Tour Dates: Nov.17th (Morning) to Nov. 27th (Morning)

Tour Duration: 10 Full Days

*Recommend to arrive on or before Nov.16th, and stay at the hotel where we stay on 16th night. We are happy to arrange the transportation from Airport to the Hotel (which is quite easy). If you prefer to meet up in the morning of Nov.17th, I will adjust the Fee accordingly.

*The Airfare from your country & Transportation from the Airport to the 1st Hotel is NOT included to the Tour Price

The main focus on this tour is "Experience" which is consisted with "Stitching" and "Meeting People". If your goal is to enjoy general sightseeing in Japan, this tour may not be the best choice for you. If you would like to experience the Japan with Sashiko & meeting Japanese Sashiko Artisans & Japanese who are actually enjoying Sashiko to enrich your understanding & skill of Sashiko, then it is the best & only tour I offer.

All of the events & workshops are very exclusive as I am the one who organize them.

$5,850.00 for 10 Full Days (Early Registration & Deposit before March 15th, 2024)

$6,750.00 for 10 Full Days Days as Estimate (General Registration)

The deposit of $1,000.00 is required at the registration. Please send me a check or send funds via Zelle (so that we do not have to worry about fees in refunds). Please make sure to read the refund policy before making the commitment. Please check what is & is NOT included in this Fee below (please scroll down. The list is available after "Gellery")

*The pricing is calcurated on the exchange rate of 1USD = 145JPY. If we experience the significant change in the rate, I will be honest & ask for the ideas (like adjusting the Hotel Grade or asking for the additional fee). I will do everything to keep the pricing above regardless of the change in exchange rate.

Anyone can join this tour. However, we have several condition for you to join. Please let me know if you have any questions regarding the condition.

• Atsushi's Sashiko Workshop/Class [Core & Essence] is a prerequisite to this Tour. If you cannot participate one of these, you are required to take the Online Version in advance to the tour to maximize the experience in Japan. Please be advised that the completion of Domestika Course (Introduction to Japanese Sashiko Stitching) will not satisfy this prerequisite.
• The tour may require the participants to walk. Please let me know in-advance that if you would need a special arrangement for your mobility.
• All of the participants are required to purchase the Travel Insurance. Some may feel it is a waste of money, and we hope that we end up with not using it. However, in order to keep the tour sustainable, please agree to purchase the Travel Insurance. I am happy to offer some suggestions.
• Please be noted that my daughter will come along with us throughout the tour. This is the biggest difference from the Tour 2023. She is very mature. She will be 9 years old by the tour, and very much willing to help us. I plan to have as many Japanese friends/family as possible to take care of her when necessary to minimize the influence onto the tour. However, it is a big difference. Please also note that the priority is to maximize your experience in Japan - it hasn't changed at all.

• The arrangement of transportation in Japan, from the tour starting location (the 1st hotel In Tokyo) to the ending location (the last hotel in Tokyo).
• Sashiko Materials & Arrangement to join the special Sashiko project.
• The entrance fees for museums & exhibition (if applicable),
• The workshop Fees & Materials Fees - Sashiko, Boro, Kogin (which everyone will take together).
• Hotel stays (aiming single occupancy throughout. For the stays in Takayama, we may stay at a whole house with 4 bed rooms with some sharing. I will ask for the preference once you are in the group).
• Several Official Meals (will be specified in the official itinerary).
• Some of the Breakfast (Some of the Hotel we stay do not offer the Breakfast as they aren't the "Chain" Hotel).
• Atsushi’s On-Site Translation & Cultural Story Reading Materials before/while/after the Tour.

• International Airfares to/from Japan (To/from TKO, either HND or NRT)
• Transportation from/to the Airport to the first Hotel in Tokyo (Atsushi can arrange you the transportation from/to with actual expense).
• The Hotel Room before the Nov. 15th night and After the dissmissal of the Tour. (The final day depends on the plan).
• Travel insurance.
• Workshop You Choose outside of the Itinerary (if applicable in “Free Time”).
• Add-On Plans not mentioned in the Itinerary (such as Kimono Rental).
• Porterage at hotels
• Gratuities, Food & Meals such as lunch and some dinners), and other personal shopping. (Atsushi will usually suggest a place for meals)
• Alcohols Drinks in the official dinners.
• Personal expenses (Snacks, coffees, and choice of upgrading the transportation including Taxi when applicable).

• Official Dinners are the meals included to the Tour Cost. We will reserve/prepare the dinner. (Please let me know your dietary restriction if there is any).
• Unless specified, unofficial dinner/lunch is a meal where you can choose to come with Atsushi. The cost for these meals are not included.
• Some breakfasts are included in the hotel stay. I will specify which morning you have breakfast in the official itinerary.
• We will try our best to offer many shopping opportunities is available in Tokyo/Takayama.
• Most of the plans are the “Offer you can choose”. You may choose to what you would like to do instead. Please be advised that the workshop fees will not be refunded even if you choose to do something else.
• If you would like to add more shopping opportunity in Tokyo (or other cities) on top of our plans, please get a flight ticket as necessary.
• I booked the best graded or the most convenient hotels as the budget allows with unique concepts. We try our best to make it all of the rooms are “Single”occupation without extra charge for the stay in Tokyo, and everyone will get the single room (I will explain why in the separate sheets). For the stay in Takayama, please check the other description for the availability (May be shared house or single room in hotels).
• About Luggage: It is important to keep the luggage as “carry-able”. This trip doesn’t have “private bus” to take us everywhere, place by place. Please keep your suitcase as carry-able as possible from city to city. The airline permit you to bring 1 suitcase for free usually. Please consider shipping one suitcase to Keiko’s house from the airport / Hotel. Then, you can repack everything in Takayama, then send it to the hotel in Tokyo for the departure airport. I will explain the detail procedure for this.

Please send Atsushi a Check (Payable to Upcycle Stitches LLC) for the Specified Deposit Amount to secure your seat by the specific date Atsushi assignes. We will not deposit it to the bank for 14 days. Please consider this 14 days as a grace period to cancel the trip. I will use this deposit to secure places to stay & events on behalf of this Tour.

Therefore, the deposit is not refundable. However, we live in such an unforeseeable society. When some global & govermental issue occurs, your deposit may be refunded as the deposit I made to Places/Activities in Japan shall be refunded.

I will be as reasonable as possible & honest throughout.

Full Payment is due on specific dates. Atsushi sends a notification of Final Payment when the date is set.

• After the 14 days grace period, the deposit is non-refundable (check above).
• 30 to 60 days prior to departure date: 50% Cancellation Fee of the final payment amount.
• 7 to 30 days prior to departure date: 75% Cancellation Fee of the final payment amount.
• Less than 7 days prior to departure date: 100% Cancellation Fee of the final payment amount.

*For the cancellation due to personal health reasons, the travel insurance should cover your fees. Please purchase your own travel insurance to cover these possible case. This policy for us is for an unfortunate case of “I just change my mind” - which I believe it won’t happen. Please understand that this policy will help me to arrange the tour with as less risk as possible.

*As I mentioned above, if the tour itself is cancelled due to government/global restriction, payment shall be refunded (I may ask for some time to process for collecting refund from hotels & other arrangement).