News & Announcements

We're delighted to welcome GuideMe Japan Inc. as an MT&C partner. GuideMe Japan runs tours across Japan from Kansai to Kanto — rated among Tripadvisor's Top 20 tour operators in Asia — alongside VIP concierge services and MUTEKI Theatre cultural experiences in Kansai.

You'll find GuideMe Japan on our Recommendations page and in the app under Our Newest Partners — or reach them directly at info@guidemejapan.com.

We're proud to introduce Kyushu Gokoro as MT&C's first featured partner travel bureau in Japan. Led by our business partner Ide and based in Fukuoka, Kyushu Gokoro is a licensed tour operator (Registration No. 69, Fukuoka Prefecture) covering all seven Kyushu prefectures — Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Oita, Miyazaki, and Kagoshima.

From food tours and wellness escapes to history, culture, and family itineraries, Kyushu Gokoro brings deep local knowledge to every Kyushu leg of an MT&C trip. You'll find them on our Recommendations page, in the app's Vibe Planner under Tour Guides, and alongside Kyushu hotels — or reach them directly at info@kyushugokoro.com.

For the car-culture enthusiasts: we've added Akebono Tokyo Drive to our recommendations. Operated by Akebono Co., Ltd. — a 20+ year name in Japan's used-car export scene — these are premium self-drive tours where you pilot genuine JDM icons behind an experienced lead guide. Fully legal, fully insured.

• Daikoku Tour — ~5 hrs at night: Rainbow Bridge, Daikoku PA, and a Tokyo Tower stop.
• Hakone Tour — full day: Lake Ashi, the Hakone Turnpike, and Mt. Fuji viewpoints.
• Fuji Speedway Tour — full day: mountain roads plus real track time at Fuji Speedway.
• Custom Tour — build your own car, route, and vibe.

Tours run ¥75,000–¥100,000 per car (not per person — split it with your group), with fuel, insurance, and highway tolls included. You'll need a valid home-country license plus an International Driving Permit. A strong fit as a Tokyo add-on — find it on our Recommendations page and in the app under Useful Apps.

Japan has a wonderful tradition of volunteer guide organizations — locals who show visitors around simply because they love where they live. Tours are free (you typically just cover your guide's transport and lunch). We've added five favorites to our new MT&C Recommendations page and to the app:

• Tokyo Free Guide — personalized volunteer tours of Tokyo, built around your interests.
• Visit Kansai — free guide tours across Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, and Kobe.
• Kamakura Welcome Guide — temples, shrines, and the Great Buddha with a local volunteer.
• Shizuoka Free Guide — tea country and Mt. Fuji views with English-speaking locals.
• GuruWalk — tip-what-you-like walking tours in cities across Japan and worldwide.
• AsukuNavi Osaka — local food guides for Osaka, Kyoto, and Nara: eat like a local with their neighborhood picks.

Find them any time on the MT&C Recommendations page — and in the app under Useful Apps.

TOMOGO! connects you with friendly local guides across Japan for private, personalized tours — and we've added it to the Useful Apps page inside the MT&C travel app.

Why we recommend it:

• A local by your side — explore neighborhoods, food streets, and hidden corners with someone who actually lives there, in English.
• Private & personalized — tours are built around what you want to see, not a fixed group route.
• All across Japan — from the big cities to regions most tour companies skip.

Pair it with your MT&C itinerary: we design the trip, and TOMOGO! is a great way to add a local companion for a day of it.

The Vibe Planner just got a brand-new Outdoor & Nature category — and we've added 46 newly curated gems across the whole country to go with it.

• Ropeways & hikes — Mt. Takao's cable-car trails, Hakone's Komagatake ropeway, Zao's famous "snow monsters," and the Yakushima moss forest that inspired Princess Mononoke.
• Gorges & waterfalls — Shosenkyo, Sandankyo, Kikuchi Gorge, Fukuroda Falls, and Izu's Seven Waterfalls loop, each with descriptions and official links.
• Coasts & islands — Okinawa's Blue Cave snorkel, Kouri Island, Miyazaki's Devil's Washboard, and the 208-island Kujukushima cruise.

One tap on the new Outdoor & Nature button surfaces over 170 outdoor spots — the new gems plus every park, garden, and trail already in our database. Live now for all users.

• Costco in Japan — we've added a Costco database update, available exclusively in our app. Find locations while you travel — a favorite stop for familiar essentials and Japan-only food-court finds.
• White water tours — we've expanded the database to include English-speaking white water tours, so adventure days are easy to plan without a language barrier.

Open the app to explore both — already live for all users.

If you're among the first 1,000 people to sign up for the MT&C app, two offers are waiting for you:

• Traveling to Japan on your own? We'd like to offer you a discount on the app — just reach out and we'll set it up.
• Joining one of our tours? Pay your $500 deposit before December 1st, 2026 and everyone in your group gets $1,000 off trip fees. Deposits are refundable through that same date.

Want to talk it through? Book a call to discuss your trip — right from the app, or just ask Minami to set it up.

Tabelog is Japan's most trusted restaurant guide — and the #1 downloaded restaurant search app in Japan for international travelers. We've added it to the Useful Apps page inside the MT&C travel app.

Why we recommend it:

• Over 900,000 restaurants — Tabelog covers nearly every restaurant across Japan, from Michelin stars to neighborhood noodle counters.
• 85 million+ genuine reviews and 220 million+ photos of the food and the room — so you know exactly what you're walking into.
• Last-minute seats — enter a time and party size to find open tables and book online, even minutes before you arrive. Available in English, free, no sign-up required.
• Save & list — tap to save restaurants and build your own lists as you plan.

Pair it with your MT&C itinerary: we hand-pick the anchors, and Tabelog helps you improvise the in-between meals like a local.

We're reaching out to local tourism bureaus and destination organizations across Japan — starting with the Kobe Tourism Bureau — to bring vetted local partners directly into your trip plan. When your itinerary passes through a partner's region, Minami will recommend them right inside the planner.

Here's a preview of how a partner recommendation will look in the app:

We're expanding beyond travel. A new Consulting page is in the works for two groups of clients we hear from all the time:

• Real estate & vacation homes — for people who want to invest in Japanese real estate or purchase a vacation home in Japan, we'll guide you through the process end to end.
• Staying longer or working — for those looking to extend their stay or work in Japan, we're partnering with an attorney who specializes in immigration to help you navigate visas and residency.

Watch this space — and if either sounds like you, reach out now and we'll get the conversation started early.