Travel Japan with Respect - RESPECT in Action
At Japan Highlights, we believe that a meaningful journey begins with respect for the places and people that make Japan unique. From the quiet traditions of a centuries-old temple in Kyoto to the rhythms of everyday life in Takayama, every experience offers an opportunity to understand Japan a little more deeply.
As part of the Highlights Travel family, we share a commitment to meaningful and mindful travel through our collective "RESPECT" Policy. It reflects our belief that travel should be rewarding for everyone involved — creating lasting memories for our travelers while honoring the cultural heritage, local communities, and natural beauty of Japan. For us, this is how our mission, “Creating beautiful journeys, both for customers and for ourselves,” comes to life: through small, thoughtful choices that make every journey more meaningful.
Respect
Do
- Respecting different cultures in all destinations we travel to.
- Respecting local religions, religious places and rituals.
- Respecting local customs and etiquette.
- Emphasizing appropriate dress standards.
- Realize that every destination is someone else's home.
Don't
- Your own cultural values and biases impact your judgments of others.
- Without permission before photographing, especially photo for children and aged people.
Economic Benefits
Do
- Designing and operating trips to feature local suppliers or suppliers who directly benefit the local community and economy.
- Encouraging our travelers to purchase from local suppliers and use local service providers, as well as supporting social enterprises, local trade, arts and crafts.
- Ensuring we have fair employment practices in place (and using suppliers who have similar employment practices).
- Supporting the community through a local school, clinic or development project may be more constructive.
Don't
- Pay local supplier higher price than its market price to get priority in an unsustainable way.
- Giving gifts or money to beggars, children and people you have just met.
- Engaging in any form of bribery, corruption or fraudulent activities.
Safety and Security
Do
- Choose reliable tour suppliers and buy travel insurance.
- Keep contact information of your tour suppliers.
- Ensure our type and scale of tourism is appropriate to local conditions and does not overload local infrastructure.
- Remember to take a copy of your passport, insurance policy.
- Keep your funds in a variety of forms – cash, traveler's cheques (preferably in an international currency, such as US dollars) and payment cards. - Avoid forms of payment that aren't commonly used where you're going.
Don't
- Insist on visiting dangerous places. (e.g. earthquake, conflicts, typhoon...)
- Delay report any concerns about safety, security, or unsafe or illegal behavior.
- Involved in sexual tourism of any kind. Support any business or organization that utilizes child labor.
- Use illegal drugs on our trips.
Partners
Do
- Choose partners who have the same value and practice responsible travel together with Japan Highlights.
- All suppliers and partners get fair pay from Japan Highlights.
- Encouraging our suppliers to adopt more sustainable practices or choosing suppliers who already have greener practices in place.
Don't
- Stress on value for money rather than value.
Environment
Do
- Leave places as we would like to find them, leave only footprints…
- Take care of the environment as you would your own home. Take out all you take in, to areas away from the cities. Use alternatives to plastic and say 'No' to plastic bags. For cigarette butts, an empty film container makes a perfect portable container.
- Ensuring our vehicles/fleets are well maintained and fuel-efficient. Encouraging travelers to minimize their water usage on the trip.
- Eating at local eateries (limiting food miles).
Don't
- Have a negative impact on animal welfare.
- Support the purchase or traffic of items made from exotic or endangered animal products.
Culture
Do
- Communication with the local properly which promotes cross-cultural understanding.
- Encouraging local interaction and understanding of the local way of life.
- When encounter culture-shocks, tell these to your guide or our staff to find reasonable reasons.
Don't
- Educate local people in your own way.
- Judge local culture in your personal way and spread it to others through social media.
Think First
Do
- Keep the above policy in mind and know the reasons behind.
- After returning home think how you can support programs and organizations that are working to protect the welfare, culture and environment of where you've been lucky to visit.
Don't
- Let your kindness and affection be overflow.
Respecting Local Customs and Traditions
In Kyoto, our guide introduced the family to local shrine traditions connected with health, learning, and good fortune. The guests offered prayers for their family and left an ema (wooden wish plaque) with hopes for their granddaughter’s health and happiness. Through these personal moments, they experienced how Japanese spiritual traditions connect with the wishes people hold for their loved ones.
During a visit to a Kyoto shrine, our guide introduced the family to local prayer traditions and the customs surrounding remembrance. By explaining the meaning behind each practice and guiding the visit with care, the experience helped the travelers better understand and respect Japan’s spiritual traditions.
Before entering a Japanese temple, travelers follow the traditional purification ritual of washing their hands at a water basin
Protecting Nature and the Environment
Eco Day Program encourages customers to use eco-friendly transportation
Donate to the rehabilitation program of Panda Base in Liziping, Sichuan
Organize staff and family to join in natural observation