Tokyo Escapes was established for our loves of adventure, travel, people, and Japan. We provide custom tours to Tokyo, and we go with you. We keep our tours small about 6-8 people. The tours are 7 nights and 8 days, and all the tours include an American tour guide, meet and greet at the airport, private transportation between the airport and hotels, 4-star lodging stay with breakfast, a pocket wireless, a welcome bag with Japanese goodies, and a Japanese subway card. Airfare is not included in our tours, however because we are Japan Travel Specialists, we are happy to assist booking your airline. My husband and I are the American tour guides, he is a former USAF pilot, and I am a former healthcare executive.
We are practical, organized, and amusing! We can provide you as much structure as you may desire or meet your spontaneous side. Having lived in this wonderful country we are confident we can exceed your expectations!!! You see traveling with us, we do not just drop you off somewhere or ask you to follow a tour flag down a crowded street. Alongside you, we are conversing, sharing, and providing you opportunities to see, learn, and do what you want while in Japan. Check out our website here >>>
Simply put, we go and show! Unlike most tours ours is not just a ‘trip’ it is a unique personalized experience. Having lived and worked in Japan, we understand the Japanese culture, customs, and language. Prior to traveling we meet with you and discuss your interests, then we coordinate your interests with the interests of the others in the small group and line up an itinerary. We also provide as many consultations as needed to prepare our customers for visiting Japan. We also provide a 10% discount for military or veteran customers and for those customers who book with us six months in advance.
CEO/Founders story
My name is Mica, and I am the founder of Tokyo Escapes. I grew up on college campuses watching my mom teach, as a professor’s daughter I quickly became accustomed to moving a lot. My mom chose to change careers so for high school we settled in Missouri. I went on to college in New York and later graduate school in New Mexico. After 8 years in New Mexico, I met my adorable husband Trent, an Air Force guy. New adventures quickly began as our military family was launched. 18 years later we have three amazing children, 6 degrees between us, speak multiple languages, and have lived in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan.
My first visit to Japan was back in 2006 with my dear friend Kazu; from the people to the food, to the culture I was immediately hooked. Up till then I had never been anywhere like it, as people were living in ‘harmony.’ All I had to do then was hope the military would send us there, AND…they did! We lived just outside Tokyo for over four years. My family truly considers Japan our home away from home and is super excited to share Japan with you. After traveling abroad to over fifteen countries, one thing I know is certain, you learn to see the world from a different perspective. If you have not tried it, I sincerely encourage you too. Life is short and it is never too late to learn about others. My advice for traveling is to be open-minded, ready for adventures, and do not try to do too much!
Japan has many different prefectures (regions) to visit. My favorite places are Tokyo, Kamakura, Osaka, Hakone, and Yokohama. Gorgeous countryside is abundant in Japan and there are many scenic mountains and hot springs also, so there is place for everyone. Of course, I cannot ‘not’ mention the food, it is amazing! My favorite Japanese foods are tonkatsu, yakisoba, maki rolls, Japanese cabbage, korokke, meiji chocolates, sake, and plum wine.
In short, once we returned to the United States after living abroad, I decided to create our company, Tokyo Escapes. Realizing the opportunity that I had with my education, executive skills, and having lived in Japan, doing this made sense so I did.
Challenges the business is facing/Opportunities
As I mentioned we started our business for our loves of adventure, travel, people, and Japan. Since the pandemic, we suspended our business due to the safety and travel restrictions from America to Japan. The pandemic has been the biggest challenge. However, with the world opening back up and people willing to travel, interest in our business has grown. We will be resuming our custom tours in the fall of 2023, and yes, we are planning them now!
Advice to others about business
I did not start out as a business owner; I have evolved into one. My advice to others about business is, stay enthusiastic about your business and keep going. Be open to change and willing to pivot, whether it be your service model, what you provide, your prices etc. Whatever that looks like, be willing to dig in and do the work. In addition, seek out other business owners for feedback and assistance. Most business owners are willing to help you in whatever way they can, it can be as easy as an introduction to another business owner or meeting for coffee just to talk. Likewise, make sure your pitch is solid and you grab every opportunity to talk about your business. Remember, you know your business better than anyone, so sell it!
For more information on Tokyo Escapes, please visit our Facebook page >>>
https://www.facebook.com/TokyoEscapes
