Cancellation policy

Our standard cancellation policy applies if the cancellation is initiated by the guest under any circumstances.

If the tour is cancelled by Sake Tours due to not having the minimum number of guests, you will receive a full refund.

*Please note there is a different cancellation policy for groups of 6 or more that sign up together. (contact us for more information)

Standard Cancellation Policy (As of March 2024)

* 91 or more days prior to the first day of travel = Cancellation fee of 100,000 JPY

* 90 - 61 days prior to the first day of travel = Cancellation fee of 50% of the total travel cost

* 60 - 31 days prior to the first day of travel = Cancellation fee of 75% of the total travel cost

*30 days prior to the first day of travel = Cancellation fee of 100% of the total travel cost

* If we are booking your domestic air travel that is not part of the tour, additional cancellation fee of 30,000 JPY per flight applies regardless of the date of cancellation request.

*Sake Tours is a Japanese company; all transactions are in Japanese Yen. 

*In the case of a refund for any reason, the amount refunded (minus bank charges and handling fees) will be in Japanese Yen. The refund amount will be remitted to the bank account specified by the customer or refunded to the credit card in Japanese Yen.

*Please note - the amount you receive (in your currency / the currency you paid in) may not match due to fluctuations in the currency exchange rate and bank or credit card fees. 

*Sake Tours is not responsible for any loss caused by fluctuations in currency exchange rates, bank transfer fees, or credit card company fees.

* Date of cancellation refers to the date and time when cancellation notice is received by enakamura based on Japan time, instead of the local date and time when cancellation notice is sent from the customer.

Payment Policy

* All payments are to be made to enakamura Inc. by credit card.

* 100,000 JPY deposit is due at the time of registration. The balance of the tour cost is due 90 days prior to departure.

*If you prefer to pay in full instead of making two payments, we will process the full payment at your request.

* If we are making your domestic air travel reservation, full amount of airfare is due at the time of the flight booking.

* If you choose to join the tour after the commencement of the tour or terminate the tour before the end of the tour, there’s no refund. You are charged full travel cost.

Cancellation

91 days or more prior to the tour start date: 100,000 JPY

90 days - 61 days 50%

60 - 31 days 75%

30 days - start 100%

Our priorities are guests' safety, health, and enjoyment, and we will try our best to accommodate your requests.

Although we respect our guests' lifestyle choices, if it is possible, we ask our guests to stay curious, adventurous, and open-minded. A big part of the fun on our tours is trying new food you would not have the chance to have on your own. Also, many of our guests value meeting the producers and sometimes dining with them.

If you do not like something, we will try our best to avoid it, but we may not be able to substitute. If that is the case, we ask that you simply set aside what you cannot eat.

It is important to understand that certain dietary preferences, such as vegetarianism and veganism, along with specific food sensitivities like gluten free or celiac disease, may not be widely recognized or accommodated. Therefore, we regret to inform you that we cannot assure the provision of specialized meal options to meet individual dietary needs.

It is particularly important for individuals adhering to a strict vegetarian or vegan diet to be aware that the majority of traditional broths, which form the basis of many soups and sauces in Japan, typically contain traces of fish or meat products. Vegetables are also cooked in these broths.

For those with gluten intolerances, please note that soy sauce, a common ingredient in numerous Japanese dishes, contains gluten.

For those allergic to peanuts, whilst we can avoid peanuts and nuts as whole items, we are unable to know if certain foods contain traces of nuts.

We advise our guests with dietary restrictions to consider these limitations when planning a trip with us.

If your dietary requirements have any of the following conditions, please take a moment to read our responses.

Allergy: Please let us know what you are allergic to, your reactions, and whether you carry any medicine or any type of first aid treatment.

Gluten-free We will do our best, but gluten-free is not very common in Japan. If you have a gluten intolerance, it is not possible to avoid soy sauce in many japanese dishes. Therefore, we will not be able to substitute your meals.

If Gluten-free is a lifestyle choice (you avoid eating a lot of bread / pasta etc) we ask that you just adjust your intake for a week - bring some pills if necessary. Also please remember that Japanese diet is more rice based compared to bread and pasta. We will not be able to supply 100% gluten-free meals.

No pork, beef, meat, or shrimp—We may be able to substitute or simply remove the ingredient from the dishes. However, we may not be able to do so in broth. If we cannot remove or substitute, we will inform you when the dish is served.

Strictly no seafood - This is one of our most challenging requests because dashi fish broth is the base for Japanese cuisine. If you ask for no dashi broth, we are unable to accommodate your request.

Strictly vegetarian or vegan - Again this is a challenging request because dashi is the base for many dishes in Japan. We are unable to accommodate your request.

No alcohol - we have had guests who cannot drink but still enjoy meeting the producers and cultural experience

Well that depends on how much you can drink. While there is no limit on the amount of sake you are allowed to drink – we like to take care of our guests and make sure that you still have a good time the next day as well. Let’s put it this way – there will be lot’s and lot’s of really good Japanese sake and we promise that you will never be thirsty! (for sake that is)

You need to be at least 20 years of age to drink alcohol in Japan – therefore you also need to be at least 20 to travel with us.

Guests must be in reasonable health and able to walk short distances (2-300m /300 yards) with no problems. Guests must be comfortable climbing a few flights of stairs and be able to handle their own luggage. You will often be required to remove your shoes and change into slippers or boots at many places.

In many places in Japan you will have to remove your shoes. Some restaurants/ hotels we visit will require you to be barefoot (socks) if you are in a tatami room. Sometimes in traditional style ryokans bedding may be on the floor.

Actually clothing does depend on where and when you are travelling with us. Of course if it is Niigata, Tohoku or Akita – you will need a pair of shoes that are good for snow and warm clothes. Other tours like Kochi are not so cold but still if you are there in winter – a winter jacket etc is needed. As we will be climbing up stairs in old breweries and visiting local farmers and producers please bring sensible footwear. Also you will need to take your shoes off when we enter peoples homes and also for certain dinners on tatami – a few new pairs of socks is always a good investment before a trip to Japan. Dress casual and make sure you are comfortable – there is no need to dress up!

Try to just bring the bare necessities! Don’t pack too much because you will probably want to take some sake or souvenirs home with you. We will let you know once you have booked your tour.

Also you will probably be drinking sake every day on tour – so be sure to bring your game face.