This article appeared in Tokyo Weekender Vol. 1, 2025.
To read the entire issue, click here.
In an age of algorithm-fueled recommendations and AI-generated itineraries, planning a trip is easier than ever — at least in certain ways. For those who genuinely want to wander off the beaten path, this new era poses a unique conundrum: How can you be sure the “hidden gem” you’re reading about is actually a hidden gem and not just a tourist destination that’s been cleverly rebranded as such?
The luxury tour company Untold Japan aims to help with that. It steers guests away from well-known hot spots, offering bespoke tours that transcend simply seeing Japan — a private dinner hosted by a geisha, for instance, or a stay at a historic inn along a legendary samurai trail.
What most sets the company apart is its values: It sees travel as a transformative experience, one that can bridge cultures in a way that’s truly reciprocal. As such, its tours are devised with respect and sustainability in mind, prioritizing tradition and regional revitalization.
A Pandemic Project
Untold Japan was established two years ago by Joshua Lassman-Watts and Christian Closs, a pair of friends with a passion for exploring the country’s lesser-known areas. It was an enthusiasm that had bloomed during the pandemic, when Japan’s borders were closed to foreign travelers. Both Lassman-Watts and Closs were based in Japan, and both suddenly found themselves without work in a country devoid of international tourists. They took the time to truly explore, and thanks to Closs’ decade-long experience as a tour guide, they were able to visit off-the-radar areas and get to know them intimately.
Inspired by the unforgettable, crowdless travels they had, Lassman-Watts and Closs put their heads together to create the bare bones of Untold Japan. “We spent six months or so putting together a terrible website, a terrible plan and getting all the connections we could,” Lassman-Watts says. “It was just a template, but the idea and concept were there. We want a luxury tour company that gives back. We take people to places that are off the beaten path, but [where you can] have a real connection — where the people want us there.”
Untold Japan launched its website on April 1, 2023, as the country was readjusting to an influx of foreign visitors. Within the week, the company had an astonishing 1,000 inquiries, and it’s only continued to grow since its explosive start. In 2024, it won Best Luxury Tour Operator in Tokyo in the Luxury Lifestyle Awards, and it’s been featured in media outlets like National Geographic and The Guardian.
Genuine Interactions
As part of its mission, Untold Japan employs a fleet of bilingual tour guides who can help guests bridge language barriers and immerse themselves more fully as they travel. “It’s not just about going to a shop and buying something,” Lassman-Watts emphasizes. If you just ask questions, he continues, you’ll often discover a fascinating story — the person working at the store will “turn out to be the seventh-generation doll maker or something. That’s what matters: for that story to be put out there more.”
Untold Japan has a broader mission of raising awareness about smaller, often overlooked areas that would benefit from increased visitors. Lassman-Watts shares the example of a community in Mie Prefecture, where the centuries-old tradition of pearl farming, once vital to the area, was in danger of disappearing. However, after the construction of a hotel that attracted tourism, the area experienced a remarkable revitalization, extending even to the pearl farm.
Today, Untold Japan partners with the hotel as part of its Untold Hotels initiative, sending visitors to the region. “I went to the farm recently myself, and they’ve just hired two 24- or 25-year-olds,” Lassman-Watts says. “They’re like the first 20-something-year-olds to work there for years. We’re not a direct part of their development, but the fact that we can take guests there and tell that story is amazing.”
The Art of Connection
Untold Japan specializes in the delicate art of Japanese introduction. Lassman-Watts references the phrase “Ichigensan wa okotowari”: “We don’t accept first-timers.” “From an English perspective, it’s really rude, right? But in Japanese, it’s pertinent, it’s good. It keeps [the establishment] pure. Anyone can’t just come in and make a mess — there has to be an introduction, and the responsibility then falls on the person who’s introduced you,” he explains.
Untold Japan’s network of trust is arguably its most valuable asset. From working closely with a teahouse in Kyoto to arrange private meetings with geisha — who are famously private and hard to meet without proper introduction — to securing highly desired sumo tickets, Untold Japan acts as a socially savvy middleman, connecting international guests with some of Japan’s most exclusive experiences.
“Japan is one of the only countries in the world where money can’t buy you everything,” Lassman-Watts says. “Connecting is one of the most important things we do.”
Book your own Untold Japan tour on the company’s website.
