Just back from Japan after a tour with Handmade Tours. I got sick on the last 2 days but I still considered the trip a great experience. Our group consisted of 7 friends who are even closer as friends after the trip. The max amount of vacationers are capped at 12. I love going on tour with small groups. The driver, Masa, met us at the airport and escorted us to the first hotel. He is very efficient and speaks fluent English, plus he is a great driver. Our guide, Marie, was super attentive to our needs. She did a fantastic job considering this was her very first tour. When we signed up we noticed that on this tour we would be on our own for 4 dinners. I was happy because this gave us a chance to experience Japanese cuisine on our own. It is so cheap and, like everyone tells you, the food is so good. I highly recommend going on this tour (they have various packages) because the logistics are so much easier with a small group. We are going to see if they have a tour going toHokkaido next. Also, we had just toured Korea and during that tour us seniors got to the hotel every night at between 8-8:30. It was exhausting. We had plenty of time everyday to have a few cocktails before dinner or do a little browsing in the shops that are walking distance from our hotel. read more