1. Parties & Definitions
These Terms & Conditions ("Terms") are an agreement between Yutori LLC, a Massachusetts limited liability company doing business as Yutori Japan ("Yutori," "we," "us"), and the person or persons named below ("Client," "you"). By signing below, confirming your agreement by email, clicking to accept, paying a Service Fee, or otherwise using our services, you accept these Terms on behalf of yourself and every traveler in your party.
Services means the itinerary design, accommodation curation, booking coordination, guided tours and trip support described in Section 2.
Suppliers means hotels, ryokan, tour operators, guides, rail and transport providers, restaurants and any other third party that delivers part of your trip.
Service Fee means the non-refundable fee for our planning work, set out in Schedule A.
Tour Fee means the fee for a guided tour operated by Yutori, set out in Schedule A.
Trip Costs means amounts payable to Suppliers for your trip. Trip Costs are not part of the Service Fee.
Written consent means consent given in writing, including by email or through our client portal. Messages sent by chat or social media are welcome for conversation, but booking approvals and payment authorizations must be confirmed by email.
Travelers means every person traveling under this agreement. The Client confirms they are authorized to accept these Terms on behalf of all Travelers, including minors. When several families or households travel together, the Client is the single primary contact for the group: we take instructions from, send documents to, and bill the Client, who is responsible for sharing information with and collecting payment from the other Travelers.
Departure Date means the first day of travel on your itinerary.
Independent business. Yutori is an independent travel advisory business. Yutori is affiliated with Fora Travel, LLC ("Fora") as its host agency and is a member of the Virtuoso network through Fora; most bookings and commissions are processed through Fora. Neither Fora nor Virtuoso is a party to this agreement, provides the Services, or has any obligation to you under these Terms. Your relationship is with Yutori alone, and these Terms protect Yutori independently of Fora and Virtuoso.
2. Scope of Services
Yutori designs custom Japan itineraries and coordinates bookings with third-party Suppliers. We do not operate hotels, transportation services, or other third-party tours and experiences ourselves. Yutori does, however, offer walking tours in Tokyo and surrounding areas, which our team operates directly.
How we work
Inquiry form. You tell us about your dates, party, interests and budget.
Discovery call. We talk through your trip and how we can help.
Terms and Service Fee. You receive these Terms and Schedule A, accept them, and pay the Service Fee. Planning starts when the fee is received.
Planning. We share a collaborative working document and build your itinerary in it, including accommodation options and each Supplier's cancellation terms.
Main bookings. With your written consent and payment of the related Trip Costs, we book accommodations, insurance, tours, transfers and attractions and send you each confirmation.
Daily itineraries. We finalize the day-by-day plan and the smaller details — dining, local transfers, museums, shopping.
Run-through call. We walk you through the itinerary, answer questions and make final adjustments.
Final delivery. Two to four weeks before departure you receive the final itinerary as a live digital document, with confirmations, tickets and contact details, and we support you during your trip.
Included in the Service Fee: the discovery call, the working document and proposed itinerary, up to 2 rounds of revisions, curated accommodation recommendations, the run-through call and the final travel document. We also offer support during travel. Replacing a hotel or experience that turns out to be unavailable with a comparable alternative is part of our work and does not count as a revision.
Additional revisions beyond those included, and changes requested after the final itinerary is delivered, are billed at the rate in Schedule A.
Bookings. We arrange bookings with Suppliers only on your written consent and after payment of the related Trip Costs. Each booking is a contract between you and the Supplier, subject to that Supplier's own terms.
Hotel benefits. Complimentary amenities, upgrades and other benefits at partner hotels are offered by the hotel, are subject to availability, and are not guaranteed.
Flights. Your booked flight details and all transfers are included in the itinerary document, and we can suggest routings. We do not sell or ticket flights (see Section 9).
During travel we provide on-the-ground support by WhatsApp and email during daytime hours, Japan Standard Time, on travel days. Urgent matters outside those hours will be addressed as soon as reasonably possible. Yutori is a small team and is not an emergency service: in an emergency call local emergency services first (110 police; 119 fire and ambulance) or the 24-hour English-language Japan Visitor Hotline (050-3816-2787).
Not included: flight booking or ticketing, visa or immigration services, travel insurance premiums (policies are available through us; see Section 7) and anything not listed in your itinerary.
On restaurants: we will recommend and offer restaurant booking links, but we do not typically book restaurants on behalf of clients. We will offer help in any way we can.
We may decline or discontinue Services for non-payment, abusive conduct toward our staff or Suppliers, or requests we consider unsafe or unlawful. Service Fees already earned are not refunded; unspent Trip Costs are returned subject to Supplier policies.
3. Fees & Payment
All fees are listed in Schedule A, which forms part of these Terms. Fees are in US dollars unless stated otherwise.
Service Fee. The Service Fee is quoted to you in writing before you engage us, is payable in full before planning begins, and is non-refundable once work has started. Itinerary design is charged per itinerary day with a minimum of $500, which covers up to five days. Accommodation-only curation carries a smaller fee, waived if you have already chosen your accommodation.
Private guided tours by Yutori. Tour Fees are listed in Schedule A and cover groups of up to 5 people; each additional person is $50 for a 4 hour tour, $100 for a 8 hour/full day tour. Tour Fees are payable in full at booking.
Ticketing fee. A per-person ticketing fee applies to Shinkansen reservations and to some attractions requiring advance or timed-entry tickets. It does not apply to tours operated by Yutori. We will obtain your written consent before purchasing any ticket.
Non-partner accommodation fee. Yutori typically earns a commission from hotels in the Fora and other partner networks. For accommodations outside those networks, a booking fee of 10% of the room cost applies in lieu of commission. You may book a non-partner property yourself; we will include it in your itinerary but cannot manage changes or problems with a reservation we did not make.
Excursion coordination fee. A fee of 10% of the total excursion cost applies to full-day or multi-day excursions in which we coordinate several Suppliers into one program — for example a private driver, a separate guide, a timed activity and meal reservations that must align. Booking a single tour or activity with one operator carries no coordination fee. We will tell you before you approve any excursion whether the fee applies.
Priority planning fee. A priority planning fee applies when planning begins fewer than 45 days before the Departure Date.
Trip Costs. Trip Costs must be paid in full before we confirm a booking. Supplier prices and availability can change until payment is received and the booking is confirmed.
Currency and taxes. Supplier prices quoted in Japanese yen are converted at the rate on the date of payment. Japanese consumption tax, accommodation taxes and bath taxes may be payable locally and are not included unless stated.
Commissions. You acknowledge that Yutori may receive commissions or other compensation from Suppliers, Fora, Virtuoso and insurers in connection with your bookings.
Invoicing and payment. Invoices may be issued through our host agency’s payment platform or directly by Yutori, and will state the accepted payment methods. Service Fees and Tour Fees may be paid by bank transfer, Zelle, Venmo or card; Trip Costs are paid through our host agency’s platform. By providing a payment card you authorize us to charge it for Service Fees, Tour Fees and Trip Costs you have approved in writing. You agree to contact us to resolve any billing dispute before initiating a chargeback. Card details are held only in our host agency's secure, PCI-compliant booking platform, are used only for charges you have approved, and are removed from your file once all bookings for your trip are complete. Yutori does not keep card numbers in its own records, email or documents.
Late payment. Unpaid Trip Costs may result in a Supplier releasing your reservation. We are not responsible for availability or price changes caused by late payment.
4. Client Responsibilities
Accurate information and timely decisions from you are essential to a smooth trip.
Provide each Traveler's full legal name exactly as it appears on their passport, date of birth, and any other details a Supplier requires. You are responsible for costs arising from inaccurate information.
Tell us in advance about dietary requirements, allergies, mobility limitations, medical needs or other requests. We will pass them to Suppliers and ask them to accommodate, but we cannot guarantee that a Supplier will do so.
Review every itinerary, confirmation and booking we send and tell us promptly of any error.
Respond to requests for decisions, approvals and payments within the time we indicate; delays may mean an option is no longer available.
Behave respectfully toward Suppliers, their staff and other guests, and follow Supplier rules (for example tattoo policies at onsen, shoe removal, quiet hours). Suppliers may refuse service for behavior they consider unacceptable, without refund.
Children remain the responsibility of their accompanying adults at all times.
5. Changes, Cancellation & Refunds
Service Fees and Tour Fees are non-refundable; refunds of Trip Costs depend entirely on each Supplier's cancellation policy.
Changes you request. Changes after the final itinerary is delivered are billed at the revision rate in Schedule A plus any Supplier change fees.
Cancellation by you. Notify us in writing. We will request refunds from Suppliers on your behalf, but Suppliers set their own cancellation terms and penalties. Many Japanese ryokan, small inns and private guides charge 50% to 100% of the booking for cancellations within 7 days of arrival, and some are non-refundable from the time of booking. Before you approve any booking we will give you a consolidated summary of each Supplier's cancellation deadline and penalty, updated as bookings are added; it is your responsibility to keep track of those deadlines.
Postponement. If you postpone, we may, at our discretion, apply payments already made toward a rescheduled itinerary within 12 months, subject to Supplier policies and the rebooking fee in Schedule A. The rebooking fee applies only to postponements you request, not to changes caused by Suppliers, weather or other events outside your control.
Changes by Suppliers. If a Supplier cancels, changes or closes, we will make reasonable efforts to find a comparable alternative at no additional fee from us. Any price difference is your responsibility, and any refund depends on the Supplier.
Refund timing. Supplier refunds are passed to you as we receive them. Yutori does not advance refunds and is not responsible for Supplier delays.
No-shows and unused services are non-refundable.
Yutori tours. Tours operated by Yutori may be cancelled or rescheduled by you free of charge up to 7 days before the tour date; within that window the Tour Fee is non-refundable. If we must cancel a tour, you receive a full refund of the Tour Fee or a rescheduled date, at your choice.
Refund disputes. If you cancel, we will send the Supplier's written response showing what was requested and what was returned. Any refund a Supplier pays to us is passed to you within 5 business days of our receipt. If a Supplier refuses a refund you believe you are owed, the dispute is between you and the Supplier; we will support your claim against the Supplier or your travel insurer with the documentation we hold. A dispute about Trip Costs or a Supplier refund does not entitle you to withhold, reclaim or charge back Service Fees or Tour Fees for work already performed, and such a chargeback is a breach of these Terms. If we have received a Supplier refund and not passed it to you, that is a claim against Yutori under Section 14.
6. Third-Party Suppliers & Limitation of Liability
Yutori is an intermediary for Supplier services: we select and coordinate Suppliers but do not control them and are not liable for their acts or omissions.
Suppliers. Yutori is not responsible for errors, omissions, cancellations, delays, injuries, losses or service failures caused by any Supplier, airline, rail operator or other third party. Claims regarding a Supplier's service must be made against that Supplier under its own terms. We will assist you in good faith with such claims.
Events beyond our control. Yutori is not liable for loss, injury, delay or additional expense caused by weather, natural disasters (including earthquakes, typhoons and volcanic activity), illness, government action, strikes, transport disruption or other circumstances beyond our reasonable control.
Cap. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Yutori's total liability for all claims arising from the Services, including tours operated by Yutori, shall not exceed the Service Fees and Tour Fees you paid to Yutori for the trip concerned.
Excluded damages. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Yutori is not liable for indirect, incidental, consequential or punitive damages, including lost vacation time, lost enjoyment or lost wages.
Exceptions. Nothing in these Terms limits liability for Yutori's own gross negligence, willful misconduct or fraud, or any liability that cannot be limited under applicable law, including the Massachusetts Consumer Protection Act (M.G.L. c. 93A).
Accuracy of information. Itinerary details, opening hours, prices and descriptions are provided in good faith from Supplier information and may change without notice.
7. Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend that every Traveler hold travel insurance covering trip cancellation and interruption, medical care and evacuation, and baggage. Yutori can offer travel insurance from its insurance partners and can provide a quote with your itinerary.
Policies we offer are issued by the insurer named in the policy documents. The insurer, not Yutori, sets coverage, exclusions, pre-existing-condition rules and claims decisions. Read the policy before purchase and direct all claims to the insurer.
Yutori may receive a commission on insurance sold. We offer insurance as a travel retailer under our host agency's arrangements and do not give individualized insurance advice; we can explain what a plan covers in general terms, and the insurer can answer specific coverage questions.
Pre-existing-condition waivers and "cancel for any reason" options usually must be purchased within a short window (often 14 to 21 days) after your first trip payment. Ask about insurance when you pay the Service Fee.
You are free to buy insurance from any provider. If you decline insurance, you accept full financial responsibility for cancellation penalties, medical costs and other losses that insurance would have covered, and we may ask you to confirm the decision in writing.
Japanese hospitals may require payment at the time of treatment; US health plans often provide limited or no coverage abroad.
8. Passports, Entry Requirements & Medications
Each Traveler is solely responsible for meeting passport, visa, entry and health requirements for Japan and for any transit country.
Japan requires a passport valid for the duration of your stay. We recommend at least six months' validity.
Japan's entry rules, including any pre-registration or electronic authorization requirements, can change. Check the official visa, entry and vaccination requirements for your nationality, for Japan and for any transit country, before travel.
Identification for US flights. US domestic flights require a REAL ID-compliant driver's license or another TSA-accepted identification such as a passport. Yutori is not responsible if a Traveler is denied boarding because of non-compliant or expired identification.
Caution: Japan enforces strict controls on medications. Some common US prescriptions and over-the-counter drugs (including certain stimulants, codeine-containing products and pseudoephedrine) are restricted or prohibited, and others require an import certificate (Yakkan Shoumei) in advance. Verify your medications with the Japanese consulate or Ministry of Health before travel and carry prescriptions in their original packaging.
Yutori is not liable for denied boarding, denied entry or other disruption caused by passport, identification, visa, health or medication issues.
9. Flights, Trains & Transfers
Yutori does not sell or ticket flights; airline matters are between you and the airline.
Confirm flight schedules directly with the airline and check for changes within 24 hours of departure. Arrive at the airport at least 3 hours before international flights and 2 hours before domestic flights.
Yutori is not responsible for airline schedule changes, cancellations, missed connections, fare changes, booking errors or refund processing.
Rail and transfer bookings we arrange are subject to the operator's terms. Once issued, Shinkansen and other reserved tickets are generally non-refundable or carry change fees set by the operator. Verify train times before travel; we are not responsible for schedule changes, suspensions or missed trains.
Transfers and private drivers are Suppliers under Section 6.
10. Health, Activities & Assumption of Risk
Travel involves risk, and you accept the risks inherent in the activities included in your itinerary.
Activities such as hiking, cycling, skiing, snorkeling, diving, hot-spring bathing, cooking classes and festivals carry inherent risks of injury. By participating you accept those risks for yourself and any minors in your care. This applies equally to walking tours operated by Yutori, during which you remain responsible for your own safety, belongings and any minors in your care; Yutori's liability for its own tours is limited as set out in Section 6.
You are responsible for assessing your own fitness for each activity and for disclosing conditions that may affect your safety. Suppliers may refuse participation for safety reasons.
Yutori provides general information about Japan's healthcare, accessibility and safety in good faith but makes no guarantee of its accuracy or completeness.
Public venues in Japan, including many traditional inns and rail stations, may have limited accessibility. Tell us about mobility needs early so we can choose suitable Suppliers.
11. Confidentiality, Privacy & Use of Photos
We keep your personal and travel details confidential and share them only as needed to deliver your trip.
We collect names, contact details, passport information, payment details and preferences to arrange your trip. We share them with Suppliers and our host agency only as required for bookings, and with service providers (such as payment processors and our itinerary platform) who act on our behalf.
We will not use your photos, name or travel details in marketing, social media or testimonials without your written consent.
We take reasonable measures to protect your information but cannot guarantee the security of information sent by email or other electronic means, and are not responsible for breaches beyond our reasonable control or for Suppliers' handling of your data under their own policies.
Card details are held only in our host agency's secure booking platform, used only for charges you have approved, and removed from your file once all bookings for your trip are complete; Yutori does not keep card numbers in its own records. Passport copies are deleted from our records once the bookings that require them are confirmed.
We retain trip records for 7 years for accounting and legal purposes. You may ask us to correct or delete personal information not required for those purposes.
Our full privacy policy is at yutorijapan.com/privacy-policy.
12. Intellectual Property
Itineraries, recommendations, travel documents and other materials we prepare remain Yutori's property and are licensed to you for personal, non-commercial use on your trip.
You may share them with Travelers in your party. You may not resell, publish, or provide them to other travel businesses, or use them to book the same arrangements directly with Suppliers to avoid our fees.
"Yutori" and the Yutori logo are trademarks of Yutori LLC. Yutori's name, logo and website content may not be used without permission.
13. Force Majeure
Neither party is liable for failure to perform caused by events beyond its reasonable control, including natural disasters, earthquakes, typhoons, epidemics, civil unrest, war, terrorism, strikes, transport failures or government travel restrictions.
In such cases Yutori will make reasonable efforts to reschedule or propose alternatives. Refunds of Trip Costs remain subject to Supplier policies, and additional costs for alternatives are your responsibility.
Service Fees remain non-refundable; where a trip is postponed because of a force majeure event we will apply the Service Fee to the rescheduled trip without a rebooking fee.
14. Complaints, Governing Law & Dispute Resolution
Tell us about problems during your trip so we can fix them while you are there; disputes that remain are resolved under Massachusetts law.
Complaints. Notify us promptly of any problem during travel. Any claim against Yutori must be made in writing within 30 days after the end of the trip, with supporting details, so that we can investigate with Suppliers.
Governing law. These Terms are governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, without regard to its conflict-of-law rules.
Negotiation and mediation. The parties will first try in good faith to resolve any dispute by direct discussion. If unresolved within 30 days, either party may request mediation in Boston, Massachusetts, with a mediator agreed by both parties; mediation costs are shared equally.
Binding arbitration. Any dispute not resolved by mediation shall be resolved by binding arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association under its Consumer Arbitration Rules, before a single arbitrator, in Boston, Massachusetts, or by video conference if the arbitrator so decides. Judgment on the award may be entered in any court with jurisdiction. Either party may instead bring a qualifying claim in small claims court in Norfolk County, Massachusetts.
Jury trial and class action waiver. TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, EACH PARTY WAIVES THE RIGHT TO A TRIAL BY JURY AND AGREES THAT DISPUTES WILL BE BROUGHT ONLY ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS AND NOT AS A CLASS, CONSOLIDATED OR REPRESENTATIVE ACTION.
Costs. Arbitration fees are allocated under the AAA Consumer Arbitration Rules. Each party otherwise bears its own attorneys' fees and costs, except where a statute provides otherwise.
15. General Provisions
Entire agreement. These Terms, Schedule A and your written itinerary are the entire agreement between you and Yutori and replace any prior discussions.
Changes to these Terms. We may update these Terms for future trips. The version you accepted applies to your trip unless you agree to a new version in writing.
Severability. If any provision is found unenforceable, it will be enforced to the extent permitted and the rest of the Terms remain in effect.
No waiver. Our failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver of it.
Assignment. You may not transfer this agreement without our written consent. We may use affiliates and contractors to perform the Services.
Notices. Notices are effective when sent by email to the addresses each party has provided.
Electronic acceptance. Electronic signatures and acceptance by email or through our client portal are binding. An email from you stating that you agree to these Terms has the same effect as your signature below.
Survival. Sections 3, 5, 6, 11, 12 and 14 survive completion or termination of the Services.
Version. Yutori Terms & Conditions v2026.2, effective October 15, 2026.
16. Acknowledgment & Authorization
Clients accept these Terms by signature, email confirmation, click-to-agree or payment of the Service Fee, as described above.
Yutori provides these Terms to every Client before requesting any payment, and asks for acceptance by signature, email confirmation or click-to-agree before the Service Fee is charged. Please read Section 14 in particular, which contains an arbitration agreement and a waiver of jury trial and class actions.