Tours, guides and experiences
Sold to visitors who book from another time zone, pay up front, and will not be back. Below is how 20 of them actually set up online booking — the session length, the gap between clients, whether to take payment up front, and the one thing that trips each trade up in Japan.
Tour guides#
Half-day and full-day tours booked weeks ahead by visitors in another country, who pay before they arrive and will never be repeat customers.
| Duration | Half day (4 hours) and full day (8 hours) as two event types |
|---|---|
| Minimum notice | 72 hours |
| Bookable up to | 365 days, because people book with their flights |
| Max bookings per day | One tour a day |
| Location | In person, meeting point and a map link in the description |
| Payment | Paid online in yen — an unpaid booking from overseas is not a booking |
| Cancellation policy | Full refund 7 days before, 50% inside 72 hours, none inside 24 |
Worth asking on the booking form: How many people and their ages · Which country are you visiting from? · Where are you staying? · Any mobility needs or dietary restrictions?
Your customer is reading in English at 23:00 in another time zone and sees your times converted to theirs automatically. Put the meeting point, what to wear and whether transport is included in the confirmation message, because it is repeated in every reminder.
Walking tours#
Fixed departure times with a group, run rain or shine, where the meeting point is the whole logistical problem.
| Duration | 150 minutes |
|---|---|
| Minimum notice | 24 hours |
| Bookable up to | 180 days |
| Location | In person, exact meeting point in the description |
| Payment | Paid online |
| Cancellation policy | Full refund 48 hours before |
Business Box books one party per time slot, so a departure cannot be shared between several separate bookings. It fits private and small-group tours sold to one party at a time, where the party books once for everybody. One booking, one slot
Food tours#
Restaurants are reserved on the guest count, so numbers and dietary needs have to be right at the time of booking.
| Duration | 180 minutes |
|---|---|
| Minimum notice | 72 hours, so the restaurants can be booked |
| Bookable up to | 180 days |
| Location | In person |
| Payment | Paid online |
| Cancellation policy | Full refund 7 days before, none inside 72 hours — the seats are reserved |
Worth asking on the booking form: How many people? · Allergies and dietary restrictions · Does everyone drink alcohol?
Business Box books one party per time slot, so a departure cannot be shared between several separate bookings. It fits private and small-group tours sold to one party at a time, where the party books once for everybody. One booking, one slot
Bar and izakaya crawls#
Evening departures, booked the same day by people already in the city.
| Duration | 180 minutes |
|---|---|
| Minimum notice | 4 hours |
| Location | In person |
| Payment | Paid online |
| Cancellation policy | Full refund 24 hours before |
Worth asking on the booking form: How many people? · Everyone over 20? · Any allergies?
Business Box books one party per time slot, so a departure cannot be shared between several separate bookings. It fits private and small-group tours sold to one party at a time, where the party books once for everybody. One booking, one slot
Cycling tours#
Bikes have to be sized to the riders, so heights and abilities are needed before the day, not on it.
| Duration | Half day |
|---|---|
| Minimum notice | 72 hours |
| Bookable up to | 180 days |
| Location | In person |
| Payment | Paid online |
| Cancellation policy | Full refund 7 days before; weather cancellations refunded in full |
Worth asking on the booking form: Number of riders and their heights · Riding ability · Any children needing a child seat?
Business Box books one party per time slot, so a departure cannot be shared between several separate bookings. It fits private and small-group tours sold to one party at a time, where the party books once for everybody. One booking, one slot
Hiking guides#
Full days starting before dawn, weather-dependent, with a real duty of care that starts at the booking form.
| Duration | Full day |
|---|---|
| Minimum notice | 72 hours |
| Bookable up to | 270 days |
| Max bookings per day | One group a day |
| Location | In person, at the trailhead or a station |
| Payment | Paid online |
| Cancellation policy | Full refund 7 days before; weather cancellations refunded in full |
Worth asking on the booking form: Fitness and hiking experience · Ages of the group · Do you have boots and wet-weather gear?
Mt Fuji climbing guides#
A climbing season of about ten weeks, booked a year ahead, with huts reserved on the guest count.
| Duration | Two days, as an overnight event type |
|---|---|
| Minimum notice | 14 days, for hut reservations |
| Bookable up to | 365 days |
| Max bookings per day | One group per date |
| Location | In person |
| Payment | Paid online in yen |
| Cancellation policy | Full refund 30 days before, 50% inside 14 days |
The official season runs July to early September and the trails close outside it. Use date overrides to shut the rest of the year rather than leaving an empty calendar that looks like a fault.
Ski and backcountry guides#
Avalanche conditions decide the morning, so the cancellation policy has to be honest about it before anyone pays.
| Duration | Full day |
|---|---|
| Minimum notice | 72 hours |
| Bookable up to | 365 days |
| Max bookings per day | One group per guide |
| Location | In person |
| Payment | Paid online |
| Cancellation policy | Full refund 7 days before; conditions cancellations refunded in full |
Worth asking on the booking form: Ability level · Have you used a transceiver before? · Do you need to hire touring gear?
Fishing charters#
The boat goes out or it does not, and the tide sets the departure time rather than the diary.
| Duration | Half day, at tide-driven start times |
|---|---|
| Minimum notice | 48 hours |
| Bookable up to | 180 days |
| Max bookings per day | By boat capacity |
| Location | In person, at the harbour |
| Payment | Deposit paid online |
| Cancellation policy | Full refund 7 days before; weather cancellations refunded in full |
Boat charters#
The whole vessel is hired for a block, so one booking takes the day and there is nothing to share.
| Duration | Half day or full day |
|---|---|
| Minimum notice | 7 days |
| Bookable up to | 270 days |
| Max bookings per day | One per vessel per day |
| Location | In person |
| Payment | Deposit paid online |
| Cancellation policy | Full refund 14 days before, 50% inside 7 |
Private chefs#
You cook at the client’s address, so the booking has to collect the kitchen’s limitations as well as the date.
| Duration | 4 hours including setup and clearing |
|---|---|
| Minimum notice | 7 days, for shopping |
| Max bookings per day | One dinner a night |
| Location | In person, at the client’s address |
| Payment | Deposit paid online |
| Cancellation policy | No refund inside 72 hours — the shopping is done |
Worth asking on the booking form: How many guests? · Allergies and dietary requirements · Address and kitchen equipment · Do you have enough plates and glasses?
Omakase and chef’s table#
Fixed seatings with a fixed number of seats, where a no-show is a plated menu thrown away.
| Duration | 120 minutes at fixed seating times |
|---|---|
| Minimum notice | 48 hours |
| Bookable up to | 90 days |
| Location | In person |
| Payment | Paid online — the menu is bought for the people who booked |
| Cancellation policy | Full refund 7 days before, none inside 48 hours |
Worth asking on the booking form: How many guests? · Allergies and anything you do not eat · Which country are you visiting from?
Overseas guests are the hardest to hold to a reservation and the most likely to be lost in translation. Charging the full amount up front in yen solves both, and is already normal at this level in Japan.
Business Box books one party per time slot, so a sitting cannot be sold to several separate tables. One booking takes the whole slot, which suits private dining and a counter sold to one party at a time. One booking, one slot
Small restaurants#
Table reservations in two sittings a night, where the cost of a no-show on a Saturday is the whole evening’s margin.
| Duration | 90 or 120 minutes at fixed sitting times |
|---|---|
| Minimum notice | 4 hours |
| Bookable up to | 60 days |
| Location | In person |
| Payment | Free, or a deposit at weekends |
| Cancellation policy | Full refund 24 hours before, if you take a deposit |
Business Box books one party per time slot, so a sitting cannot be sold to several separate tables. One booking takes the whole slot, which suits private dining and a counter sold to one party at a time. One booking, one slot
Private dining rooms#
One party per room per evening, with a minimum spend that has to be agreed before the booking is worth taking.
| Duration | 3 hours |
|---|---|
| Minimum notice | 7 days |
| Bookable up to | 180 days |
| Max bookings per day | One party per room per evening |
| Location | In person |
| Payment | Deposit paid online |
| Cancellation policy | Full refund 7 days before |
Vacation rental check-ins#
A guest lands at an unpredictable hour and needs a fifteen-minute meeting, which is the one appointment in the stay.
| Duration | 30 minutes |
|---|---|
| Minimum notice | 4 hours |
| Location | In person, at the property |
| Payment | Free |
| Cancellation policy | Not applicable |
Worth asking on the booking form: Flight number and arrival time · How many guests? · Any luggage that needs storing?
Airport transfers and private drivers#
The time is set by a flight, not by you, and a delayed arrival changes the booking after it was made.
| Duration | 2 hours, covering the journey and waiting |
|---|---|
| Minimum notice | 24 hours |
| Bookable up to | 270 days |
| Max bookings per day | By vehicles available |
| Location | In person, pickup point in the booking |
| Payment | Paid online in yen |
| Cancellation policy | Full refund 48 hours before |
Worth asking on the booking form: Flight number and landing time · How many passengers and bags? · Destination address · Any child seats needed?
Chauffeur services#
Hired by the half-day with an itinerary, mostly for corporate clients.
| Duration | Half day or full day |
|---|---|
| Minimum notice | 48 hours |
| Location | In person |
| Payment | Invoiced for corporate clients, paid online otherwise |
| Cancellation policy | Full refund 48 hours before |
Campervan and car rental#
The booking is a multi-day block, so a handover appointment at each end is what actually goes in the diary.
| Duration | 45 minutes for handover, 30 for return |
|---|---|
| Minimum notice | 48 hours |
| Bookable up to | 365 days |
| Location | In person |
| Payment | Deposit paid online |
| Cancellation policy | Full refund 14 days before |
Worth asking on the booking form: Driving licence country and type · Do you have an International Driving Permit? · Pickup and return dates
Ski and snowboard rental fittings#
Everyone wants to be fitted between 07:30 and 08:30 on the same morning, which is the entire operational problem.
| Duration | 20 minutes |
|---|---|
| Minimum notice | 12 hours |
| Bookable up to | 180 days |
| Max bookings per day | Per fitter, per slot |
| Location | In person |
| Payment | Paid online |
| Cancellation policy | Full refund 48 hours before |
Worth asking on the booking form: Height, weight and shoe size for each person · Ability level · Ski or snowboard?
Escape rooms and VR experiences#
A room per group per slot, with a reset between sessions that cannot be skipped.
| Duration | 60 minutes |
|---|---|
| Minimum notice | 2 hours |
| Buffer | 20 minutes after, to reset the room |
| Max bookings per day | One booking per room per slot |
| Location | In person |
| Payment | Paid online |
| Cancellation policy | Full refund 24 hours before |
Worth asking on the booking form: How many players? · Preferred language · Any under 12s?
Set this up in about ten minutes
Business Box is free for as long as you like, with no card required — booking pages, Google and Outlook calendar sync, availability, Japanese public holidays and the website widget. Taking card payment for bookings is ¥1,200 a month, tax included, with no commission on what you sell.
Last reviewed 28 September 2026.