Hidden Gems: Meet Jeff Aasgaard of Rediscover Travel

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeff Aasgaard.

Hi Jeff, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I moved to Japan in the early 1990s with the idea of starting a business but I was not sure of the industry or how I could add value to society. One day in Kyoto and saw a group of tired and disengaged tourists exiting a bus and thought there must be a better way to explore Japan. I knew then that travel was the industry for me. My wife and I opened Rediscover Travel to help travelers rediscover what travel should be and to give them a better understanding of Japanese culture.

Japan is filled with thousands of family-run traditional accommodations called ryokan which range from basic to luxurious. Staying at a ryokan gives travelers a uniquely Japanese experience but there was no easy way for overseas travelers to book a ryokan, ask questions, or get guidance about which ryokan is right for them so we started a ryokan reservation service called Japanese Guest Houses so travelers could stay in a traditional Japanese room, bathe in a hot spring bath and have a full course kaiseki dinner in their room. Most of our travelers tell us that their ryokan experience was the highlight of their trip. Japanese Guest Houses makes thousands of reservations each year from our office in Kawanishi, Japan.

The other problem that travelers on bus tours face is the rigid and exhausting sightseeing schedule they have to follow. There is no flexibility and they have to travel with the same people to all the sights and touristy activities whether they are interested in it or not. This is a safe way to travel but it is too restrictive and does not allow for exploration and chance encounters. To help travelers to travel the way they want to travel my team and I created Rediscover Tours which designs and arranges private custom tours of Japan based on travelers’ personal travel style. If they want a private guide in Kyoto to take them to Koushouji Temple to see the bloody footprints on the repurposed ceiling boards (they used to be floorboards in a time where there were mass harakiri suicide) then we arrange that. If they just want to wander the alleyways of Tokyo then we give them ideas about where to explore on their own. This is the future of travel as sophisticated people will no longer accept group tours which take them to the same old tourist traps.

Japanese Guest Houses give travelers access to hundreds of ryokans all over Japan for travelers who enjoy planning their own trips. Rediscover Tours works with travelers who prefer to hire professionals to take care of the details so all they have to do is enjoy their trip.

Everyone on Rediscover Travel’s team speaks Japanese and has either lived or lives in Japan which gives our travelers unparalleled access to the beauty of Japan. Our travelers have such amazing trips that their friends want to hear their stories and see their photos.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No one’s road is ever smooth which is what makes life interesting. Rediscover Travel has definitely had our share of bumps in the road including SARS, tsunamis, nuclear meltdowns, and currently COVID. Luckily we have an amazing team and have been able to survive and learn from all of these. These are outside of our control and we know that we just have to roll with the punches.

Contact Info:

• Email: jaasgaard@rediscovertours.com
• Website: https://JapaneseGuestHouses.com and https://RediscoverTours.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rediscovertours/ and https://www.instagram.com/japaneseguesthouses/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JapaneseGuestHouses/ and https://www.facebook.com/RediscoverTours/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/HousesGuest
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/RediscoverTours and https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjEo6R3cB6Byn8elJrliyXg

Image Credits:
Jeff Aasgaard