The amount of walking depends how much you want to explore but generally speaking, we will cover between 13 to 16 kilometres / 8 to 10 miles on foot. The tour is conducted at a leisurely pace and is suitable for anyone of reasonable fitness and mobility. The trails are typically well-maintained and marked but are unsealed, uneven and undulating. In order to participate in the tour, you will need to be confident mobile enough to walk unaided along the trails including occasional steeper areas and some older wooden raised walkways. I have designed the tour to proceed at a comfortable pace, with the overall walk broken into smaller walks. The itinerary can also be modified to match your fitness level. Should you have any concerns about your ability to join the tour or would like to discuss customising an itinerary with less walking, please contact me to discuss.

This tour operates outside of winter, from May to November. The weather in May is mild to warm before rainy season begins in June and into July. Mid-July and into early September are summer in which time the weather will be hot and humid. The weather then starts to cool from mid-September and through October and November is very pleasant but with the chance of cold snaps. It is also worth noting that thanks to its higher elevation, Togakushi enjoys a notably cooler climate and can regularly be 5 to 10°C cooler than nearby Nagano City. It can also experience rain and snow when the weather in Nagano is clear. Please make sure to check the weather forecast for Togakushi on the day of your tour and dress appropriately for the season. Good quality walking shoes / boots suitable for unsealed trails are a must.

It is worth noting that the Japanese summer – typically from mid-July until early September – can be challenging. Temperatures may reach around 40°C / 104°F and the humidity is high, making the temperatures feel higher than it actually is. If you are not used to these conditions, please be aware to dress in light, breathable clothing and make sure to bring a hat, sunscreen (if you burn easily), water and sunglasses. It may sound old fashioned, but I also recommend a parasol as they make a huge difference in keeping you out of the sun and cool.

We will be spending the day walking forest trails through an alpine environment. Weather conditions can change quickly therefore it’s important to be prepared. In addition to wearing good quality shoes or boots, please ensure you bring a waterproof jacket or umbrella, hat, sunglasses and a bottle of water, tea, etc. and a couple of snacks. These are required at all times of year. If you burn easily you might also want to bring sunscreen – especially in the summer months – and a sweater / pullover in spring and autumn, when it’s possible to experience sudden cold snaps. While I don’t consider there to be a need to bring hiking poles, should you have them and want to bring them please feel free to do so.

The tour uses public transport. Upon meeting at Nagano Station, we will use local bus services to and from Togakushi – journeys of between 50 to 60 minutes, depending on which bus we take. All transport costs are included in the tour cost.

No. This is a private tour and as such, the only guests on the tour will be those who book with your group.

The stated tour price covers my service as your guide. The tour price does not include transport and food costs for guests. See the next question for expected additional costs.

On the day of the tour, you will need to purchase an all-day Togakushi bus pass – JPY3000 per person. The pass covers all transport from Nagano Station to / from Togakushi. During the tour I will recommend lunch restaurants. The cost of lunch depends on what you order but is typically between JPY1000 to JPY2500 per person – typically bringing the total additional costs to JPY4000-JPY5500 per person. I will discuss this with you prior to booking.

It is my experience that guests want the ability to choose where and what they eat and for that reason, I don’t have a set restaurant for this tour. As a result, the price of lunch is not included in the tour cost. On the day, I will recommend restaurants to you and allow you to choose what best suits your tastes. The cost of lunch depends on where you choose to eat and what you choose to order but is generally between JPY1500 to JPY2500 per person. Should you prefer to bring your own food, we can also skip lunch and eat at some point while we walk.

This is a private tour meaning that there will be no other people joining on the day, other than those who book with your group. That equates to the tour being priced higher than a comparable group tour, which are typically cheaper due to the increased number of guests. If my prices are higher than those of some other guides for private tours, I believe the cost is justified by the quality of the experience I provide for my guests. As a foreign resident of Japan, I have a good understanding of what international visitors value in a travel experience and how to engage them in an informative, fun and informal manner.

Yes. Togakushi is a popular destination considered safe to hike. As mentioned above Togakushi is part of the wider Myoko-Togakushi Renzan National Park. The park is home to a wide range of flora and fauna including black bears. Black bears are typically shy and cautious and usually retreat at the sight of a human. They are however also wild and their behaviour cannot be guaranteed. While Togakushi is a known habitat for bears, they are typically active earlier and later in the day than when we’ll be there. The trails we walk are well-established with other people hiking on them. I consider Togakushi to be a safe area to spend time and take guests. Should you have concerns, please contact me to discuss as it is possible to modify the itinerary to avoid walking along the trails.

Yes. The Togakure school of ninjitsu was established in the Togakushi and today is celebrated at the Togakushi Ninja Museum. In order to avoid being too rushed and overloading my guests with information, I don’t include the museum in the standard tour itinerary. The museum however is located nearby the trailhead leading to the ‘Okusha’ or “Upper Shrine’ meaning that it can be visited should it be of interest. To do so, we would need to just the itinerary and I ask that guests pay for entry directly to the museum. It is open daily from 09:00 to 17:00 and entry costs JPY650. Should you please interested in visiting the museum, please contact me to discuss prior to booking.

I use Stripe to collect tour payments from guests. Upon agreement of a tour, I will send you a link to complete payment using Stripe. You do not need a Stripe account yourself to complete payment. Payment can be completed using any credit credit.

I am an independent operator and for that reason, I ask that guests complete full payment at least 7 days before the tour date. If you are booking within 7 days of the tour date, I ask that you complete the full payment immediately. I respectfully ask this of my guests so that I can arrange my work schedule in advance.

As an independent operator, my cancellation policy reflects the fact that if a tour is cancelled at short notice, I may lose all ability to earn income on that day. For that reason, should you need to cancel anytime up to 48 hours in advance of the tour start time, I will issue you with a full refund.*

Should you need to cancel within 48 hours of the start time, I will issue you with a refund of 70% of the total payment.*

No refund will be issued for guests who do not show up / fail to notify me prior to the start of the tour.

Please note, for multiple day tours I may apply a slightly different cancellation policy due to the risk of losing income for multiple days. I would of course discuss this with you and seek your agreement prior to payment.

*service fees applied by Stripe and relevant banks are - typically between 3-4% of the overall transaction fee - will still be applied to refunds, meaning that should I issue you with a full or partial refund, the service fee will still apply and not be returned to you. Please understand that this is outside of my control and that I do not receive any part of the applicable service fees.