Many omit to mention one crucial but stressful part of traveling: the planning. Booking hotels, flights and restaurants can be overwhelming if you don’t know where to start — even more so if you’re looking to curate meaningful experiences that will dive deeper into the culture of the country you’re visiting.

About Infinity Mugen

Curated by a team of travel and Japan experts, Infinity Mugen offers a series of tours that will certainly inspire your next trip. Some travelers might be wary of tours, as they can often be stiff and synonymous with strict and tight schedules and never go quite deep enough into the local culture. But Infinity Mugen tours are different: They are highly customizable to ensure every trip is catered to your travel style and interests.

Traveling to more remote regions of Japan means you’ll likely encounter a language barrier. Infinity Mugen tours are led by savvy bilingual guides that will not only accompany you from one sightseeing place to another but also provide key contextual information to understand the region’s unique aspects and culture.

All Infinity Mugen tours include reservations at high end accommodations and restaurants so that even your downtime is special. These too can be customized to suit your preferences and needs, whether you want to be sure you can keep up with your workout routine at a hotel gym or adhere to a vegan or vegetarian diet.

3 Examples Tours Offered by Infinity Mugen

Infinity Mugen has a few tour plans to choose from, all offering bespoke adventures to Japanese regions often overlooked by tourists. Below we introduce three example tours in Setouchi, Gifu and Amami respectively.

These tours are excellent starting points, and having a complete itinerary helps pinpoint exactly what individual travelers would like to see during their own trip.

Discover the Setouchi Artscape

Setouchi’s reputation is an unparalleled one. The Setouchi area is host to the eponymous art triennale, renowned internationally for its diversity and collection of world-class works. For many Japan residents, Setouchi is synonymous with a calm and relaxed atmosphere to which the plethora of outdoor art installations and museums contribute.

Infinity Mugen’s take on Setouchi is a deeper dive into the artscape of the Shikoku region. It begins with a private jet bound for Okayama Airport. From there, you head to the port, either by car or helicopter, where you’ll catch a catamaran. Day 1 includes a visit to two art institutions, the Seirensho Art Museum on Inujima and Teshima before ending the day on Naoshima. Inujima especially is often overlooked by first-time travelers to Setouchi, but the island has a heartwarming and fascinating history. For 89 years, the island was home to a few residents and an abandoned copper mine. In 2008, The Inujima Art Project opened to the public, and with the support of the community and art lovers around the country, Inujima was revitalized through art.

This tour includes a night at Benesse House Oval, a Tadao Ando-designed boutique accommodation with only six guest rooms located a short monorail ride away from the Benesse Art Museum. On Day 2, wrap up your time on Naoshima by checking out some must-see sights, including the Chichu Art Museum and Yayoi Kusama’s “Pumpkin” sculpture, which sits on the edge of a pier at the Benesse Art Site Naoshima.

Day 3 boasts a rare chance to visit the workshop of Bizen potter Jun Isezaki, meet with Bizen Osafune swordsmiths and tour a winery featured in the New York Times. Of course, additional activities can be added upon request.

Experience Gifu Prefecture’s Mino Ware Hands-on

Gifu Prefecture sits north of Aichi Prefecture, between Nagano and Shiga prefectures. Its most famous export is Mino ware, a type of pottery traditionally produced in the Tono area and known for its wide variety of styles, of which there are over 15. Despite its centuries-old history, Mino ware is the leading type of pottery in Japan.

Infinity Mugen hopes to share this side of traditional Japan with international travelers through an exclusive tour centered around experiencing Miro ware hands-on. This two-day tour takes you around Tajimi, a town in the south of Gifu and where Mino ware is believed to have originated. Travelers get behind-the-scenes access to Kobeigama kiln, a family business established in 1804 during the Edo period (1603–1867). Learn how different ceramic items are made through short educational lectures and try your hand at making your very own matcha bowl (chawan) from start to finish. All this will be under the helpful guidance of eighth-generation potter Ryotaro Kato.

The experience wraps up with a tea ceremony led by Kato himself, who is not only a master potter but a tea ceremony master as well. Your finished bowl will be mailed to you alongside an official certification from the artist.

See What’s Made in Amami

The largest island in the Satsunan chain that runs between Kyushu and Okinawa, Amami is often nominated as a favorite Japanese destination for adventurers. The island is known for its outdoor activities and nature, but there is much more to it — as long as you know where to look.

In an upcoming new tour, Infinity Mugen wants to showcase a lesser-known side of Oshima, namely its textile and culinary culture. This tour is very workshop-heavy. Travelers get to learn about and get an up-close look at Oshima tsumugi, a special kimono dying and weaving technique unique to the island. Historians know that the people of Oshima have been weaving since at least the Yayoi period (300 BCE–250 CE). But for most of its history, the unique kimono were used as a currency to pay taxes and other dues to local and regional governments. It wasn’t until the late 19th century that Oshima tsumugi became one of the island’s cultural exports. After an informative lecture on the history of this local craft, they will get to try on the kimono for a special photoshoot on-site.

The Infinity Mugen tour includes a guided introduction to Oshima tsumugi, led by a curator specializing in textiles. It also makes time for a fitting so travelers can feel and try on Oshima tsumugi kimono before posing for a photoshoot with a professional photographer. Those with a penchant for fashion can also request a consultation with a local fabric designer who can assist with creating an Oshima tsumugi tailormade suit, sofa cover, or tapestry should you wish to take home a unique souvenir.

This tour also includes time (and a workshop) dedicated to kusaki-zome, a dying technique that uses the juices of plants and flowers to give fabrics vibrant colors.

You can customize the tour to include other activities like birdwatching and pottery led by island-based artists for a full introduction to Amami’s many facets. Alternatively, opt for a nightlife wildlife tour or a kayak excursion.

Book an Infinity Mugen Tour

Led by Kenji Inaoka, Infinity Mugen’s travel experts have your best interests in mind. Inaoka brings his expertise, which he cultivated during his years as Senior Executive Officer of ANA, Representative Director of ANA Sales, Vice President and Representative Director of Airport Facilities Corporation, Vice President and Director of ANA Research Institute, and Co-Chairman of the Regional Inbound Council.

Infinity Mugen also works with award-winning networks to make your trip the smoothest it can be. Getting to, around, and from your destination will be an A-class experience.

You can browse the example tours and more on the Infinity Mugen website.