Welcome to
Japan Travel Enlightened
Responsible, authentic travel experiences in the land of the rising sun.
About our mission
Japan is unique in so many ways. It’s a country that beguiles and lives long in the memory for so many visitors. It’s also a country with a rich history and traditions that stretch back centuries.
Travel Enlightened was born out of our desire to support the many crafts and cultural legacies that are becoming increasingly threatened. As the population ages, all too often there aren’t the young people to continue the traditional crafts and support the many rural areas that are threatened by depopulation.
Tourism isn’t a silver bullet, but by encouraging the right type of travellers to venture away from the most visited areas of Japan we can help people and communities – and introduce adventures travellers to richer, more rewarding experiences.
What makes a Travel Enlightened Experience?
When we’re looking at accommodation and experiences to recommend, we have three criteria:
Does the community want to attract and welcome visitors and will it benefit the local people?
Is the experience or accommodation authentically Japanese? Are the origins and style indigenous?
Is the accommodation or experience actively engaged in ensuring the sustainability of their offerings and minimising any environmental impact?
Giving DMC’s and Tour Operators a Competitive Edge
The vast majority of travel to Japan is focussed on the ‘Golden Route’ of Tokyo, Kyoto and Hiroshima; possibly with a few add-on excursions. For many travellers this is fine, but for Tour Operators and DMC’s, restricting choice to these well-trodden itineraries means that they don’t stand apart from the crowd.
Japan has so much to offer, so many surprises and delights that will make a special trip extra special. Offering something different, something uniquely Japanese benefits both DMC’s Tour Operators. It can also heighten the pleasure of a visit to Japan for travellers.
And if that’s not good enough reason, you can also be assured that, by offering Travel Enlightened accommodation and experiences, you’ll be helping support the many areas in Japan that will really benefit from having more travellers take the time to visit them.
Accommodation, Experiences and Curated Tours
All the accommodation and experiences have been personally checked by our Travel Enlightened experts in Japan. If they’ve met our standards, and we’re sure that they offer a uniquely enjoyable experience for travellers and met our selection criteria, we’ll make them available for trade bookings.
We’ve also put together a range of carefully curated itineraries. These two and three day tours are designed to be included as a part of longer trips; adding something different or a little unusual. We would like to think that these will be some of the places and experiences that travellers talk about most when they return home.
Direct contact details are provided for individual accommodations and experiences. Curated Tours are available from Japan Travel Enlightened. Invoicing will be in Japanese Yen.
The Global Sustainable Council (GSTC)
The Global Sustainable TourismCouncil (GSTC) establishes and manages global standards for sustainable travel and tourism, known as the GSTC Criteria. There are criteria forDestinations, Hotels, Tour Operators and Venues.
In approving accommodation providers and experiences to be a part of the Travel Enlightened Programme, assessments are made against the GSTC Criteria for Social Wellbeing, Protecting Cultural Assets and Conserving Natural Heritage.
Accommodation and experiences featured by Japan Travel Enlightened are only available through approved DMC’s and Travel Trade partners. We don’t take direct bookings from travellers.
