours in the past. Japan and More provided an experience several steps above our previous tours. Becki & Shawn had the knowledge, the preparation and the dedication that virtually guaranteed a superior tour. From the time we were greeted at Narita until we were walked to the coach that took us back to the airport we were in good hands.. They obviously have a great love of Japan and are eager to share their knowledge so their guests can see Japan the way that they do.
The selection of hotels, restaurants, rail trips and daily experiences were all excellent. Becki and Shawn interview each guest in advance of the trip and customize the tour to the groups preferences. I think that process maximizes the tour for all concerned.
We have been home for two months now yet we still bask in the glow of our best travel experience ever.
Kudos to Becki & Shawn
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Posted On : 2019-12-12 06:02:57
