How to contact me before you go to Japan & when you're there . . .

Manekin neko on a textile beckons new clients in the old Japanese way.

The best way to reach me is email or text. Email me at yourjapanprivatetours AT gmail DOT com. Or text me on Whatsapp @ +1-415-230-0579. I respond to email and text (via Zoom, Skype, Messenger) inquiries and queries really fast. All Japan tour correspondence, and I mean all, is personally handled by me, Ian Martin Ropke, founder and owner of Your Japan Private Tours (since 1990).

I speak with clients on the phone usually at the beginning of the design process and after that when absolutely necessary. Email or text me your request for a call and I will quickly respond. However, given the time differences, I prefer to pre-book all telephone calls in advance. My Zoom info is: yourjapanprivatetours AT gmail DOT com. My Skype handle is ian.r.kyoto . Once we agree on a time, I always call you at the number and time agreed upon.

Please note again: I live on Japan time (JST) and I am also frequently in North America for my startup (NexussPlus), so setting up a telephone session to discuss your trip requires agreeing on a convenient call time. I am flexible. A call at the beginning, when the general trip flow has been established, can be really useful for asking questions and learning more.

24/7 Support for on-the-ground YJPT Japan clients

Actutally, 24/7 is not entirely true. In my 30 years of experience with private travel clients from around the world--i.e., all cultures--I have found that emergencies and the need for change or amendment or anything else, happens at the beginning of the day in Japan and at the end of the day in Japan. And even then I find that less than 5% of my clients ask for changes or have "issues." Everyone else has previously "final OKed" all day by day details, so changes are nearly never requested.

In terms of "emergencies" I have handled a few since 1990. Three to be exact: 1. Flooding in 2017 that halted the bullet train service and left a French family in a panic. But turned out OK. 2. I also had a celebrity client who essentially "fired" the first three tour guides she toured with. I fired the first one but the others were just doing their job but their personality was not suitable to the client. 3. And I have had clients who "accidentally" took the wrong bullet train in the wrong direction. Simple mistakes on the bullet trains can mean hours, literally hours, wasted. So, all guidance emphasizes key transition moments like getting on a bullet train (platform number; overhead signs; confirmation questions in Japanese).

For on-the-ground clients email | text messages and, if necessary, telephone calls will be answered every day in the mornings (07:00-11:00) and in the evenings (21:00-23:00).

In the hours between 11:00 and 21:00, clients can contact their local tour guides' cellphones directly for emergency assistance . The cellphone numbers of my local guides are always provided to clients before they arrive in Japan and are also handy for "sudden" circumstances.

So, Your Japan Private Tours provides around the clock support but I find clients rarely make changes or have sudden "issues" because the design details are all known in advance and because you, the client, sign off on everything with your final OK. OK?

I take care of my clients, remember only 4 or 5 a month, like family! No worries! I've got your back!

Learn more! Email me today at yourjapanprivatetours AT gmail DOT com. Or text me on Whatsapp @ +1-415-230-0579.