Jeff Aasgaard Travel Expert in Japan

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Jeff Aasgaard

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Travel Experts

Jeff Aasgaard

About Jeff

I first moved to Japan when I was 20. My dad was transferred to Hiroshima for work and I spent the summer there. Then, when I returned to college, I changed my major to include Japanese language, culture, and history. My parents stayed in Japan for two years so I got to return and do a 9-month independent study of modern Japanese history through my university. After graduation, I moved to Japan to study Japanese and learn more about the culture. Being in Japan got me interested in travel and showing people the real Japan. The tipping point was when I was in Kyoto and I saw a large tour group coming out of a bus, they looked so tired and disconnected! I knew there had to be a better way, and I have been in the travel industry ever since.

Jeff's Expertise

My team and I build custom and small group tours all over Japan. We mostly focus on cultural and general sightseeing but also put together specialty tours like sewing, anime, cycling, and hiking tours. Basically, we can set up anything that our travelers want to do. I work closely with our arrangement crew to create a custom trip that is perfect for our travelers.

Best Travel Experience

One of my fondest travel experiences was climbing to the top of Mt Fuji. I was living in Hiroshima at the time so it was a long train ride just to get there. From a distance, Mt Fuji is an amazingly majestic mountain, but up close it is a large pile of lava rocks! This was a bit disappointing, but the climb was worth it. We starting the climb from the 5th station in the early afternoon and climbed until the 8th station were we had a very basic but also very good dinner. We then slept for a few hours before starting the climb to see the sunrise. Too bad it was raining and did not stop until we got above the clouds. Then, it was like being on the edge of the world as all I could see was clouds. The view from our mountain hut’s balcony was just cloud, it was otherworldly. We got to the top, enjoyed a beer (who carried the beer to the top?!) enjoyed the views and then headed back down. The path down was steep so we did not really walk down but did a kind of skip or like the men on the moon. At the bottom, we had a very nice meal, took a hot spring bath and then headed back to Hiroshima for the night. It was a long two days but completely worth it.

Why is Jeff the right travel expert?

The most important part of my job is to listen to travelers and then make suggestions that can be included in their trip. This takes time but the results are worth it. I can then arrange a trip with an eye on every detail — from their room within a given hotel to the exact train route they take. I also carefully vent all of the activities and guides we include in our trip and then monitor them to ensure that the quality level is maintained. The goal is to maximize enjoyment with the limited amount of time the visitor has in Japan. Most importantly, I am not just one person. I work with an incredible team of travel experts, all of whom will help give your trip the attention it deserves.

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Why is Jeff the right travel expert?

Create your custom-made trip with Jeff Aasgaard