InsideJapan Tours Interview

Written by Dan Barnett on 05 Jun 2014

Heading off to Japan is one of the dreams of most anime fans, but many of us are hesitant to actually get over there for a variety of reasons. So, having travelled with them on several occasions before, I sat down with James Mundy from the awesome team at InsideJapan Tours to see what makes them stand out as the ones to give you the holiday of a lifetime.

First of all please can you give us a little bit of background about InsideJapan Tours?

The two directors, Alastair Donnelly and Simon King, were on an exchange programme with Oxford University and Toyota City, near Nagoya. Having spent three years there, they had come to realise how unique and special the country was. They also realised that Japan wasn't really marketed as a holiday destination and most holidays on the market were quite expensive, unimaginative package holidays. InsideJapan was set up to offer value for money trips that would give people a taste of the highlights and an insight into the culture and things most travellers to the country would not get to see.

What makes InsideJapan stand out from the other tour operators?

All members of the InsideJapan team have lived and worked in Japan. Many were on the JET programme teaching English from northern Tohoku to Kyushu, some studied Japanese at university and one of our newest recruits in the American office was in the US army, based on Okinawa. Between us we cover the whole of Japan and have varied interests. We all have something to say and add our little hints and tips into the legendary InsideJapan Info Pack.

We also have an office in Japan and our own tour leaders and guides. We can arrange just about anything in Japan from gig tickets to anime drawing classes to Taiko lessons to drinks with a Geisha, tickets to Studio Ghibli and so on. We can do it all.

People looking at going to Japan for the first time have a variety of concerns, such as the cost and language barrier. What are the most common concerns you come across and how to you deal with them?

One of the biggest myths is that Japan is expensive. It isn't. It isn't the cheapest country in the world, but it is certainly a lot cheaper than the UK. You can buy 100 yen sushi (70p per plate), bento boxes from £3, huge bowls of ramen for about £3. You can eat and drink as much as you like at some traditional Izakaya (traditional pubs) for about £25. Although pretty cheap, the quality and service everywhere is first class.

People do not speak much English in Japan, although there are more English signs these days in places such as Tokyo and Kyoto, especially since the 2002 World Cup. People are extremely friendly and will help foreigners at the drop of a hat. There are no 'dodgy areas' in Japan either, so there is no concern about not knowing the language and wandering into bad areas, like there might be in other parts of the world.

Like many of the Western staff working at InsideJapan you’ve actually lived in Japan for a while. we imagine that this gives you a really good insight into how to make sure people get exactly what they’re after from a tour?

I lived in the mountains of rural Japan for three years, followed by a year in Tokyo which gave me a view of two different sides of Japan. The fact that we have all lived in Japan enables us to give people our honest insight - we are better than Trip Advisor, which is put together by people who have visited for a short period! We know our stuff.

Whilst we’re on the subject of your background, do you manage to go back to Japan often? What’s your favourite thing to do over there?

We all try and get back to Japan every year to top up on what's new. One of my favourite things to do is catch up with the TV - sounds bad I know - I love Japanese comedy and it always surprises me to see what is popular. It's always good to get to an izakaya or see whats new in the combini too.

What can people expect when booking and travelling on one of your group tours?

The group tours are designed to be insightful, flexible and fun. All tours use public transport rather than private bus. The train system is reliable, efficient and comfotable. It is also the way the locals travel. All tours stay in a variety of accommodation, with at least a few nights in a traditional Ryokan guest house - a truly Japan-only experience. The tour leaders are westerners that have lived in Japan for many years. This allows them to give a truly informed perspective that will interest foreigners visiting this special country. The tour leaders make sure you see the highlight sights, but they will also help you discover some of the secrets and places only the locals would know were there and what makes our tours completely unique. This is where we got our 'Get beneath the surface' tag line. If you want to do your own thing and not hang out with the group, you can. The tour leader is there to make sure you see what you want to see.