Frequently Asked Questions

tastetrip is an online booking platform for Japan-based experiences operated by tourcandy K.K. We carefully curate over 400 local merchants across five categories: dining, beauty, cultural experiences, outdoor activities, and transportation. Travellers can browse, book, and pay online — no account registration required.

tourcandy K.K. is the operating company; tastetrip is its consumer-facing travel experience brand. tourcandy also provides Japanese local merchants with overseas OTA listing, multilingual operations, and sales services. The platform earns revenue from merchant commissions; no additional fees are charged to consumers.

No. tastetrip supports guest checkout. You only need to provide contact details (name, email, phone) and payment information at checkout. A reservation number will be automatically generated and emailed to you; with this number, you can view, modify, or cancel your order at any time via the "Reservation Lookup" page.

Yes. When booking, please use the actual visitor's name (matching their passport) as the reservation name, and note in the comments that this is a booking made on behalf of someone else, along with the visitor's contact information. The confirmation email and voucher will be sent to your email; please forward them to the actual visitor.

We currently cover all of Japan, including major cities (Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Sapporo, Fukuoka, Naha, Nagoya, Yokohama, Kobe) and selected regional cities and remote islands. New merchants are added regularly. Please visit the "City Guides" page to see the complete list of bookable cities and merchants.

tastetrip covers five main categories: Dining (Michelin, Wagyu, ryotei, sushi, hotpot, yakiniku, izakaya, etc.); Beauty (head spa, spa, massage, nail, wellness, medical beauty, etc.); Cultural Experiences (kimono, tea ceremony, maiko, gold leaf, handcrafts, etc.); Outdoor Activities (snorkeling, paragliding, yakatabune cruises, skiing, etc.); Transportation (airport transfers, chartered cars, buses, etc.).

Secondary confirmation is tastetrip's standard booking process. After you place an order and complete payment, our local team contacts the merchant to confirm they can accommodate your reservation. Until the merchant confirms, your reservation is "Pending Confirmation." You will receive an email with the result within 24 hours. If the merchant cannot accommodate the booking, your payment will be refunded in full via the original payment method, with no fees charged.

Lead times vary by merchant. Most experiences, beauty, and outdoor activities accept bookings 1–3 days in advance. Mid- to high-end restaurants are best booked 7–14 days ahead, and Michelin-starred or popular venues are best booked 30+ days in advance. Please refer to the "Minimum Advance Booking" indicator on each merchant page. Some merchants offer an "Instant Confirmation" label, meaning confirmation is granted immediately upon booking.

Most merchants have a maximum group size displayed on the product page. If your group exceeds this limit or includes 8 or more guests, please contact [email protected] with your preferred merchant, date, time, and group size. We will coordinate with the merchant to confirm feasibility and any applicable fees, and reply with a quote.

Policies vary by merchant. Some restaurants have age restrictions (e.g., 12 and above); experience activities often have age requirements; aside from service animals (e.g., guide dogs), most Japanese venues do not accept pets. Please check the "Age Restrictions" and "House Rules" sections on each product page, and note any accompanying companions in the booking remarks.

Yes. All prices shown on tastetrip include Japanese consumption tax (10%). The total displayed at checkout is the amount you will be charged. No additional tax is collected on-site for the product itself.

The vast majority of merchants do not charge consumers any additional service fee. A small number of high-end restaurants or popular hard-to-book venues may include a merchant-collected booking service fee; this is already included in the price displayed on tastetrip. The displayed price is the total amount due at the venue.

We accept three types of payment: (1) Credit/Debit Cards — VISA, Mastercard, American Express, JCB, Diners Club, Discover; (2) WeChat Pay; (3) Alipay (including Huabei).

All transactions are settled in Japanese Yen (JPY). tastetrip displays a reference amount in your interface language: Simplified Chinese shows RMB, Traditional Chinese shows TWD, English shows USD, Korean shows KRW, Japanese shows JPY directly. The actual charge is processed at the exchange rate of your bank or payment provider at the time of payment and may differ slightly from the displayed reference amount.

Yes. After booking, an electronic receipt (PDF) is automatically sent to your registered email. For a corporate invoice or a qualified Japanese consumption tax invoice (インボイス), please contact [email protected] with: company name, address, billing name, and tax ID if applicable. We will issue the document within 5 business days.

Generally no — the amount you paid on tastetrip already covers the product itself, Japanese consumption tax, and any merchant service fee. However, the following must be paid on-site: (1) Additional products or services purchased in-store; (2) Price difference arising from a change you make to the service after arrival (e.g., adding dishes, upgrading the set); (3) Extra charges arising from your special requests (e.g., flowers, cake, decorations); (4) Other charges imposed by venue rules (e.g., overtime, additional drinks).

Price differences are handled in two scenarios: (1) Due to the merchant: If the merchant provides less than what you booked (e.g., missing dishes, shortened service time), please keep relevant evidence and contact [email protected] as soon as possible. We will refund the difference after verifying with the merchant. (2) Due to the customer: If you voluntarily change the service content on the day of visit (e.g., switching dishes, changing group size), any increase in amount must be paid on-site; any decrease is treated as a same-day change and is non-refundable per the cancellation policy.

If your order is unpaid (reservation created but payment not yet made), you can cancel directly from the "Reservation Lookup" page at no charge. If payment has been completed, please contact [email protected] with your reservation number; our team will process the cancellation according to the cancellation policy of the chosen product and inform you of any refundable amount.

If your order is unpaid, simply cancel via the "Reservation Lookup" page and place a new order. If payment is completed and the order is still within the free-modification window, contact [email protected] with the desired changes (package, number of guests, notes, etc.). Our team will process the request and inform you of any price difference or refund. Orders past the free-modification window generally cannot be modified.

Within the free-modification window, you can request a free date/time change via customer support — please contact us as early as possible. After the free-modification window, modifications are generally not accepted. However, if circumstances reasonably warrant a change, our team can offer one (1) free modification per order, within ±1 month of the original date and subject to merchant availability. If the merchant has no available slot, the change cannot be made. Once a free modification is used, no further date/time changes will be accepted on that order.

Cancellation policies vary by merchant. Please refer to each product page for specifics. Typical standards: • Experiences, beauty, outdoor: free cancellation up to 24–48 hours before start time • Mid- to high-end restaurants: free cancellation up to 3–7 days before (by 00:00 of that day) • Michelin / hard-to-book venues: free cancellation up to 7 days before (by 00:00 of that day) • Vouchers (unused): free refund any time before redemption After the free-cancellation window closes, fees (typically 50%–100% of the order) apply per the rate disclosed on the product page.

No refund will be issued in the following cases, per the cancellation rules disclosed on the product page: (1) The order is past the free-cancellation window; (2) Customer no-shows at the reserved time; (3) The merchant cannot provide service due to customer's own actions (e.g., arriving more than 15 minutes late, violating house rules, presenting false ID); (4) The amount difference caused by the customer's unilateral reduction in group size or content; (5) Customer violates Japanese local laws or regulations while using the service.

Refunds are returned via the original payment method. Processing time varies by payment channel; please consult your payment provider (e.g., your card issuer) for details.

If you cannot arrive at the reserved time due to natural disasters (earthquake, blizzard, volcanic eruption), mass flight delays, sudden venue closures, or other force majeure events, please contact [email protected] as early as possible — and before the reservation time — providing supporting evidence (airline delay statement, weather alerts, official announcements, etc.). tastetrip will assess third-party evidence and assist in arranging a rescheduling or refund where appropriate. Requests received after the reservation time generally cannot be processed.

Please notify the merchant as early as possible via the contact phone provided in the confirmation email, and also notify [email protected]. As a general rule, if you are more than 15 minutes late, the merchant reserves the right to decline service depending on the day's operations, and no refund will be issued.

Even if the merchant accommodates late arrivals, due to subsequent customers and the venue's operating schedule, your actual service duration, menu, or experience content may be shortened or adjusted. Your understanding is appreciated.

Each product has its own requirements for attire, physical condition, and items to bring — please review the "Notes" section on the product page in advance. Please bring with you on the day of visit: (1) Reservation confirmation email (digital or printed); (2) Photo ID (original passport, at least for the main reservation holder); (3) Any other personal items specified on the product page. If you fail to meet the listed requirements (e.g., missing required ID or attire) and the merchant cannot provide service, no refund will be issued.

Japanese venues generally value order and quiet. Please respect house rules and customary etiquette. The following may result in termination of service without refund: • Loud or disruptive behaviour affecting other guests; • Failing to follow venue rules on smoking, cameras, mobile phones, etc.; • Disrespectful, harassing, or threatening conduct toward staff or other guests; • Intoxication or any behaviour endangering the safety of others.

Most restaurants can accommodate common food allergies and dietary restrictions (e.g., peanuts, shellfish, religious restrictions, no beef/pork). Please describe in detail in the "Special Requests" field when booking, preferably writing the allergen name in Japanese or English. Important: Merchants cannot guarantee 100% accommodation of all special requests. If your needs exceed what the venue can handle (e.g., severe allergies requiring a completely separate kitchen), the booking may be cancelled by the merchant; in that case, tastetrip will issue a full refund. We recommend contacting [email protected] after booking to confirm feasibility.

Each product page lists the languages supported by the merchant. The tastetrip team relays your need for Chinese-language communication to the merchant in advance. Some upscale venues offer Chinese menus or Chinese-speaking guides (guides typically require advance booking and additional fees). For venues without Chinese support, your confirmation email includes Japanese/English vouchers and reservation details — simply show them to the staff upon arrival.

Some merchants can accommodate special occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, and proposals. Common arrangements include: handwritten cards, decorated dessert plates, birthday songs, and commemorative photos. Please describe your occasion and preferred arrangement in the "Notes" field when booking, ideally at least 3 days in advance. Some arrangements (e.g., flowers, cakes) may incur additional charges paid directly to the venue. Final feasibility is at the merchant's discretion; tastetrip will coordinate on your behalf.

tastetrip customer service is available 10:00–21:00 (JST), 365 days a year (except New Year holidays). We provide support in Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, English, and Japanese. Contact: [email protected] (response within 24 hours). For urgent on-site issues, please use the emergency contact phone listed in your confirmation email.