Japan, seen differently. Planned purposefully.
We’re a Destination Management Company (DMC) rooted in culture, built for comfort, and trusted by travelers who want more than the average tourist trail.
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Our mission
We’re here to make Japan easier to explore for multi-generational families, business travelers, and anyone who values thoughtful, well-organized trips.
Every itinerary is built from the ground up, based on what’s most important for our guests.
We focus on what’s worth your time-with help from people who know the roads, rhythms, and real joys of traveling in Japan.
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Our vision
TokudAw is building a future where meaningful travel bridges cultures.
Through hyper-personalized service, diverse representation, and a strong ethical foundation, we aim to reshape what it means to experience Japan-slowly, kindly, and with intention.
What we do (and what we don’t)
TokudAw is a Japan Destination Management Company (DMC) that specializes in private car travel and custom itinerary planning. Every trip we design is bespoke, painstakingly planned around your pace, your interests, and your (and your party’s) travel needs.
We plan and coordinate everything from airport pick-ups to multi-day itineraries, pairing you with experienced, vetted drivers across Japan. In Tokyo, we operate our own in-house fleet through our transport arm, Japan Private Drivers. In other regions—or during peak seasons—we work with long-time supplier partners who meet our standards for professionalism, safety, and local knowledge.
We also offer optional services like private guides, translators, or specialist experiences if deeper insight is what you’re after. You won’t find preset packages here, and we’re not a cookie-cutter tour company.
What we don’t do? Rush your trip. Pack your days with photo ops. Or hand off your journey to someone who doesn’t understand what you’re here to see and feel. We plan business, leisure, and bleisure travel for people who care about connection—and who know that finer details matter.
Time
We take the time to understand what matters to you—your pace, your priorities, your people—so every journey feels considered, not rushed.
What sets us apart
Truth
We believe in clear, upfront communication. That means honest guidance, realistic planning, and no guesswork about what to expect.
Trust
Trust is built through care and consistency. From your first enquiry to your final drop-off, we’re here to support you with reliability and respect.
How it all began
TokudAw’s story began with a simple question: Why is it so hard to travel meaningfully in Japan without speaking the language or getting locked into a rigid tour?
In 2020, Wanping Aw and Kazuhisa Tokuda set out to change that. Drawing on their backgrounds in business, research, and operations, they founded a Destination Management Company (DMC) that put care, clarity, and cultural fluency at the centre of every trip.
Wanping—originally from Singapore and now based in Tokyo—had spent years helping international companies navigate Japanese business culture. Kazuhisa brought deep regional insight and logistics expertise. Together, they understood how overwhelming travel in Japan could be for non-Japanese speakers and how much was possible with the right support.
What started as a modest transportation service soon grew into something more: a Japan-wide operation offering tailor-made itineraries, curated cultural experiences, and a private car service that’s just as useful for multi-generational families as it is for business travelers with limited time.
Today, TokudAw combines cultural nuance with logistical precision, helping travelers go deeper, move easier, and explore Japan in a way that feels grounded, warm, and authentic.
And we’re just getting started.
Why choose TokudAw?
✓ We plan and drive
Most travel agencies outsource your transport. At TokudAw, we do both—thanks to our in-house fleet, Japan Private Drivers, and a national partner network we’ve built and vetted ourselves.
✓ Reliable communication throughout
From your first enquiry to your final transfer, you’ll always know who to contact, what to expect, and what’s happening next. We're known for staying responsive and proactive—even while you're on the road.
✓ No off-the-shelf itineraries
Every trip we design is bespoke. That means we plan around your schedule, accessibility needs, travel style, and interests (not around what's easiest for us to package).
✓ We listen, then adapt
Plans change. Priorities shift. We’re here to adjust the details, make recommendations, and keep the trip flowing smoothly—with no need for you to chase down answers.
✓ Cultural fluency is important to us
With a diverse team and deep local insight, we make sure your travel experience feels informed, respectful, and grounded in real cultural context.
Curious who's behind TokudAw?
TokudAw was co-founded by Wanping Aw, a biomedical researcher from Singapore with years of cross-cultural business experience in Japan, and Kazuhisa Tokuda, a regional logistics specialist. Together, they combined operational know-how with thoughtful planning to create a more personal and efficient way to travel Japan.
Start planning your Japan trip today
When travel is shaped around real needs and local knowledge, it becomes something more. That’s what we aim to offer: trips that feel personal, grounded, and always memorable.
Meet the Team
Kazuhisa Tokuda
Co-Founder, Logistics Lead
Certified Transport Manager • Japan Travel Planner • Produce Enthusiast
Kazuhisa spent over three decades in Japan’s fashion industry, leading sales at Onward Kashiyama Co., Ltd., before transitioning to Mono Edition Co., Ltd., where he worked with imported Italian apparel and managed a fine dining restaurant.
But the part he always looked forward to most? Planning the company trips, carefully researching destinations, booking transport, and finding just the right local touches.
That attention to detail-and love for helping the people in his company and people who worked with him create opportunities for mutual understanding and networking contributing to corporate success, led him to the travel industry. Kazuhisa co-founded TokudAw to bring together the best of both worlds: cultural hospitality and seamless logistics.
Apart from manging the company, he’s a certified transport coordinator and operations manager, overseeing TokudAw’s in-house fleet and liaising with a trusted national driver network.
He’s the kind of person who knows which rest stops have the best local produce and how to keep a journey running smoothly and safely behind the scenes, guiding our drivers and the guests the most time-efficient, fun and safe route to travel.
Dr. Wanping AW
Co-Founder, Travel Curator, Cultural Liaison
Certified Transport Manager • Japan Travel Planner • Produce Enthusiast
Born in Singapore and now based in Tokyo, Wanping’s journey to TokudAw began in academia.
With a PhD in Biomedical Science and a current research post at Keio University focused on nutrition, she’s always been drawn to the connections between science, culture, and daily life.
After years of helping international guests get to grips with Japanese culture-through education, food, and curated local experiences-she realized there was a gap in the market for travel that felt authentic and deeply personal.
TokudAw was her answer.
A licensed tour guide, transport manager, and Japan travel planner, Wanping combines structure with warmth. She designs each itinerary not just to impress, but to create a genuine exchange, between guests and hosts, regions and visitors, ideas and identities. She believes travel should enrich everyone it touches.
TokudAw is her way of building those bridges, one thoughtfully planned trip at a time.