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Oku Japan operates guided, self-guided and custom tours around Japan. Our main office is in Kyoto, and some of our sales staff are based in the UK. In spring 2015, Oku Japan opened a branch office in the village of Chikatsuyu, where we are proud to be part of the local community.

Our mission is a simple one; to introduce visitors to Japan to the beautiful scenery, delightful towns and villages, and above-all the lovely people, we have discovered on our travels. We are a small team of people passionate about Japan, and every one of us speaks Japanese and knows the country intimately. We have travelled the length and breadth of the country; stayed at hundreds of hotels, Ryokan and Minshuku, taken trains, planes, ferries and buses to the far corners of this amazing country, to discover the best food, best accommodation and best service that you can expect.

We strongly believe in travel having a positive impact on both the traveler and the local people. Our tours travel both to the famous sites, but also to the lesser-known places that have not made it into the guidebooks. You may find yourself on a super-fast bullet train one day, and the next sitting in a small country hot spring miles from the nearest town.

We try to strike a balance between easy, comfortable travel, with seeing places that require a degree more effort to get to. Some of our destinations are not visited by any other tour company, and that's because they are not suited to mass-market tourism. Our favourite inns may not have internet access or even their own website, but they have the freshest food and personal service you can't reproduce on a large scale.


"We specialize in rural off the beaten path Japan and have a strong expertise in the Nakasendo, the Kumano Kodo, and the Shikoku 88 pilgrimage route. In addition we are pleased to offer walking and stays at Mount Koya, Nara, and Asuka and can arrange tours that include many other UNESCO World Heritage sites in Japan. "


"Oku Japan has been bringing travellers to Japan for over 10 years."


"Enjoying a traditional shamisen performance in our office on the Kumano Kodo in Chikatsuyu"


Kumano Kodo Self-Guided Tour - 6 Days

Get ready for an unforgettable village-to-village trek on the Kii Peninsula along sections of the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage trail. Perfect for avid hikers, this self-guided tour will take you past thermal hot springs, grand shrines, and waterfalls as you walk in the footsteps of emperors.

Hidden Gems of Japan: Discovering Unique Places to Visit

Looking for lesser-known, beautiful places to visit in Japan? Here is a shortlist of under-the-radar destinations to visit outside of the usual places most people go, like Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto.

Hiking Japan's Kumano Kodo - 11 Days