A few of the doors that open on an introduction, and the days built around them.
A day with a Tokyo native, designed around your interests and your pace. Every reservation arranged and every conversation interpreted, so nothing is lost between you and the people you meet.
Multi-day and extended itineraries can be arranged with the same care and attention to detail. Kyoto is best experienced over at least two days.
A handful from a far deeper repertoire. Most of what I arrange is never listed.
An authentic ceremony led by the descendant of a family who have practised the way of tea for generations — conducted in Japanese, and interpreted for you throughout.
A hands-on private lesson in kintsugi, the art of golden repair, with a master artisan — and you take home the piece you mend.
By referral only — a serene space where you choose vintage kimono fabrics to be tailored into bespoke suits, dresses, and jackets, giving rare textiles a beautiful second life.
By referral, a private appointment at a Tokyo tailoring atelier — where made-to-measure suits, jackets and tuxedos are cut from Italian and English cloth and finished by hand in Tokyo.
Set off from a storied temple and take in old-town Tokyo by private rickshaw — gliding past landmarks and quiet corners at a graceful, unhurried pace.
A quiet visit and conversation with a monk in Kyoto, in serene spaces most visitors never enter.
A private tour of a centuries-old sake brewery, closed to the public, guided by a descendant of the founding family.
A private, VIP tasting at the only boutique in Asia of a rare, ultra-premium tequila house — an intimate space where Japanese and Mexican craft meet in stone and wood.
Make a knife by hand alongside a descendant of a samurai family — around three hours, longer for a larger blade, and it comes home with you.
Beyond these, Elevate also arranges exclusive access to invitation-only spaces and gallery viewings, and private events for a celebration, proposal, or milestone — quietly, on a case-by-case basis.
Because most of my partners work only in Japanese, these experiences belong to the days we spend together — the doors open on an introduction, and little of it would make sense without interpretation. For the days we're not together, I still choose carefully: the places worth your time, and the reservations worth having. There's simply more room to wander, and to let the city find you. That space is deliberate — the best days in Japan are rarely the fullest ones. Pricing is a single fee for the day, rather than a list of parts.
A private viewing at an invitation-only Tokyo gallery, where paintings are brought alive with light, movement, music and scent — a patented technique shown nowhere else. Its collectors have ranged from members of the Japanese Imperial family to names known worldwide.
Available exclusively through Elevate and always accompanied by me — woven into a guided day, or arranged as a visit on its own. Most guests come simply to see the work, and there is never an expectation to buy — though if a piece does stay with you, it can be yours.
Programmes for teams, executive groups and visiting guests — designed end to end, and run with the same care as a private day.
My recommendations for the rest of your trip, and the reservations an introduction opens — part of your guided days rather than an addition to them. Hotels and transport stay yours to arrange, with my advice whenever you want it.