We are a team of experienced Japanese organizers who have spent extensive time traveling and living abroad. In creating our plans, we bring the native Japanese perspective while still maintaining an awareness of the foreign travelers’ mindset. We believe it is important to retain a firm understanding of the various layers and nuances of Japanese culture, and discover ways to present these complexities in a meaningful way to foreign visitors, facilitating a gateway so that our guests can enjoy the best that Japan has to offer.
Why choose toki
We pride ourselves in providing only the best of the best, ensuring that your precious time in Japan is well-spent immersed in authentic, traditional Japanese culture.
We provide exclusive access to the secretive world of Japanese artisanal masters, a world to which even Japanese people have no access. Be assured that you will be treated as a VIP to the best quality service possible.
What sets us apart
EXCLUSIVE PARTNERSHIPS WITH TOP ARTISANS AND CRAFTSMEN
Many of the experiences we offer are not accessible to the public or available anywhere else
Our unique curation process involves consulting experts with inside knowledge of each field and selecting the best artisans possible
Our partners are well-respected masters of their crafts, each with a heritage or lineage that can be traced back for generations
Our partners strive to protect their crafts and to ensure their preservation for future generations to appreciate
We actively work with our partners to spread their arts so that people from all over the world can enjoy them
HIGHEST POSSIBLE QUALITY service
Our plans are carefully designed with each guest in mind
We offer detailed information about each craft and artisan to guide our guests throughout each experience, from beforehand to afterward, to help our guests get the most out of their experience
With close communication, we carefully coordinate between our guests and artisans to find the optimal schedule
CUSTOMIZATION AND FLEXIBILITY
We construct our plans around each of our guests' needs, goals, and schedule
We are available for consultations to help our guests construct the plan that best suits them
Add-ons are available for each plan to enhance our guests' experiences
We strive to our utmost ability to make our guests' wishes come true
OUR STORY
Frequently, we have found friends from other countries asking us, “Where should we go to experience Japanese culture?”
However, we realized that we were unable to recommend any venues where a non-Japanese speaker could enjoy an authentic Japanese experience. This feeling of consternation transformed into the impetus for creating TOKI.
We realize that many overseas visitors’ time in Japan is limited. It is for this reason that we felt compelled to develop a way for guests in the heart of urban Japan to enjoy a convenient, yet unique and invaluable sample of traditional Japanese culture.
our social RESPONSIBILITY
We at TOKI believe that it is our mission to help preserve Japan's most celebrated cultural practices and arts."
Currently, Japan proudly has twenty-two entries in UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list, one of the most awarded to a single country. We believe each of these entries holds deep meaning to Japan and represents an important multi-generational legacy. It is inspiring to know that people around the world have come to appreciate aspects of Japanese tradition and culture, and there are occasionally some who may be even more knowledgeable about Japan than many of its native inhabitants.
We at TOKI believe that it is our mission to help preserve Japan's most celebrated cultural practices and arts, and also share them with people throughout the world. In an age of globalized mass production, Japan's traditions of elaborate hands-on craftsmanship are disappearing. With changes in lifestyle, there are also some items that are simply no longer needed in the modern age. As the need for a commodity disappears, so does the industry itself. Compared with 30 years ago, the number of people engaged in the "traditional industrial arts" is waning, with only a meager 30% of past numbers remaining. At this rate, many of these intangible legacies, which represent hundreds if not thousands of years of Japanese culture, may disappear within our lifetimes.
TOKI hopes to offer guests a chance to directly interact with these arts, and although they may appear inaccessible at first glance, we believe we can provide guests with a chance to see this hidden world. Furthermore, we hope to bring new life to these endangered traditional industries, providing them with new sources for their income, as well as creating an information campaign to revive interest in these aspects of traditional Japanese culture.
What we hope you will take back home
Learn a new way of thinking, or even feel awakened to a new sense of creative inspiration.
Understand the significance and virtue of traditional handicrafts and culture.
As we realize our guests are most often traveling on vacation, your enjoyment is our first priority. Beyond that however, we are confident that in addition to simple relaxation you can enjoy unique experiences and simultaneously gain a deeper understanding of Japanese culture. It is our dream to create an environment where guests can encounter new ways of thinking, and even feel awakened by creative inspiration.
We are honored to hear feedback from guests expressing how their experience with TOKI has changed their outlook such as, "Remember the feeling of calmness from experiencing this culture of polite communication has changed me, and I no longer become irritated," "I feel more strongly compelled than ever now to take pride in my work," "We are now incorporating the spirit of Japanese hospitality into our own company."
Additionally, it is our hope that you will understand the significance and virtue of traditional handicrafts and culture. While it is often easy to overlook everyday commodities in these times, we hope that by having a chance to interact closely with skilled artisans and observe their skills you will gain an appreciation for the highest levels of craftsmanship as well as an appreciation for the traditional and historical meanings behind these aspects of Japanese culture.
Our vision
Through our service, we have prepared opportunities for you to interact directly with these living legends, and we hope that you will join us.
Tokyo has become a melting pot of various cultures and eras, and perhaps there are a few that can still recall a different Tokyo. However, with some effort it is possible to connect with experts who have inherited hundreds, sometimes thousands of years of cultural legacies. Through our service, we have prepared opportunities for you to interact directly with these living legends, and we hope that you will join us.
It is our vision to bring even more people from overseas to join us in this unique experience. We would be honored to have the opportunity to introduce Japanese traditions to our guests, and even inspire appreciation for our country’s elegant and refined culture.
Finally, through your personal encounter with Japanese culture, we simply hope that you enjoy yourself. Perhaps through our efforts, we can promote and celebrate our own hometowns in Japan.
We sincerely look forward to serving you in the near future.
