For Agents
1. The Northern Heart of Japan
In Dewa Shonai, important things that Japan is losing are still alive. Dewa Shonai in the northern region has three major attractions: Nature, food, history and culture
2. We plan and guide private journeys for your most valued clients.
Our core business is small-group tours for 2–6 guests, but we are happy to arrange tours for larger groups of 7 or more as well.
3. Since 2010, our company has been publishing a culture magazine about the Dewa Shonai region. We have come to plan and sell tours of the region as well, curated by our editor-in-chief. We make use of the network we have formed over the course of producing content for our magazine—friendships with local farmers, culinary professionals, people of culture, among others—to orchestrate journeys revealing the charms of the region via authentic experiences which can be had only here.
4. In addition to selling our own tours, our company has been entrusted with planning high-end tours in collaboration with major domestic travel agencies.
5. Our company is a regional business, licensed to operate tours within Tsuruoka and the surrounding municipalities: Sakata, Shonai, Mikawa, and Nishikawa in Yamagata Prefecture; and Murakami in Niigata Prefecture.
6. We plan and guide tours within our region. For assistance with planning and booking guides, transportation, meals, overnight accommodations, and hands-on experiences within our operating area, feel free to contact us anytime. Our core business is full-service tour crafting. We offer partial arrangements on a case-by-case basis, please contact us for details.
7. We are unable to offer visa support, international flight arrangements, or domestic flight or train ticket arrangements for areas outside of our operating region.
8. Our guides and interpreters speak English and Japanese. Support for other languages is not available.
9. Regarding dietary restrictions, please inquire. We do our best to accommodate vegetarian, vegan, allergen-free, and other such diets, but there may be instances in which we are unable to accommodate those or other dietary restrictions.
10. Reservations and travel consultations are accepted up until 6 weeks prior to desired tour date. For arragements less than 6 weeks in advance of desired trip date, please inquire. Depending on tour content, arrangements may still be possible.
11. Access to Dewa Shonai
By plane
Tokyo (Haneda Airport) to Shonai Airport: 4–5 direct flights per day, flight time approximately 1 hour. Airline: All Nippon Airways (ANA).
By train
3.5–4 hours from Tokyo
Route: Tokyo to Niigata Station via Joetsu Shinkansen Toki bullet train. At Niigata Station, transfer to a Uetsu Line Limited Express Inaho train (7 departures per day). Alight at Tsuruoka Station (or Sakata Station).
By highway bus
Routes
Yamagata to Tsuruoka (or Sakata), approximately 2 hours
Sendai to Tsuruoka (or Sakata), approximately 3 hours