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SHINOGIJapan DMC · Since 2005

incentive travel Japan

Incentive travel Japan: tailor-made reward trips for your teams

An incentive trip should leave a lasting memory. Japan is ideal for it, provided participants get access and moments they could never have arranged on their own.

Open the event brief

Why Japan works for incentives

Japan remains a dream destination for many participants, seen as exclusive, refined and safe. In just a few days, it lets you move between a futuristic megacity, centuries-old temples, outstanding food and nature.

  • An aspirational destination that motivates well before departure
  • A standard of hospitality, omotenashi, that makes each participant feel valued
  • Strong contrasts between Tokyo, Kyoto and Okinawa
  • A level of safety and punctuality that reassures organizers

Creating exclusive moments

An incentive's value lies in the moments people talk about afterward. Subject to availability and permission, we can arrange:

  • A temple visit in Kyoto outside public opening hours
  • A small-group tea ceremony with a master
  • A private dinner in a restaurant or historic venue
  • A private sunset cruise on Tokyo Bay
  • A meeting with a master artisan: swords, lacquer, ceramics, sake
  • A taiko performance or a sumo introduction

Every exclusive access is confirmed in writing with the venue before it goes into the program.

Typical itineraries

  • 4 days Tokyo and Kyoto: arrive at Haneda, two nights in Tokyo, Shinkansen to Kyoto (about 2 hours 15 minutes), one night in a premium hotel or ryokan, departure via Osaka Kansai (KIX).
  • 6 days Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka: add a food-focused evening in Osaka, around Dotonbori or in a private restaurant.
  • 5 days Okinawa: beachfront resort, water activities, beach dinner, Ryukyu culture, with a backup plan for typhoons.
  • Tokyo and Okinawa combination: a domestic flight of about 2 hours 30 minutes from Haneda to Naha to finish with downtime.

Accommodation: from business hotels to private ryokan

The hotel is a strong marker of an incentive. In Tokyo, we favor luxury or upscale conference hotels in Marunouchi, Roppongi or Toranomon. In Kyoto, a ryokan can host part of the group for one night, with a kaiseki dinner and bath.

Ryokan often have limited capacity and their own rules: fixed dinner times, futon rooms and shared baths. We prepare participants for these customs so the experience stays enjoyable.

Logistics and peace of mind

  • Named meet-and-greet at Haneda, Narita, KIX or Naha, with flight tracking
  • Hotel-to-hotel luggage shipping so the group can ride the Shinkansen light
  • Trilingual roadbook and group messaging channel
  • Escort staff sized to the group
  • Dietary management: vegetarian, halal, allergies, alcohol-free
  • 24/7 on-site coordination and weather backups, especially during typhoon season

MICE programmes in Japan

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Counter of a small neighborhood restaurant in Fukuoka in the evening

4 days · Fukuoka

4-Day Fukuoka Incentive Trip

This 4-day Fukuoka incentive trip takes 30 to 120 participants from the city center to the Umi-no-Nakamichi peninsula. It combines a yatai challenge along the Naka River, a morning at Dazaifu Tenmangu shrine, a crossing of Hakata Bay to THE LUIGANS Spa & Resort and a gala dinner facing the sea. Fukuoka Airport is 5 minutes by subway from Hakata Station, which keeps arrival and departure transfers short.

From €2,900 per person, excluding flights

Red gondola in front of a snow-covered peak in the Japanese Alps under a blue sky

4 days · Hakuba

4-Day Hakuba Ski Incentive

This Hakuba ski incentive brings 20 to 120 participants to the Japanese Northern Alps for 4 days, about 3 hours from Tokyo by Hokuriku Shinkansen and coach. The group stays at the foot of the Hakuba Norikura slopes, takes ski or snowshoe lessons by level, unwinds in the onsen and spends one day watching the snow monkeys of Jigokudani. Offered from January to March, starting with the 2027 season.

From €2,900 per person, excluding flights

A fursuiter in a brown dog costume sitting on a park bench

5 days · Nagoya · Tokyo

Japan Furry and Mascot Culture Tour around JMoF

A 5-day programme for a group of fans, a creative studio or a costume and character company, built around Japan Meeting of Furries (JMoF), the largest furry convention in Japan. The 2027 edition runs from 8 to 10 January at Aichi Sky Expo, next to Chubu Centrair airport and about 30 minutes from Nagoya. Three nights in Nagoya with the Osu district, two convention days, then Tokyo for mascot and character culture at Sanrio Puroland and in Akihabara. Fursuits travel by courier or on reserved oversized-baggage seats on the Shinkansen. A version outside convention dates covers the rest of the year.

From €2,600 per person, excluding flights

Snow-covered peaks of the Japanese Alps under a clear winter sky

8 days · Tokyo · Hakuba · Kyoto · Okinawa

8-Day Japan Grand Tour: Tokyo, Hakuba, Kyoto, Okinawa

This 8-day trip for top performers brings together four sides of Japan: Tokyo, the Japanese Alps in Hakuba, Kyoto and Okinawa's west coast. Transfers are realistic: Hokuriku Shinkansen to Nagano then coach to Hakuba, Shinkansen and Thunderbird train via Tsuruga to Kyoto, and a domestic flight from Itami to Naha in about 2 hours. Designed for winter, from mid-December to March, with skiing in Hakuba and mild weather in Okinawa, for 15 to 60 participants.

From €9,600 per person, excluding international flights

A player at a row of illuminated arcade cabinets in a Tokyo game centre

5 days · Tokyo · Kyoto · Osaka

Japan Video Games Tour: Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka in 5 Days

This 5-day incentive follows the thread of Japanese video games from Tokyo to Osaka, by way of Kyoto, Nintendo's home town. It combines a talk with a Japanese industry professional, the gaming floor of Shibuya Parco, game centres, a retro stop in Akihabara, an inter-team esports tournament, a game-soundtrack karaoke night and a day at Super Nintendo World before a gala evening in Osaka. Built for 20 to 100 people from a publisher, a studio, a tech company or an esports team.

From €3,900 per person, excluding flights

Kobe harbor and its red Port Tower under a blue sky

5 days · Osaka · Kyoto

5-Day Osaka, Kobe and Kyoto Gastronomy Journey

This 5-day journey follows Kansai cooking from city to city: Osaka and its starred Kitashinchi counters, a pressed-sushi class and the Sakai knife makers; Kobe, 25 minutes away by train, for a Kobe beef lunch at THE ORIENT in the former foreign settlement; and Kyoto, with a Fushimi sake brewery and a kaiseki dinner at three-Michelin-star Kikunoi Honten. Designed for 10 to 30 guests, with 2 nights in Osaka and 2 nights in Kyoto.

From €7,400 per person, excluding flights

Japan meeting hotels

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Ornate lamps of Nihonbashi Bridge at nightAmbience · Tokyo
ConferenceLuxuryMICE

The Okura Tokyo

Tokyo · Toranomon

An icon of Japanese hospitality rebuilt in 2019, The Okura Tokyo has 508 rooms and 19 function rooms, including the 1,968 m² Heian Room (up to 2,300 theater-style). One of the few luxury hotels in Tokyo able to host a large plenary on site.

Rooms
508
Meeting rooms
19
Max. capacity
2,300

Indicative budget · €€€€

The three-storey pagoda at the heart of Chinzanso's wooded garden
MICEConferenceLuxury

Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo

Tokyo · Mejiro / Bunkyo

A 267-room hotel set in a vast historic garden with a three-story pagoda and a man-made "sea of clouds". 32 function rooms, including the 1,350 m² Grand Hall Tsubaki (up to 2,000 theater-style) overlooking the garden.

Rooms
267
Meeting rooms
32
Max. capacity
2,000

Indicative budget · €€€€

The hotel terraced into the Higashiyama hillside under a blue sky
ConferenceMICELuxury

The Westin Miyako Kyoto

Kyoto · Higashiyama

A historic grand hotel (1890) set against the Higashiyama hills, home to the largest banquet hall in Kyoto Prefecture: Mizuho, 1,650 m² and up to 2,000 theater-style. The place where Kyoto hosts state dinners and major conventions.

Rooms
266
Meeting rooms
19
Max. capacity
2,000

Indicative budget · €€€

The Imperial Hotel's main lobby with its staircase and red rose arrangement
ConferenceLuxuryMICE

Imperial Hotel, Tokyo

Tokyo · Hibiya

The grande dame of Tokyo hotels, facing Hibiya Park. 26 function rooms, including the 1,965 m² Peacock Room (up to 1,800 theater-style, 2,000 for a reception), and a banquet service renowned for protocol-level events.

Rooms
—
Meeting rooms
26
Max. capacity
1,800

Indicative budget · €€€€

The RIHGA Royal Hotel Osaka tower in Nakanoshima
MICEConferenceLuxury

Rihga Royal Hotel Osaka, Vignette Collection

Osaka · Nakanoshima

Osaka's largest conference hotel: about 1,000 rooms, 56 banquet spaces and a 1,360 m² main hall (up to 1,800 theater-style). Renovated and rebranded as a Vignette Collection (IHG) hotel in 2025, it connects directly to Grand Cube Osaka.

Rooms
1,001
Meeting rooms
56
Max. capacity
1,800

Indicative budget · €€€

Hotel Okura Fukuoka in the Hakata Riverain complex
ConferenceMICELuxury

Hotel Okura Fukuoka

Fukuoka · Nakasu

A landmark hotel in Nakasu-Kawabata, directly linked to the subway. Its 1,500 m² Heian no Ma ballroom holds 1,500 in theater style or 800 for a seated dinner, with 11 more rooms for breakouts.

Rooms
264
Meeting rooms
12
Max. capacity
1,500

Indicative budget · €€€

Corporate activities in Japan

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Japanese calligraphy brushes

Tokyo · Kyoto · Osaka · Fukuoka

Japanese calligraphy workshop

A master calligrapher introduces the group to shodo: holding the brush, stroke order, then writing a kanji chosen to express a team value.

60 to 90 minutes · 6–150 pax

A galleon-style cruise ship on Lake Ashi with snow-capped Mount Fuji behind

Tokyo

Lake Ashi cruise and Owakudani ropeway

Hakone's great classic, arranged for a group: crossing Lake Ashi aboard one of Hakone's three "pirate ships", in the special-class cabin or on a private charter, then a ropeway ride above the steam vents of Owakudani, with Mount Fuji as a backdrop on a clear day.

2.5 to 3.5 hours (cruise, ropeway and stop at Owakudani) · 10–300 pax

From ¥15,000 per person

A snowboarder riding powder through a birch forest in Japan

Hakuba

Ski lessons by level and snowshoeing in Hakuba

A snow day where everyone finds their place: ski or snowboard lessons in small level groups with English-speaking instructors at the resorts of the Hakuba Valley, and a guided snowshoe walk through the beech forest for those who do not ski.

Half day (2.5 to 3 hours) or full day · 6–150 pax

From ¥18,000 per person

The Milky Way above a beach and the sea at night

Okinawa

Stargazing on Ishigaki, a certified dark-sky park

A guided evening under the sky of Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park, certified as a Dark Sky Park by the International Dark-Sky Association in 2018, the first in Japan. Loungers, blankets and red lights at an unlit site, with a guide who tells the story of the constellations and, depending on the season, the Southern Cross.

1.5 to 2 hours, in the evening · 2–60 pax

From ¥12,000 per person

A smoking incense stick in a small white dish on a wooden tray

Kyoto

Incense workshop and introduction to kodo

An introduction to kodo, the Japanese art of 'listening' to incense, followed by a workshop where each participant blends their own fragrance from aromatic woods and spices and leaves with a scented sachet.

About 2 hours · 4–30 pax

From ¥31,500 per person

Seasonal kaiseki tray with small ceramic bowls, rice and a candle on a dark table

Kyoto

Private kaiseki dinner in a Kyoto ryotei

A seasonal kaiseki dinner served in a private room of a traditional Kyoto ryotei, with each course, its tableware and its meaning explained through an interpreter.

About 2.5 hours · 4–60 pax

From ¥42,500 per person

Frequently asked questions

What is the ideal length for an incentive trip to Japan?

From Europe, allow at least 5 days on the ground to absorb jet lag and enjoy the program. Four to six nights makes it possible to combine Tokyo and Kyoto, or even Osaka. From elsewhere in Asia, a 3 to 4-day format is already very rich.

When should we hold an incentive in Japan?

The most popular periods are cherry blossom season from late March to early April and autumn colors from mid-November to early December in Kyoto. Both require booking 9 to 12 months ahead. May, October and winter outside the holidays offer a good balance of weather, availability and budget.

Can we book a temple or historic site privately?

Some temples and historic sites accept private visits outside public hours, or events with permission. Conditions vary by site and are never guaranteed in advance. We check feasibility and confirm in writing before any commitment.

Is Okinawa suitable for an incentive trip?

Yes, for a beach incentive or a relaxing end to a trip. Okinawa offers international resorts, beaches and a distinct Ryukyu culture. The best periods are April to June and October to November; typhoon season, mainly July to September, calls for a flexible program.

How do you handle dietary requirements in Japan?

We collect each participant's needs at registration and pass them on in Japanese to every restaurant, ideally several weeks ahead. Vegetarian, gluten-free or halal diets are possible but can narrow restaurant choices, especially for traditional cuisine based on dashi stock.

Event brief

Japan MICE, precisely orchestrated since 2005.

A few details are enough for a first proposal. A dedicated project manager replies within 48 business hours.

Event brief

Japan MICE, precisely orchestrated since 2005.

A few details are enough for a first proposal. A dedicated project manager replies within 48 business hours.