1. The Northern Heart of Japan plans, arranges, and guides journeys designed to help guests encounter the deep culture, cuisine, and nature of the Dewa Shonai region of northern Japan.

2. We design, arrange, and guide private tours for your most valued clients. Our core business is FIT travel for groups of 2 to 6 guests, but we are happy to arrange tours for solo travelers or 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. Feel free to reach out to us regarding multi-region journeys. Our travel company is classified as Type 3. In addition to Dewa Shonai, we are also happy to plan and arrange your travel in other regions, such as Tohoku, Tokyo, and Kyoto.

5. The tours presented on our website are just some of our recommendations. For custom trips, we listen carefully to our clients and plan trips designed specifically with their needs and wishes in mind. Feel free to contact us regarding planning and arrangement of any hands-on experiences, meals, overnight accommodations, vehicles, and interpretation services you may be interested in.

We primarily operate on a full-service basis. For partial-service arrangements, please inquire.

6. We cannot arrange visas or international flights.

7. Our guides and interpreters primarily speak English and Japanese. Regarding support for other languages, please inquire.

8.　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.

9. Reservations and travel consultations are accepted up until 6 weeks prior to desired tour date. For arrangements less than 6 weeks in advance of the desired trip date, please inquire. Depending on desired tour content, arrangements may still be possible.

10. Getting to Dewa Shonai

Tokyo to Dewa Shonai by plane
ANA (All Nippon Airways) operates 4 to 5 direct flights per day from Haneda Airport to Shonai Airport. Flight time is approximately 1 hour.

Tokyo to Dewa Shonai by JR train in 2 steps (via Niigata)
Step 1. Travel from Tokyo Station to Niigata Station by Joetsu Shinkansen bullet train. Ride time = about 1 hour and 10 minutes).
Step 2. At Niigata Station, transfer to an Inaho Limited Express train. Alight at Tsuruoka Station (ride time = about 2 hours). Inaho trains to Shonai run 7 times per day.

Kyoto to Dewa Shonai in 4 steps
Step 1. Catch a limousine bus from Kyoto Station to Itami Airport (ride time = about 55 minutes).
Step 2. Fly from Itami Airport to Niigata Airport (flight time = about 1 hour and 10 minutes).
Step 3. Transfer from Niigata Airport to Niigata Station by bus (ride time = about 25 minutes).
Step 4. Travel by JR Inaho Limited Express train from Niigata Station to Tsuruoka Station (ride time = about 2 hours).

Yamagata City to Dewa Shonai by bus
Yamagata Kotsu and Shonai Kotsu operate direct highway bus service between Yamagata City and Shonai. The ride takes approximately 2 hours.

Sendai to Dewa Shonai by bus
Miyagi Kotsu, Yamagata Kotsu, and Shonai Kotsu operate direct highway bus service between Sendai and Dewa Shonai. The ride takes approximately 3 hours.

Contact Us