Celebrating 10 Years

Happy 10-Year Anniversary to the Arigato Travel family!

We can’t believe it’s already been a decade of helping people turn their Japan dreams into reality. Here’s to many more years ahead.


10 Years of Arigato Travel

Founded in 2016 by Anne Kyle, Arigato Travel began as a one-woman passion project, with Anne personally guiding the company’s first 300 tours. Ten years later, Arigato Travel has grown into a global team of over 150 members and 500+ expert guides, offering immersive experiences that highlight Japan’s delicious food, culture, and everyday life while encouraging more mindful, sustainable travel.

100,000+

Guests Hosted

4,150+

5-Star Reviews

40+

Prefectures Covered

10

Years of Experience

Today, Arigato Travel operates across 7 culinary destinations with 46 walking food tours and custom multi-day journeys across Japan. Since 2016, the company has welcomed guests from around the world, supporting local communities and regional traditions in more than 40 prefectures. Arigato Travel has been featured in leading international media, including CNN Travel, Forbes, BBC, and Travel + Leisure. The company has consistently earned TripAdvisor’s Certificate of Excellence since 2017 and is a proud member of the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association (IGLTA) and the Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA).
Image
Image
Image

Our Journey Together

2016

Where It All Began

  • Our Story Began with Our Very First Cooking Class
  • Launched Our First Official Guided Food Tour
  • Expanded Our Footprint to Osaka and Kyoto
  • Welcomed Our First 1,000 Guests to Japan

2017

First Recognition

  • Earned Our 1st TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Award

2018

Expanding Our Horizons

  • Partnered with Shizuoka for Our First Prefectural Project
  • Brought Our Signature Tour Style to Mt. Fuji
  • Introduced Travelers to the Historic Flavors of Hiroshima
  • Won Our 2nd TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Award

2019

Building Momentum

  • Won Our 3rd TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Award

2021

Resilience & Continued Excellence

  • Won Our 4th TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Award

2023

Growing Our Reach

  • Established Our Dedicated CMD Team for Tailored Travel
  • Earned Global Features with Elsewhere and Lonely Planet

2024

A Year of Milestones

  • Obtained Our Official DMC License and JATA Membership
  • Won Our 5th TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Award

2025

Strengthening Our Community

  • Grew Our Passionate Team Past 100 Members
  • Introduced the Heroes of Suruga Regional Partnership
  • Advanced Inclusive Travel as a Proud Member of IGLTA

2026

Celebrating a Decade Together

  • Approached a Monumental Milestone of 100,000 Welcomed Guests
  • Won Our 6th TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Award
From Our Partners

Arigato Teams

Arigato Travel would not be who we are today without the hard work of all of our teams and their members. Every step of our guests' journey is a labor of love from every member of the family. Whether it's the marketing team helping to spark the initial interest, the administration team making sure booking and tour information is accurate, our guides making sure the tours and activities are entertaining and informative, the HR team making sure the guides are well-prepared, our tailored travel operations team making custom itineraries for their guests, the finance team making sure payments and budgets are smooth, our intern army helping us while developing their own skills for their future careers, or our leadership team inspiring us all to move forward, Arigato Travel works best when we're all collaborating.
Leadership

Leadership

Our founders and general manager built Arigato from the ground up and have made the company what it is today.

Travel Operations

Travel Operations

Our travel agents, concierge, and operations admin all work together to plan out full, personalized itineraries for our guests to have their dream Japan journey.

Administration

Administration

Our admin team helps keep everything behind the scenes moving smoothly like a well-oiled machine.

Hiring & Training

Hiring & Training

The hiring & training team interviews the best guides and makes sure they're prepared for the best tours for our guests.

Finance

Finance

The finance team makes sure everything is calculated correctly and makes budgeting and payments hassle-free.

Marketing

Marketing

The marketing team researches Japan constantly to bring our guests up-to-date information on traditions, trends, and news, keeping you informed and excited for Japan.

Guides

Guides

Our guides are the most personable part of the guest experience, meeting with them face-to-face, becoming a highlight of their journey and making sure they leave full and happy.

Interns

Interns

The intern team is constantly working to improve themselves and assist us in any way they can, providing content, research, filming, and so much more.

Our Favorite Testimonials From Over The Years

Read more about Arigato Travel!

Arigato Travel Logo
Land Operator and Tokyo Metropolitan Government Registered Travel Agency No. 2-8620
TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence, Traveler's Choice
Accreditation Reference Badges

Get A Taste Of Japan!

Join our global community and receive seasonal newsletter for travel tips local discoveries and limited time offers