Family Tour Specialists
Your family’s day in Japan is planned before you land.
WHO WE ARE
A Day in Japan Built for Your Family
We’re guides, and your local friends in Japan.
At Japan Trails, we don’t do scripted tours or generic itineraries.
We take you to the places we go ourselves, introduce the food we love, and share stories only locals know.
From hidden backstreets in Shibuya to quiet temples tucked into Tokyo’s lesser-known corners, we help you experience Japan the way we live it.
HOW IT WORKS
What Happens Before Your Family’s Day
Three of these four steps happen before we ever meet you. That is where the day is made: the route, the pace, the places that can feed your family. By the time you land, it is already yours.
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STEP 01
Tell Us Who Is Coming
Ages, how far everyone is happy walking, what nobody can eat, what you have already seen. We ask before we plan anything, and we can do it over a short call if that is easier.
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STEP 02
We Build the Day Around It
A route written for your group, not picked off a shelf. We check opening times, walking distances and the restaurants themselves, and you get your own travel booklet for the day.
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STEP 03
Change It as Often as You Like
Right up to the day before. Ask questions, swap a stop, add a new idea. Consultations are free and there is no limit to them.
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STEP 04
Then We Meet You
Nothing left to work out on the morning. Your guide already knows the pace, the stops and what is on the plate, so the day starts with the fun, not the logistics.
OUR TOURS
Private Family Tours Around Tokyo
Start from one of these, or tell us who is coming and we will write something else. Tokyo and Yokohama are covered by the same city-tour rate. We go on foot and by train, and each of you pays your own fare with an IC card such as Suica. For Mt. Fuji, Hakone, Kamakura and Nikko, your guide takes the train out with you for the day.
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Tokyo Private Tour
Asakusa, Shibuya, teamLab or the Skytree: your day, on foot and by train. Your pram stays open; we route by lift, not stairs.
From $550〜 per groupSee what’s includedHide
- Your private guide for the day
- Planning your day before you arrive
- Free consultations, as many as you need
- A printed booklet for your day
- The first two bookings we make for you
- Train fares: each of you pays with an IC card
- Meals
- Entrance fees and tickets
- Guests beyond four: $100 each
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Tokyo for Teenagers
Shibuya, Harajuku and Akihabara, and yukata if they want it. We ask the teenagers what they want before the day is written.
From $550〜 per groupSee what’s includedHide
- Your private guide for the day
- Planning your day before you arrive
- Free consultations, as many as you need
- A printed booklet for your day
- The first two bookings we make for you
- Train fares: each of you pays with an IC card
- Meals
- Entrance fees and tickets
- Guests beyond four: $100 each
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Fully Customized Day
Tell us the ages, how far everyone walks and what nobody can eat. We write the day from the answers, then change it until it fits.
From $550〜 per groupSee what’s includedHide
- Your private guide for the day
- A day written from your answers, changed until it fits
- Free consultations, as many as you need
- A printed booklet for your day
- Meals
- Entrance fees and tickets
- Train fares: each of you pays with an IC card
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Day Trip by Train
Mt. Fuji, Hakone, Kamakura or Nikko, with your guide on the train beside you. Your guide keeps the day moving around the train times.
From $890〜 per groupSee what’s includedHide
- Your private guide for the day
- Your guide’s own fares and admission
- Your guide prepares the route and timings for the day
- Questions answered by message before the day
- A printed booklet for your day
- Train and bus tickets: each of you buys your own, and we point you to the official booking pages
- Meals
- Entrance fees and tickets
- Guests beyond four: $100 each
WHY US
Why Families Choose Japan Trails
Most of the work happens before the day you see us. We ask about ages, walking, stairs and food before we plan anything, check the places in advance, and keep changing the day with you until it fits. That is what you are paying for as much as the hours on the ground.
FOR FAMILIES
Everything Your Family Needs for Japan
Before you book anything, it helps to know what you are choosing between. We write up the routes, the neighbourhoods, and what changes when you have a pram, a teenager and a grandparent in the same group. Our founder films Tokyo on his own channel as well.
WHO TAKES YOU OUT
Your Family’s Local Friends in Japan
A Local Friend doesn’t just lead the way – they carry the bag, find the lift, and know which restaurant has a high chair. The sort of help you would get from a friend who happens to live here, rather than from someone reading out a script.
TRAVELLING WITH CHILDREN
Planning Japan Together
What changes when there is a pram, a wheelchair or a five-year-old in the group. These are the things we plan around first, before anyone talks about which temple to see.
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Tell us who is coming and we plan around them, not around an itinerary. Every line below is something we already do, not something we will try to do on the day.
- Prams and wheelchairs, ours or your own. If yours stayed at home, we lend you our own pram or folding wheelchair, and your guide brings it on the day. Either way we route around lifts and step-free ways round, and we say honestly what will not work.
- Allergies checked before the day. We ring the restaurants in advance rather than asking on the day, and your guide says it again in Japanese at the table. If somewhere cannot handle it safely, we go elsewhere.
- The day can change on the day. Rain means markets and covered temples instead of cancelling. Tired by three o’clock means we finish early, and nobody minds.
- No separate child price. Children count towards the group like anyone else, and ten or twelve guests works comfortably. On busy dates, or for groups beyond ten or twelve, Mihiro may bring in a guide he works with and briefs himself. We tell you who will guide you in the quote.
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A four-year-old and a seventy-eight-year-old, out on the same afternoon. Two speeds in one group is the hardest day to plan, and the one we are asked for most often.
- One speed: the slowest. We map benches, lifts and clean toilets before you start, and build in two proper sit-down stops rather than hoping you find one.
- A folding wheelchair, brought by your guide. Or a stick, or a shorter route. Tell us what walking looks like on a normal day and we plan from that.
- Stairs are the problem, not distance. Some older stations still have them. Your guide knows which, and goes round.
- Six or eight of you costs less each. $550 covers four on a walking day, then $100 a head. For groups of ten or more, we bring audio headsets so everyone can hear the guide.
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Arriving with children, straight off a long flight, into a city where nothing is in your alphabet. We keep the first day short and close to your hotel, and your guide shows you how the trains work so the rest of the week is yours. You will be met at your hotel by someone holding a sign that says Japan Trails. No hunting for a stranger in a crowd.
Plan our first day
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A birthday in the middle of the trip, or the reason you came at all. Tell us the occasion and the person when you enquire (the moment, the place, the timing) and we work the day around it and keep it quiet from whoever it is for. Cakes, a table booked, a stop that means something.
Tell us the occasion
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No strangers joining. Every tour is private, so the day belongs to your group alone: your pace, your interests, your questions. Mihiro, who was born and raised in Japan, guides the tours himself. Famous spots are just the start. You’ll experience culture, customs, and hands-on activities that reveal the real Japan, at your pace.
Why private? Ask us
Family Tours
Tell us who is coming and we plan around them, not around an itinerary. Every line below is something we already do, not something we will try to do on the day.
- Prams and wheelchairs, ours or your own. If yours stayed at home, we lend you our own pram or folding wheelchair, and your guide brings it on the day. Either way we route around lifts and step-free ways round, and we say honestly what will not work.
- Allergies checked before the day. We ring the restaurants in advance rather than asking on the day, and your guide says it again in Japanese at the table. If somewhere cannot handle it safely, we go elsewhere.
- The day can change on the day. Rain means markets and covered temples instead of cancelling. Tired by three o’clock means we finish early, and nobody minds.
- No separate child price. Children count towards the group like anyone else, and ten or twelve guests works comfortably. On busy dates, or for groups beyond ten or twelve, Mihiro may bring in a guide he works with and briefs himself. We tell you who will guide you in the quote.
Three Generations
A four-year-old and a seventy-eight-year-old, out on the same afternoon. Two speeds in one group is the hardest day to plan, and the one we are asked for most often.
- One speed: the slowest. We map benches, lifts and clean toilets before you start, and build in two proper sit-down stops rather than hoping you find one.
- A folding wheelchair, brought by your guide. Or a stick, or a shorter route. Tell us what walking looks like on a normal day and we plan from that.
- Stairs are the problem, not distance. Some older stations still have them. Your guide knows which, and goes round.
- Six or eight of you costs less each. $550 covers four on a walking day, then $100 a head. For groups of ten or more, we bring audio headsets so everyone can hear the guide.
First Time in Tokyo
Arriving with children, straight off a long flight, into a city where nothing is in your alphabet. We keep the first day short and close to your hotel, and your guide shows you how the trains work so the rest of the week is yours. You will be met at your hotel by someone holding a sign that says Japan Trails. No hunting for a stranger in a crowd.
Plan our first dayBirthdays & Celebrations
A birthday in the middle of the trip, or the reason you came at all. Tell us the occasion and the person when you enquire (the moment, the place, the timing) and we work the day around it and keep it quiet from whoever it is for. Cakes, a table booked, a stop that means something.
Tell us the occasionWhy Private
No strangers joining. Every tour is private, so the day belongs to your group alone: your pace, your interests, your questions. Mihiro, who was born and raised in Japan, guides the tours himself. Famous spots are just the start. You’ll experience culture, customs, and hands-on activities that reveal the real Japan, at your pace.
Why private? Ask us
OUR GUIDES
Meet Your Local Guides
The person who takes your family out for the day. Mihiro guides the tours himself. On busy dates, or for groups beyond ten or twelve, he may bring in a guide he works with and briefs himself. We tell you who will guide you in the quote. He is used to travelling at a child’s pace and a grandparent’s, often on the same afternoon.
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Mihiro Ono
Founder · Tokyo
REVIEWS
What Our Guests Say
Most of our guests are families visiting Tokyo for the first time. They tell us the same thing afterwards: that the day felt relaxed, that nobody had to navigate, and that they saw a lot without rushing. Here is what a few of them wrote.
FAQ
What Guests Ask First
Prams, allergies, how far anyone has to walk. The questions families ask, answered. If yours isn’t here, send it over. We reply within 24 hours.
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How much does the private tour cost?
Our pricing is straightforward. Here is what to expect:
- Tokyo on foot Tokyo or Yokohama, same rate for either. On foot and by train. Each of you pays your own fare with an IC card.
- 6 hours
- From $550〜includes 4 guests · more welcome at $100 each · infants not counted
- Day trip by train Mt. Fuji (Kawaguchiko), Hakone, Kamakura or Nikko. Your guide rides out from Tokyo with you and keeps the day moving around the train and bus times. Your guide’s own fares and admission are included. Each of you buys your own tickets, and we point you to the official booking pages.
- 9–10 hours
- From $890〜includes 4 guests · more welcome at $100 each · infants not counted
The price already covers the number of guests shown, and larger families are welcome; each guest beyond that is $100. We have taken families of ten and twelve. Mihiro guides the tours himself. On busy dates, or for groups beyond ten or twelve, he may bring in a guide he works with and briefs himself. We tell you who will guide you in the quote. Tell us who is coming and we will confirm the figure in your quote.
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Who are your tour guides?
Mihiro Ono, the founder of Japan Trails, was born and raised in Japan and plans every day before he meets you.
Mihiro guides the tours himself. On busy dates, or for groups beyond ten or twelve, he may bring in a guide he works with and briefs himself. We tell you who will guide you in the quote.
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Where do we meet?
We can meet at your hotel or a convenient location in Tokyo, Kanagawa, or Saitama, whichever is easiest for you.
From there we go on foot and by train. Each of you pays your own fare with an IC card such as Suica, and your guide shows you how.
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How far in advance should I get in touch?
We recommend reaching out at least 2–3 weeks in advance, especially during peak seasons such as spring (cherry blossom) and autumn. That said, we will always do our best to accommodate last-minute requests, so feel free to reach out even on short notice.
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What if the weather is bad on the tour day?
We monitor the weather closely and will suggest adjustments to the itinerary if needed, swapping outdoor spots for indoor experiences such as markets, temples with covered walkways, or local cafés. Your guide will always have a backup plan ready so the day stays enjoyable whatever the weather.
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What is your cancellation policy?
Cancellation fees are counted from the tour date.
- 31 days or more before the tour: free of charge (excluding costs already incurred on your behalf, such as entry or theatre tickets already bought for you)
- 30 to 3 days before the tour: 20% of the guide fee
- 2 days to 1 day before the tour: 50% of the guide fee
- On the day of the tour, or no-show without notice: 100% of the guide fee
If we have to cancel, for severe weather for example, you receive a full refund.
Plan Your Family’s Day
Tell us who is coming and what kind of day you have in mind. The ages, how far everyone is happy walking, what nobody can eat, and whether anyone needs a lift rather than a staircase. We build the day around the answers.
We come back within 24 hours.
CONTACT
Tell Us About Your Trip
Who is coming, when you are here, and anything nobody can eat. We read every message ourselves and come back within 24 hours. If your dates are not fixed yet, just let us know the period you will be visiting Japan, and we can suggest the best areas and routes based on your interests and travel goals.