Terms & Conditions

Welcome to Japan - Terms and Conditions

Last Updated: 2 June 2026

These Terms and Conditions govern all tours and services provided by Welcome to Japan. By booking with us, you agree to the following terms.

1. Payment and Booking Confirmation

In order to confirm your booking, all fees associated to the service must be paid at the time of booking.

If we do not receive all payments due in full, your place will not be guaranteed or reserved.

Upon successful payment, and completion of your purchase, an automatic booking confirmation email will be sent to you.

You do NOT need to print your tickets, nor will physical tickets be mailed to you or have to be picked up before the tour.

During the booking process, we will ask guests to provide certain non-personal demographic information, including age range, country of residence, travel style, interests, first-time or repeat visitor status, and general travel budget category. This information is collected for anonymous demographic analysis, service improvement, business planning, and marketing purposes. It is not used to personally identify guests and is handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

2. No Shows or Late Arrivals

We are not responsible for no shows or late arrivals.

Please book a tour with sufficient time to arrive.
Please check the meeting point information on your booking confirmation email, pre-tour email, and on our website under Tours to know where to meet.

If you arrive more than 5 minutes after the meeting time, we will unfortunately have to start the tour without you.

We cannot add you to the tour or navigate to get you at the next stop on the tour out of respect for other guests and our guides. There is no refund for late arrival cancellations.

3. Refund and Cancellation Fees

Cancellation fees are as follows:

7+ days before tour date: full refund of tour fees minus any processing fees.
3 to 6 days before original tour date: 50% refund of tour fees minus any processing fees.
48 hours or less prior to tour: no refund.

Please note: Due to the cost of online payment providers, any refunds for cancellations will exclude a processing fee of 5% of the total refund amount.

Payment processing may take 5-7 business days to credit to your account.

Welcome to Japan is not responsible for cancellation conditions or fees imposed by third party tour agencies or any other company through which a service was booked.

4. Booking Amendments

Any amendment you wish to make to your booking must be requested at least 7 days prior to the tour departure date and time. Otherwise, cancellation fees apply.

For booking amendments, please contact us by email at info@welcometojpn.com with your current booking name and confirmation number, and the new tour name, date and time you wish to join. Amendments are subject to availability.

Private tour itineraries may be adjusted prior to the tour date by mutual agreement between Welcome to Japan and the guest. Requested changes may affect pricing, availability, duration, inclusions, or operational feasibility.

5. Weather Conditions

Welcome to Japan will conduct all tours regardless of weather conditions. If we deem it necessary to cancel a tour due to extreme weather or safety concerns, we will refund you the full amount minus any processing fees.

6. Participant Responsibilities

We ask that all guests:

Arrive on time at the designated meeting point.
Follow the instructions of your guide throughout the tour.
Respect local customs, culture, and the people we meet along the way.
Take care of your own belongings and personal safety during the tour.
Be mindful of others in the group and help create a positive experience for everyone.
Accurately assess whether a tour is suitable for their own physical abilities, dietary requirements, allergies, and personal circumstances.
Inform themselves of the inclusions and exclusions listed on the relevant tour page prior to booking.
Ensure they carry sufficient funds, transportation cards, or payment methods where transportation, food, drinks, or optional purchases are not included in the tour price.
Follow any safety, transportation, venue, or operational instructions provided by the guide throughout the experience.

By joining our tour, you agree to take part responsibly and at your own risk.

Private tours are guided cultural and educational experiences designed around areas, neighbourhoods, attractions, and topics of interest. They are not concierge services, shopping services, nightlife services, personal assistant services, or transportation services. The guide retains discretion over route planning, pacing, timing, and operational decisions required for the safe delivery of the experience.

7. Physical Requirements

Welcome to Japan is not responsible for the participant’s physical condition, dietary requirements, allergies, medical conditions, or suitability for any particular tour experience.

The tours run on a pre-determined schedule, and the participant is responsible for keeping up with the tour.

Different tours involve different levels of physical activity. Walking tours may involve several kilometres of walking through urban environments. Food tours may require standing for extended periods in busy market environments. Private tours may involve public transportation, stairs, uneven surfaces, moderate walking distances, or day-trip travel depending on the itinerary selected.

It is the participant’s responsibility to review the tour description carefully and ensure they are physically capable of participating safely.

In the interest of all participants and to ensure a quality experience, Welcome to Japan and our guides reserve the right to end our agreement with any participant who is deemed unfit to continue the tour, without refund. It is the participant’s responsibility to be aware of the service’s nature upon reserving said service.

8. Dietary Requirements, Allergies & Food Tours

Certain tours operated by Welcome to Japan include food and beverage experiences provided by third-party restaurants, food vendors, cafés, markets, and hospitality establishments.

Guests acknowledge that food ingredients, preparation methods, and allergen exposure are controlled by third-party vendors and not by Welcome to Japan.

Tours may include seafood, shellfish, fish, soy, gluten, wheat, egg, dairy, sesame, nuts, and other common allergens.

While guests are welcome to voluntarily disclose allergies, intolerances, or dietary requirements before a tour, Welcome to Japan cannot guarantee that allergens will be absent from food preparation, serving areas, utensils, ingredients, or the surrounding environment.

Vegetarian, vegan, halal, kosher, gluten-free, dairy-free, allergy-specific, or other special dietary requirements may not be accommodated.

Guests remain solely responsible for determining whether any food, beverage, or tasting experience is suitable for their own dietary, religious, ethical, medical, or allergy-related requirements.

Participation in any food-related activity is undertaken entirely at the guest’s own risk.

Welcome to Japan accepts no responsibility for allergic reactions, food sensitivities, dietary issues, food intolerances, or any related medical consequences arising from participation in a food tour or food-related experience.

9. Limitation of Liability and Force Majeure

Welcome to Japan provides guided experiences and is not responsible for theft, injury, illness, or delays that may occur before, during, or after a tour due to circumstances beyond our control.

This limitation includes, but is not limited to, incidents arising from food consumption, allergic reactions, food sensitivities, transportation services operated by third parties, public transport usage, venue conditions, crowd density, market environments, or activities conducted at third-party premises.

These may include (but are not limited to) natural disasters, extreme weather, labour disputes, government restrictions, public disruptions, or any other unforeseen events.

It is each participant’s responsibility to ensure they have adequate insurance to cover potential injuries, illnesses, or other unexpected incidents.

By joining our tours, participants agree to take part at their own risk and release Welcome to Japan from all liability for any loss, damage, injury, or emotional distress that may arise in connection with our services. We are not responsible for loss of enjoyment or any indirect economic loss.

Welcome to Japan acts solely as a guide and facilitator of tour experiences. Restaurants, cafés, food vendors, transport operators, retail businesses, religious sites, public venues, and other third-party establishments remain independently operated and controlled by their respective owners and operators.

Tour routes, schedules, and stops may occasionally change due to weather, public holidays, or other circumstances. When this happens, we’ll always do our best to provide suitable alternatives and ensure you still have a great experience.

10. Damages and Legal Liability

The participant is responsible for any costs associated with damages they have caused.

The participant must make full payment for damages as soon as possible to the party or parties who have suffered said damages.

You will also be responsible for meeting any claims subsequently made against us and all costs incurred by us (including our own and the other party’s full legal costs) as a result of your actions.

11. Termination of Agreement

Welcome to Japan reserves the right to terminate a person’s participation in any of our services or terminate any prior agreement should the participant break any local laws or regulations as put in place by Japanese authorities or any other private entities governing a private sector or property.

We reserve the right to expel any participant from any service and/or terminate any obligations we may have towards a participant who is intoxicated, acting belligerently, endangering others or behaving in a way which may tarnish or negatively affect Welcome to Japan’s reputation or cause distress to others.

12. Photography and Media Use / Privacy and Data Protection

During our tours, our guides or team members may take photos or short videos to capture the experience. These may be used on our website, social media, or promotional materials to showcase our tours and the amazing people who join them.

Guides may also assist guests by taking photographs using the guest’s own mobile phone, camera, or personal device. This service is provided as a courtesy only and Welcome to Japan accepts no responsibility for damage to, malfunction of, or loss of personal photography equipment.

If you prefer not to appear in any photos or videos, please let your guide know before the tour begins — we’ll absolutely respect your wishes.

We value your privacy and treat all personal information with care. Any details you provide to us (such as your name, contact information, or booking details) will be handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy, which outlines how we collect, store, and use your data.

13. Changes to Terms

Tour itineraries, food vendors, tasting locations, private tour routes, transportation arrangements, inclusions, and operational procedures may occasionally change due to weather, seasonality, venue availability, safety considerations, public events, transportation disruptions, or other operational requirements.

We may update these Terms and Conditions from time to time, and the latest version published on our website will always apply.

14. Contact Us

For any questions regarding these Terms and Conditions, you can reach us anytime here, through the contact form on our website, or via email at info@welcometojpn.com.