Frequently Asked Questions

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About Kotori Japan Travel

  • Kotori Japan Travel was founded by Mike Lara, who spent almost a decade living across Japan — in Aomori, Nagoya, and Nagasaki — and has traveled extensively through 32 of Japan's 47 prefectures, from Hokkaido to Okinawa. That kind of time on the ground shapes the way we approach planning: less about hitting the obvious landmarks, more about building trips that feel genuinely considered. Learn more about us.

  • No. Kotori Japan Travel is an independent travel advisory and custom itinerary-planning consultancy — not a travel agency or tour operator. We don't book flights, accommodations, transportation, tours, or activities on your behalf, and we don't hold or process any funds for travel purchases. What we do is plan: we take your trip from a loose idea to a detailed, day-by-day itinerary you can travel confidently with. That includes recommendations for specific accommodations, car rental agencies, transportation options, and other services we genuinely stand behind — we just don't make the bookings ourselves. All reservations remain in your hands.

  • Forums and search engines are great starting points — but at some point, more information stops being helpful and starts being overwhelming. What most travelers actually need isn't another list of recommendations; it's someone who can look at their specific trip and tell them what's worth it and what isn't. That's exactly what nine-plus years of living in Japan and travel through 32 of 47 prefectures makes possible — the kind of on-the-ground perspective that no search result can replicate. And because we don't earn commissions or referral fees from any third party, you can trust that every recommendation reflects experience and honest judgment — nothing else.

  • Japan only. It's not a limitation — it's a deliberate choice. Deep expertise in one country is more useful to you than broad familiarity with many. If your trip includes a stop in another country, we're happy to plan the Japan portion; we'd just recommend a specialist for the rest.

  • All of the above. We've worked with first-time visitors and seasoned Japan travelers, solo adventurers and multi-generational families, couples on honeymoons and groups of friends. What our clients tend to have in common is that they want their Japan trip to feel personal — not like a package tour and not like a forum itinerary copy-pasted from a Reddit thread. If that sounds like you, we're probably a good fit. You can read about some of their experiences on our Testimonials page.

Services & Pricing

  • We offer three core services, all priced in Canadian dollars (CAD).

    Itinerary Planning is our flagship service — a custom, day-by-day plan built around your specific trip, whether that's a single day in one city or three weeks across multiple regions. Pricing is based on the total length of your itinerary in Japan, with tiers starting at $100 CAD for a single day and scaling through to custom quotes for trips of 21 days or more.

    Travel Consultations are focused video sessions via Zoom for travelers who want expert guidance on a specific question or decision without committing to a full planning package. Sessions are available in 30 or 60 minute lengths.

    Pre-Departure Check-Ins are available to existing KJT clients after their itinerary has been delivered — a freshness review to confirm everything in your plan is still current and accurate before you leave.

    For full pricing details on all services, visit our Services & Pricing page.

  • A Travel Consultation is a standalone, paid video session — 30 or 60 minutes via Zoom — focused on whatever you need to work through: a specific planning question, a routing decision, accommodation choices, or just figuring out whether Japan is the right trip for you right now. You come with questions; we work through them together. A written summary of the key points discussed follows within 1–2 business days.

    An itinerary planning package is the full service: a custom, day-by-day itinerary built around your trip from the ground up, delivered through the Travefy app and as a downloadable PDF, with a walkthrough Zoom session to review everything before you go.

    The two can work together — if you book a full itinerary planning package within 14 days of a completed consultation, your consultation fee is credited toward the planning fee. Learn more about how the process works.

  • A Pre-Departure Check-In is a service for existing KJT clients who want peace of mind before they travel. Once your itinerary has been delivered, we can revisit it closer to your departure date to confirm that everything it references — venues, accommodations, events, transportation — is still accurate and available. Anything that has changed, closed, or been rescheduled since your itinerary was originally drafted gets updated.

    It's not a revision round — if you're looking to make new additions or significant changes to your itinerary, that's handled separately. Think of it as a freshness check: same trip, confirmed current.

    We recommend requesting your check-in no later than four weeks before your travel dates, though we accept requests up to two weeks out. The fee is 20% of your original itinerary planning fee.

  • Not in a live capacity, no — and we want to be upfront about that. We don't offer real-time assistance during your trip, and given the significant time difference between Japan and North America, we can't guarantee availability or response while you're traveling.

    What we do instead is build every itinerary with the goal that you won't need us once you're there. By the time you leave, you'll have a detailed, day-by-day plan you can travel confidently and independently with — accessible through the Travefy app and as a downloadable PDF you can save for offline use. For anything that comes up on the ground, your accommodations, transportation providers, and local services are always your best first point of contact.

Not Sure Where to Start?

  • Not at all — and you wouldn't be the first person to reach out with nothing more than a quiet curiosity about Japan. If you're still in the early stages of thinking it through, a Travel Consultation is where we'd recommend starting. It's a focused video session where we can explore what a Japan trip might look like for you, talk through what's realistic, and help you decide whether a full itinerary planning package is the right next step. It's a paid session, but if you decide to move forward and book a planning package within 14 days, the consultation fee is credited toward your planning fee. Contact us and we'll help figure out where to begin.

  • We work with first-time visitors regularly, and you don't need any prior knowledge of Japan to work with us. What helps is knowing roughly what kind of experience you're looking for: the pace you like to travel, whether you'd rather spend three days in one city or cover more ground, the kinds of things that make a trip feel worthwhile to you. We take it from there. If you're curious about what a Kotori Japan Travel curated itinerary actually looks like, our Sample Itineraries page is a good place to get a feel for the level of detail we work to.

  • The short version: we handle the planning, you handle the bookings. Once your itinerary is delivered, all reservations — flights, accommodations, transportation, tours, activities, and travel insurance — are yours to make and manage. Beyond that, we ask that you respond to our communications in a timely manner, review your itinerary carefully before your trip, ensure your travel documents are in order, and download the Travefy app or save your itinerary for offline access before you leave Japan. We build every plan with the intention that you'll travel confidently and independently — but that works best when you arrive prepared.

The Planning Process

  • From first contact to final delivery, the process runs in six steps — with an optional seventh for clients planning well in advance:

    1. Inquiry — You submit a trip inquiry through our Plan My Trip page. We typically review requests within 1–2 business days.

    2. Consultation — We hold a 30–40 minute Zoom call to discuss your trip, priorities, and planning needs. This call is included at no charge.

    3. Service Selection & Payment — Following the consultation, we'll send you an invoice for the appropriate service tier. Itinerary development begins once payment is received in full.

    4. Itinerary Development — We build your custom itinerary, typically within 5–10 business days.

    5. Draft Review — We share your draft through the Travefy app and as a downloadable PDF. You have one included round of revisions, which must be requested within 30 days of receiving your draft, or no later than two weeks before your travel dates — whichever comes first.

    6. Delivery — Once revisions are complete, we deliver your finalized itinerary and schedule a Zoom walkthrough to review it with you and answer any final questions.

    7. Pre-Departure Check-In(optional) — If you're planning six months or more in advance, we recommend a Pre-Departure Check-In closer to your travel dates to confirm everything in your itinerary is still current and accurate before you leave.

    You can read more about the full process on Our Process page.

  • The initial conversation — a 30 to 40 minute Zoom call where we get to know your trip and determine which service is the right fit — is included at no charge as part of the itinerary planning process. It's not a billable session; it's simply how we get started. The paid Travel Consultation is a separate, standalone service for travelers who want focused expert guidance outside of the planning process. You can read more about the difference on our Services & Pricing page.

  • It depends on the service:

    Itinerary Planning (Day & Multi-Day): We ask for a minimum of four weeks' notice. For trips of 21 days or more, we recommend at least 30 days given the additional complexity involved.

    Pre-Departure Check-In: Requests must be submitted at least two weeks before your travel dates.

    Travel Consultations: There's no minimum lead time for consultations, but availability isn't guaranteed — the sooner you reach out, the better.

    In all cases, earlier is always better. If you're unsure whether you've left enough time, contact us and we'll let you know where things stand.

  • Once payment is received, we typically deliver your draft itinerary within 5–10 business days. If anything comes up that may affect that timeline, we'll let you know by email as soon as possible. We serve clients on a first-come, first-served basis, so prompt payment is the best way to secure your place in the queue.

  • Your itinerary is delivered in two formats: through the Travefy – Trip Plans app, available on the App Store and Google Play, and as a downloadable PDF. We recommend downloading the app and saving your PDF before you leave for Japan — internet access in some areas can be limited, and having your itinerary available offline means you'll always have it when you need it.

Revisions & Changes

  • Yes — each itinerary planning package includes one round of revisions. Once you've reviewed your draft, simply reach out to us with your feedback and we'll incorporate your changes. Revision requests must be submitted within 30 days of receiving your draft, or no later than two weeks before your travel dates — whichever comes first. If we don't hear from you within that window, your draft will be considered final.

    If your needs go beyond the included revision round, additional revisions are available and quoted case-by-case based on the scope of the changes requested. We'll always confirm the cost with you before any additional work begins.

  • Japan moves quickly — restaurants close, exhibitions end, seasonal events shift. If you're traveling within a reasonable window of your itinerary delivery date, most details should still be current. If more time has passed, a Pre-Departure Check-In is the best way to make sure everything is still accurate before you leave. We'll revisit your itinerary, confirm what's still current, and update anything that has changed since your plan was originally built.

  • If you need to cancel before itinerary development has begun, and within 48 hours of payment, you're eligible for a full refund. Once development has begun, the planning fee is non-refundable — your itinerary remains yours to use if your plans change and you're able to travel at a later date. For full details, see our Cancellation & Refund Policy.

  • It depends on the situation. If you're unable to travel but others in your original travel party are still going as planned, they're welcome to use the itinerary — just let us know in writing so we can update the point of contact. Transfers to someone outside your original travel party may also be possible, but require our written agreement beforehand. For full details, see our Transfer of Services policy. Either way, contact us directly and we'll work through the best path forward.

Payments & Refunds

  • Payment is due before work begins — the timing depends on the service. For itinerary planning packages, we'll send you an invoice following your initial consultation, and development begins once payment is received in full. For Travel Consultations, payment is due at the time of booking; your calendar link is issued once payment has been received. For Pre-Departure Check-Ins, payment is due before we begin your review.

    Payment can be made via Interac e-Transfer or Stripe. Interac e-Transfer is our preferred method for clients paying from a Canadian bank account, while Stripe is available for clients who prefer to pay by card or another supported method. For trips of 21 days or more, payment terms are confirmed individually at the time of quoting. We serve clients on a first-come, first-served basis — your spot in the queue is secured by payment, not by inquiry date.

  • It varies by service:

    Itinerary Planning packages: Eligible for a full refund if cancelled within 48 hours of payment, provided itinerary development has not yet begun. Once development begins, the fee is non-refundable.

    Travel Consultations: Non-refundable once booked. If you need to reschedule, we ask for at least 24 hours' notice — we're happy to offer a free reschedule to the next available time. Rescheduling requests made with less than 24 hours' notice, and no-shows, are not eligible for a makeup session.

    Pre-Departure Check-Ins: Eligible for a full refund if cancelled within 24 hours of payment, provided the review has not yet begun. Once the review has been completed and delivered, the fee is non-refundable.

    For full details, including what happens if Kotori Japan Travel needs to cancel your service, see our Cancellation & Refund Policy. To submit a refund request, email refund@kotorijapantravel.com or contact us directly.

  • No sensitive payment information — such as credit card numbers or banking credentials — is ever stored by Kotori Japan Travel. What's visible to us depends on which payment method you use.

    For Interac e-Transfer, payments are deposited directly into our business bank account. Because our account uses Autodeposit, we see the name and email address associated with the account the payment was sent from — but nothing beyond that. This information is used only to confirm and reconcile your payment. Interac's handling of transfer data is governed by their own privacy policy, which you can review at interac.ca/en/privacy-policy.

    For Stripe payments, Stripe collects and stores your credit card or other payment details directly. Kotori Japan Travel does not collect, see, or store your credit card or full payment details — we can only see whether an invoice has been paid. Stripe's handling of your payment information is governed by their own privacy policy, which you can review at stripe.com/privacy.

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