"Thanks to you we felt we had the best room in each hotel, and that meant a lot to me. Especially in Kyoto, where we were able to enjoy the beautiful view from our 7th floor window. In fact, Kyoto surpassed our expectations. We reveled in the cherry blossoms, and thought the temples and shrines were among the most beautiful places we've ever been."

"In Tokyo, the hotel couldn't have been any better and, thanks to Chizuko, we never had any trouble with the subway system, making our way around the city with no problems. Both Chizuko and Masa were admirable guides, full of energy and enthusiasm. I'm sure our trip wouldn't have gotten off to such a good start if Chizuko hadn't walked us through the workings of the Japan Rail and subway systems. Thanks again for enabling us to enjoy Japan."

"Japan was wonderful and you put together a very fine itinerary for us. The Benesse House (Contemporary Museum of Art) was awesome, not just the art, but the experience of it! We had the whole place to ourselves and for 24 hours we lived alone in a museum. My dream come true."

"Our trip was just fantastic, with many highlights and unusual experiences. Thank you for planning it so well! We used your tip to send our luggage ahead twice, which allowed us to travel light. Both times, our luggage was waiting for us when we arrived and we were glad we did it."

"Our accommodations were just great. The two ryokans, the Shirakawago farmhouse, and Mt. Koya Temple were really very special. The surprise was the Kanazawa Hotel, which gave us a very large room with a view and a huge marble bathroom! We had wonderful, steamy hot baths at the Shirakawago minshuku, where the woman of the house sang and played music for us during dinner. Overall, a fairly flawless trip."

"Esprit went beyond the call of duty to help our friends who were having problems with their flight to Osaka, where we were to meet them. That extra effort resulted in all of us getting to have a wonderful time in Japan. During our stay, we encountered a tour guide leading a small group and he was curious how we found what was a very special, off-the-beaten track place. He was impressed that we were doing the trip on our own, with only very basic Japanese. We told him we owed it to you."

"I had an unbelievable experience that I will always remember. It was always a dream of mine to see the cherry blossoms in Japan and I saw many different blossoms everywhere I visited. The beautiful gardens and landscapes were fabulous. I visited temples, shrines and museums; saw a geisha show; took a walking tour; met wonderful people; had gifts and food given to me; went to Nara and took terrific pictures. Truly a once in a lifetime experience and I thank you for your guidance."

"Thank you for all your work in making this trip so special, especially the guides in Tokyo and Kyoto, Masa and Chizuko. Being with Chizuko was like being with a friend who has the same interests. It was also a great pleasure to spend the day with Masa in Kyoto. He is charming, intelligent and the perfect guide with whom to experience the art of Kyoto. He was also kind enough to ask Sarah if we might visit her studio. It was a lovely experience meeting her and seeing her work."

"Everything went so smoothly. We managed all of the train connections, takkyubin and ryokans thanks to your great planning. We loved the ryokans, Benesse House, the cherry blossoms in Kanazawa, the trains, Kyoto, the food, the friendly people, your two guides, the shrines, the outdoor museum in Hakone — everything! I've asked myself a couple of times, "Knowing what I know now, what would I have planned differently?" The answer is: Not a thing! It was terrific and we were very appreciative of your efforts."