Booking Conditions
Please read carefully the terms in these booking conditions (the “Conditions”). In submitting the Booking Form to Walk Japan, you represent that you have read these Conditions and agree to be bound by these Conditions which, together with the invoice and itinerary issued by Walk Japan, constitute the contract (the “Contract”) between Walk Japan Limited and you. All bookings are made and accepted in accordance with the terms set out in these Conditions.
In these Conditions ‘‘you’’ shall mean all persons named in your booking (including anyone who is added or who substitutes anyone in the booking at a later date) or any of them as the context requires, and “your” shall be construed accordingly. “JPY” shall mean Japanese Yen. These Conditions only apply to the tour arrangements which Walk Japan agrees to make, provide or perform (as applicable) as part of the Contract. All references in these booking conditions to “tour”, “booking”, “contract”, or “arrangements” mean such tour arrangements unless otherwise stated.
4a. Tour departures - Scheduled Guided Tours.
4b. Tour departures - Custom and Group Tours.
4c. Tour departures - School Tours.
4d. Tour departures - Self-Guided Tours.
5. Tour starting and meeting point.
7b. Travel Industry Compensation Fund.
9. Special requests and medical conditions / disabilities.
12. Pre-confirmation Amendments.
13. If you cancel your booking.
14. Transferring your booking.
15. If Walk Japan alters or cancels your tour.
23. Release and waiver of liability.
25. Website and advertising accuracy / media coverage.
1. How to book & payment. To make a booking for a tour, you should complete the prescribed booking form (the “Booking Form”) and return it to Walk Japan. Walk Japan will then send an invoice for a non-refundable deposit of 25% of the total price of the tour. Upon receipt of the deposit by Walk Japan, bookings will be confirmed. Bookings will automatically be cancelled if Walk Japan has not received the deposit within seven days of invoice issue. When a booking is confirmed, and no later than two calendar months prior to the Tour Start Date, Walk Japan will provide by email details of the booking (the “Pre-tour Pack”) including an itinerary, list of accommodations, directions to the tour starting point and an equipment checklist. The balance of 75% of the price is payable one calendar month before the tour start date (the “Tour Start Date”) (the “Final Payment Date”). If the balance is not fully paid on or before the Final Payment Date, the booking will be cancelled and the deposit paid will be forfeited. For School Tours, please also refer to Condition 4c.
Walk Japan’s tours are priced in Japanese Yen (JPY). If you wish to make payment in a different currency Walk Japan will do its best to assist. However, to help cover costs associated with exchanging other currencies into JPY and currency risk, a charge will apply. Walk Japan cannot accept payment in currencies for which it has not issued an invoice.
Bank fees and charges, including intermediary bank fees and charges, associated with payment are to be paid by you.
2. Accommodation. Unless otherwise stated in the itinerary, tour accommodation will be in hotels, Japanese inns or temples. The price of a tour is based on the following types of accommodation:
(a) twin rooms with en-suite bathroom in hotels;
(b) traditional rooms in Japanese inns. A traditional Japanese room typically, but not always, has a tatami mat floor and futon bedding with no en-suite bathroom. A traditional room is usually shared by two persons. However, depending on the actual circumstances, such as occupancy rate of the inns, a traditional room may be shared by more than two persons of the same sex; and
(c) rooms in temples which are usually shared by persons of the same sex.
As the type of accommodation varies for each tour, please refer to the itinerary for details.
If you make a booking as a single traveller or request a single room, you will be charged a supplementary charge (the “Single Supplement Charge”). The Single Supplement Charge applies throughout a tour unless otherwise stipulated in the relevant tour details on our website or communicated to you by Walk Japan. You will not be guaranteed a single room until your booking has been confirmed. Even if we have guaranteed you a single room, there may be circumstances outside our control when we cannot provide you with a single room. In this instance, Walk Japan will refund the portion of the Single Supplement Charge relevant to any night on which a single room cannot be provided.
Unless you made a booking as a single traveller or requested a single room, no additional charge is applicable if single accommodation is made available in Japanese inns or temples. Where single accommodation in Japanese inns and temples cannot be provided, you will share a room with a person or persons of the same sex.
Tour bookings are accepted based on the understanding that, whilst Walk Japan will try to provide the best standard of accommodation available, you are fully aware that the standard of accommodation may vary from place to place.
Walk Japan will try to fulfill requests for non-smoking rooms. However, Walk Japan cannot guarantee the availability of non-smoking rooms because some hotels, Japanese inns and temples do not have non-smoking rooms or such rooms are in very limited numbers.
In addition to the above, the following applies to School Tours. We do not guarantee single accommodation for teachers or staff who may be required to share accommodation with another teacher or member of staff of the same sex. In a traditional room in a Japanese inn, eight or more students of the same sex may be required to share a large tatami room (see paragraph (b) above).
3a. Included and excluded. Unless otherwise stated in the itinerary, the tour price includes accommodation and all bus and train travel in Japan during the tour.
Unless otherwise stated in the itinerary, the price does not include travel to the first night accommodation or tour meeting point on the Tour Start Date and from the finish point on the final day of the tour as detailed in the tour itinerary.
Meals included in the tour are detailed in the tour itinerary. For meals that are not included, each tour participant may be expected to pay between JPY700-1,500 per person for breakfast and lunch, and JPY3,000 or more for dinner.
Tea and water will be provided as part of the meal. Other drinks are not included.
Each tour participant may be expected to pay approximately JPY3,000 per day in Japan for food, drinks and incidentals (which may vary with the individual). The above budget does not include general shopping, and is for reference only. The actual amount of expenditure will depend on the quantity and type of food and drinks served.
3b. Meals. Meals usually include raw and cooked fish, meat, and vegetables. In Japan, dietary requirements such as vegetarianism and kosher along with a number of other food-related problems such as coeliac disease, are not widely understood nor catered for. Consequently, we cannot guarantee to provide meals catering to individual diets. Specifically, Walk Japan is unable to provide strict vegetarian or vegan meals. This is because almost all stock (the base for soups and sauces) contains meat or fish products, and vegetables, if prepared as tempura, are fried in the same oil as meat and fish.
If you have any individual dietary needs, please let Walk Japan know at least one month in advance of the Tour Start Date, via submission of a duly completed online manifest form. It is possible that depending on your needs, some dishes may be omitted, and while many still find most meals substantial even in these cases, you may wish to bring some supplementary items if particularly concerned.
4a. Tour departures - Scheduled Tours
Subject to any special requests under Condition 9 below, Walk Japan guarantees tour departure upon confirmation of your booking but the guarantee is subject to a maximum number of participants as stated in the itinerary/tour details, which shall in no case be more than 13 people.
4b. Tour departures - Custom and Group Tours.
Walk Japan prices Custom and Group Tours based on a specific number of participants agreed with you. Once the price and the number of participants has been agreed upon, and subject to any special requests under Condition 9 below, Walk Japan guarantees tour departure upon confirmation of booking, namely the receipt of booking forms and a 25% deposit, from the agreed specific number of tour participants.
If the number of booking confirmations does not reach the specific number required within a time limit specified by Walk Japan to guarantee the tour departure, and a new price cannot be agreed upon based on lower numbers of booking confirmations, Walk Japan will refund any deposit payments received, minus any bank charges incurred in doing so.
Once the tour departure is guaranteed through the receipt of the required number of booking confirmations, Walk Japan’s cancellation policy (Conditions 13 and 15 below) will apply.
4c. Tour departures – School Tours.
School Tours are a form of Custom and Group Tour and the terms in Condition 4b above also apply.
Without prejudice to any other Condition, all school staff, including organisers and teachers, accompanying a School Tour are responsible for the general wellbeing and discipline of the participants in the School Tour, including but not limited to conducting regular participant headcounts, ensuring that all participants are fit and proper to participate in the School Tour, and that each participant is properly equipped and has all proper medication. School staff are responsible for tour participants. Walk Japan and its employees, representatives and agents are responsible for tour logistics and local information.
4d. Tour departures – Self-Guided Tours
In the case of a self-guided tour, Walk Japan will arrange delivery of Railpass exchange orders to a designated address supplied by the participant. Tour booklets and other materials such as vouchers will be delivered as applicable to the designated starting point of the tour. In order for Walk Japan to arrange such delivery in a timely manner, full payment of the tour price and submission of a duly completed online manifest form must be made one calendar month before the Tour Start Date. If full payment is not made on time, the delivery of such documents may be delayed. In this case Walk Japan shall not be responsible for any delay to the commencement of the self-guided tour or for any losses and expenses incurred as a result of such delay.
5. Tour starting and meeting point. Tour participants shall make their own arrangements to reach the tour starting point as indicated in the itinerary on the Tour Start Date. After receipt of the deposit, Walk Japan provides a Pre-tour Pack to tour participants, which will include directions and maps in Japanese and English to the tour starting point. Please notify Walk Japan in advance if you will not be able to reach the starting point on time.
6. Baggage. Each participant is expected to carry not more than one item of luggage (excluding a daypack) which shall be easily transported for short distances of up to ten minutes’ walking duration. You should expect to carry your own luggage at train stations, including crossing between platforms, and within most Japanese inns. Where a Walk Japan Tour Leader is present, he/she will not be responsible for carrying luggage for tour participants but will try to assist you with your luggage as far as possible.
7a. Travel insurance. Travel insurance is mandatory for all tour participants. Walk Japan does not provide any form of travel insurance for tour participants and you must purchase your own travel insurance. It is your responsibility to ensure that your insurance is suitable and adequate for your particular needs and it should cover, for example, medical expenses, personal accident and repatriation in the event of illness, baggage, personal liability as well as loss suffered in the event of tour cancellation for personal reasons. Please read your policy details carefully and bring the policy documents with you throughout the tour. School Tours in particular should have appropriate insurance to cover damage and loss caused by School Tour participants.
You will be required to provide evidence of travel insurance including emergency contact telephone number of the insurer and policy number. Please provide this information in the manifest form for the tour sent prior to the Tour Start Date.
7b. Travel Industry Compensation Fund. Customers who book directly on "outbound package tours" (most typically, guided tours that include accommodation) are protected by Hong Kong's Travel Industry Compensation Fund (TICF), to which Walk Japan pays a compulsory levy on funds received.
The TICF provides protection to outbound travellers who may claim for certain losses and expenses in connection with the closure of the travel agent and injury or death caused by an accident during an outbound activity provided or organised by a travel agent. For details: https://www.tia.org.hk/en/travel-industry-compensation-fund/protection-under-travel-industry-compensation-fund-and-the-relevant-legal-provisions.html
Please note that customers who purchase 1) only self-guided tours or 2) only guided tours that do not include accommodation, as well as customers who book through travel agents and not directly with Walk Japan, are not protected by the Travel Industry Compensation Fund. Therefore, please note the following text in italics, which we are required to include in our Booking Conditions by Hong Kong's Travel Industry Authority.
If you buy later or have bought earlier an outbound service or arrangement from our company, and that service or arrangement and the outbound service or arrangement you plan to buy now relate to the same tour, please tell us by then or now accordingly so that we shall combine those services and/or arrangements into an outbound package and pay the levy, thus enabling you to be protected by the Travel Industry Compensation Fund.
If you are in any doubt as to whether your booking constitutes an "outbound package tour", please contact us for clarification.
8. Health and fitness. There are no compulsory health-related procedures before entering Japan and no vaccinations or prophylactic medicines are required (although Japanese encephalitis inoculations are recommended by some authorities). However, it is your responsibility to ensure that you are aware of and have taken all medications, vaccinations or health precautions which may be suitable to you well before the tour.
If you have any medical condition or disability which may affect your tour or have any special requirements as a result of any medical condition or disability, please inform Walk Japan before you confirm your booking so that Walk Japan can assist you in making the booking or suitable arrangements for the tour. In any event you must provide Walk Japan with full details of such requirements, condition or disability in writing at the time of booking and of any subsequent changes. You must also promptly inform Walk Japan if any medical condition or disability which may affect your tour develops after your booking has been confirmed. (Please also see Condition 9 below).
You are responsible for any medicine you may require during the tour. Please note that medicine, available over-the-counter or prescribed, in Japan may differ from other countries. Therefore, you should bring all medicine that you may need. However, Japan has strict rules on the importation of some medicines and/or of the amounts of certain medicines and/or of certain medical devices, even if for your own use. You should check with your local Japanese Embassies as to which medicines and their quantities and medical devices are permitted to be imported into Japan and what importation formalities may be required.
Bookings are accepted on the understanding that all persons travelling are in good health and physically fit for the tour. By submitting the Booking Form, you represent to Walk Japan that you are in a health and physical condition suitable and fit for joining the relevant tour. If there is any doubt concerning your health or fitness, the Booking Form must, if requested by Walk Japan, be accompanied by a doctor's certificate stating that it is entirely safe for you to participate in the Walk Japan tour you have chosen.
Walk Japan will not provide nor accept any responsibility with regard to medical devices, medications or inoculations that may be necessary for your safe participation in the tour. Walk Japan assumes no liability in the provision of any medical care to you during the tour. Walk Japan reserves the right to refuse to accept your booking for any reason at its sole discretion. Walk Japan also reserves the right to refuse your continued participation in any tour if, in the sole opinion of Walk Japan, such continued participation may adversely affect other tour participants or the employees of Walk Japan and/or its suppliers. In such case, Walk Japan shall have no further responsibility to you including any return travel arrangements. No refunds will be made and Walk Japan will not be responsible for any expenses or costs incurred by you as a result of such refusals or the termination of your tour.
9. Special requests and medical conditions / disabilities. If you have any special requests, you must inform Walk Japan at the time of booking.
Although Walk Japan will endeavour to accommodate your requests and, where necessary and reasonable, inform the relevant supplier of your requests, Walk Japan cannot guarantee that your requests will be met. Failure to meet any special request will not constitute a breach of the Contract on Walk Japan’s part. Confirmation that a special request has been noted or conveyed to a supplier or the indication of the special request on any invoice, itinerary, receipt or other documentation issued by Walk Japan is not a confirmation that the request will be met. Unless and until specifically confirmed by Walk Japan in writing, all special requests are subject to availability. For your own protection, you should obtain confirmation in writing from Walk Japan that a special request will be met (where it is possible to give this) if such request is important to you.
Walk Japan will not accept any conditional bookings, i.e, any booking which is specified to be conditional on the fulfilment of a particular request. All such bookings, if accepted, will be accepted as 'standard' bookings subject to the provisions of this Condition 9.
10. Passports & Visas. A valid passport is required for visitors of all nationalities to Japan. Visas are required before arrival in Japan for some nationalities. It is a requirement under Japanese law that, when you are in Japan and throughout the tour, you must be in possession of your passport (or Residence cards for non-Japanese residents of Japan), carrying it with you at all times.
It is your responsibility to ensure that you are in possession of all necessary travel documents before the tour. You must ensure that you are holding a valid passport acceptable to the Japanese authorities with any visas and vaccination certificates required for the duration of your tour. It is your responsibility to check, in good time before departure, the current status with regard to passport and visa requirements with the Japanese embassy or consulate.
All costs incurred in obtaining such documents must be paid by you. Walk Japan will not accept any liability if you are refused entry onto any transport or into Japan for any reason including but not limited to the failure on your part to produce all required documentation. If any failure or default on your part results in fines, surcharges or other financial penalty being imposed on Walk Japan, you shall be liable for fully reimbursing Walk Japan.
11. Children. Unless otherwise agreed in writing with Walk Japan, children must be at least 12 years of age before the Tour Start Date and be accompanied by a parent or adult guardian. Unaccompanied travellers must be at least 18 years of age before the Tour Start Date.
12. Pre-confirmation amendments. Walk Japan reserves the right to change the price, the services, these Conditions or other particulars contained herein or in any other documentation issued by Walk Japan at any time before Walk Japan confirms your booking. If there is any change, you will be notified before Walk Japan confirms your booking.
13. If you cancel your booking. Cancellation of a booking will become effective upon confirmation from Walk Japan that it has received a written notification from you, and the following cancellation charges will apply:
(a) For cancellations up to one calendar month before the Tour Start Date, a charge of 25% of the total invoice amount (the non-refundable deposit);
(b) For cancellations from one calendar month up to and including 15 calendar days before the Tour Start Date, a charge of 60% of the total invoice amount;
(c) For cancellations from 14 calendar days up to and including 8 calendar days before the Tour Start Date, a charge of 80% of the total invoice amount;
(d) For cancellations within 7 calendar days of the Tour Start Date, 100% of the total invoice amount.
The above charges shall be satisfied by set-off against any deposit and the remainder not paid shall be due and payable immediately. The above charges apply irrespective of whether any cancelled places on the tour are subsequently booked or taken up by other customers. Note that this does not affect your right to transfer your booking, as set out in Condition 14 below.
14. Transferring your booking. If you, or any persons under your booking, are unable to join the tour for reasons out of your or such persons’ control, you or such persons may request to transfer the booking to another specified person. A request to transfer your booking and the name of the transferee must be submitted at the same time you give written notification to Walk Japan that you can no longer join the tour.
The acceptance of a transfer of booking by Walk Japan is subject to the transferee meeting all conditions and requirements applicable to the relevant tour, and the payment of an administration fee of JPY10,000 per person to Walk Japan. Walk Japan reserves the right to reject any request to transfer bookings in its sole discretion. In the case of a participant on a Walk Japan Custom or Group tour, no administration
fee will be charged.
15. If Walk Japan alters or cancels your tour. Walk Japan starts planning the tours it offers long in advance. However, in certain circumstances, tours are subject to alterations or cancellations after confirmation of bookings. Whilst Walk Japan will always endeavour to avoid alterations and cancellations, Walk Japan reserves the right to do so.
Alterations are categorised as either minor or major alterations. A minor alteration is an alteration which, in the sole opinion of Walk Japan, does not materially affect the quality of the tour and does not constitute a major alteration (as defined below). If a minor alteration is necessary, Walk Japan will (but will not be obliged to), as far as practicable, inform you before the Tour Start Date. Walk Japan is not obliged to notify you in advance, pay you any compensation or allow you to cancel or transfer to another tour without paying our normal charges.
A major alteration is a change which, in Walk Japan’s sole opinion, can materially affect the quality of your tour. Major changes may include (but are not limited to) significant changes to the accommodation provided, destination of tour or itinerary.
In the case of a major change to, or cancellation of, a confirmed tour, Walk Japan will notify you as soon as reasonably possible. If it is practicable for Walk Japan to notify you before the Tour Start Date, Walk Japan may offer you the following options:
(a) Accepting the tour with alterations from Walk Japan or;
(b) Transferring to an alternative Walk Japan tour of a similar standard to that originally booked, if available. Walk Japan will endeavour to offer you an alternative tour of equivalent or higher standard and you will not be required to pay for any price difference. If the alternative tour is of a lower price, Walk Japan will refund you the price difference. If you do not wish to accept the alternative tour Walk Japan offers, you may choose to join any of Walk Japan’s tours then available. In such case, you will be required to pay the price difference if the alternative tour is more expensive, or receive a refund of the price difference from Walk Japan if the alternative tour is of a lower price.
(c) Accepting the cancellation, in which case you will receive a full refund of all monies you have paid to Walk Japan (after deducting any previously incurred amendment charges - see Condition 14).
The above options do not apply if Walk Japan cancels your booking as a result of your failure in complying with any of these Conditions entitling Walk Japan to cancel your booking (for example, if you fail to make full payment of the tour price within the specified deadline under Condition 1).
If a major alteration in, or cancellation of, a tour is required on or after the Tour Start Date, Walk Japan will, where appropriate, pay you such compensation as Walk Japan, in its sole discretion, deems reasonable depending on the nature and extent of the alteration and the circumstances, subject to the exceptions under this Condition. No compensation will be payable and no liability will be accepted by Walk Japan where alterations or cancellations are caused by reasons beyond Walk Japan’s control or force majeure (Please see Condition 16).
No compensation will be payable by Walk Japan if Walk Japan cancels your booking as a result of your failure in complying with any of these Conditions entitling Walk Japan to cancel your booking.
When Walk Japan has advised you of an alteration prior to the Tour Start Date and you have elected to continue with the tour, this will be deemed to be an acceptance of the alteration and, apart from any compensation offered and agreed prior to the Tour Start Date, no further compensation will be paid by Walk Japan.
Walk Japan reserves the right to change any aspect of any itinerary prior to, on or after the Tour Start Date for reasons of protecting or promoting the safety, wellbeing, and comfort of tour participants or the successful or effective operation of the tour in altered circumstances, or in the light of advices from the US State Department, Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Security Bureau of Hong Kong, Japanese national and local government or emergency services, or any other government authorities, offices or agencies. In such cases, payment of compensation, if appropriate, will be limited to any overall cost savings to Walk Japan as a result of the changes.
In the event that your tour is terminated or altered by Walk Japan by reason of force majeure (see Condition 16) on or after the Tour Start Date, Walk Japan will not be liable for making any refund (unless Walk Japan receives any refund from suppliers), compensation or any costs or expenses you incur as a result of such termination or alteration.
Please note if the tour is cancelled for a reason covered by your insurance policy, you should check with your insurer regarding claims for losses and expenses incurred by you.
16. Force majeure. Except as otherwise expressly stated in these Conditions, Walk Japan will not accept liability or pay any compensation where the performance by Walk Japan of its obligations under the Contract is prevented, affected or made impracticable or impossible by any event or series of events in the nature of force majeure or, to the extent legally permitted, you otherwise suffer any damage, loss or expense of any nature as a result of such event or series of events. In these Conditions, an event of force majeure includes, without limitation, acts of government or orders of any court, strikes, calamity, crisis, lock-outs, fire, explosion, tsunami, tidal wave, flooding, earthquake, nuclear leakage, volcanic eruption, civil commotion, acts of war, outbreak or escalation of hostilities (whether or not war is declared), acts of God, acts of terrorism, declaration of a national or international emergency, riot, public disorder, economic sanctions, outbreak of diseases or epidemics, adverse weather conditions, accident, interruption or delay in transportation, postal or courier services, advice or warning against travel issued by the US State Department and Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Security Bureau of Hong Kong, Japanese national and local government or emergency services, or any other government authorities, offices or agencies, and other events, circumstances or developments of similar nature or effect which is outside the control of Walk Japan and/or the supplier(s) concerned.
17. Suppliers' conditions. Suppliers, such as accommodation and transport providers, have their own booking conditions or conditions of service or carriage and you will be bound by these conditions so far as the relevant supplier is concerned. Some of these conditions may limit or exclude liability on the part of the relevant supplier. In addition, suppliers may impose additional conditions or restrictions of service or access to facilities to participants in a School Tour.
18. Flights. Unless otherwise stated in the itinerary, Walk Japan does not provide flights. Walk Japan cannot make any refund in the event of cancellation of a tour, or pay compensation for any loss or expenses incurred, as a result of changes in published flight times or routes.
Walk Japan will not be responsible for offering you any assistance in the event of any delay in transportation to the tour starting point or from the tour finishing point. However, Walk Japan will endeavour to offer assistance to the best of its ability and available resources.
19. Behaviour and damage. When you make bookings with Walk Japan, you accept responsibility for any damage to or loss of property of third parties, including Walk Japan’s suppliers, by you. You shall be responsible for any compensation for such damage or loss (reasonably estimated if not precisely known) directly to the supplier concerned or to us as soon as possible. If the amount of the actual loss or damage, when ascertained, exceeds the amount of compensation paid by you, you shall be responsible for the shortfall. If the amount of the actual loss or damage is less than the amount of compensation paid and the supplier concerned makes any refund to Walk Japan, the difference will be refunded to you. By submitting the Booking Form, you and all persons included in the Booking Form agree to indemnify and keep indemnified Walk Japan from and against all and any actions or claims (whether or not such actions or claims involve or result in any actions or proceedings), demands and proceedings made or brought or threatened to be made or brought against Walk Japan (together, the “Actions”) and all losses, damages, liabilities, payments, costs or expenses (including legal fees and taxes) suffered, made or incurred by Walk Japan in connection with the Actions, arising or resulting from your actions. You should ensure that you have appropriate travel insurance coverage in this respect. In the case of minors below legal age, the parents and/or legal guardian shall be so liable. School Tours in particular should have appropriate insurance to cover damage and loss caused by School Tour participants.
Walk Japan expects all tour participants to be considerate for other people throughout the tour. If, in the opinion of Walk Japan or any other person in charge of the accommodation or place of other services involved in the tour, your behaviour causes or is likely to cause nuisance, disturbance, danger, upset or distress to any tour participant or other parties or damage to any property, Walk Japan reserves the right, without prior warning or notice, to terminate your tour. In such case, you will also be required to leave the accommodation or place of service concerned. Organisers of School Tours, as well as parents and/or adult guardians of minors under legal age should be particularly mindful of the terms of this Condition 19.
Walk Japan reserves the right to cancel your booking or terminate your tour if (i) you have failed to settle any payment payable under the Contract; (ii) your behaviour entitles Walk Japan to cancelling the booking or terminating the tour under these Conditions; (iii) in the opinion of Walk Japan, you are suspected of violating any Japanese law; or (iv) your conduct is disruptive and affecting the enjoyment of the tour by other participants.
Upon Walk Japan cancelling your booking or terminating your tour under this Condition 19, Walk Japan shall have no further responsibility to you, and will not make any refund or alternative arrangements, arrange or pay for any additional costs incurred by you, or pay any compensation or arrange for return travel.
20. If you have a complaint. Complaints should be communicated to Walk Japan's representative, usually the Tour Leader, as soon as they arise. In the case of a self-guided tour, you should contact Walk Japan Customer Service (customerservice(at)walkjapan.com).
You shall notify Walk Japan’s representative of your complaint in a timely manner so as to provide Walk Japan with an opportunity to rectify the situation. Delay in doing so may mean that complaints cannot be entertained. If your complaint cannot be resolved during the tour, you may write to Walk Japan within 28 days after the last day of your tour.
21. Disclaimer. You accept that:
(a) Walk Japan will not be liable for any violation of any applicable laws or regulations by any person on the tour; and
(b) you may not rely on any representations concerning the tour made by Walk Japan, its employees and agents which are not contained in the invoice, the itinerary and these Conditions.
22. Liability. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Walk Japan expressly excludes all liabilities for any loss, damage or expense suffered or incurred in connection with or arising from any booking or tour with Walk Japan except where such loss, damage and expense is (1) caused by the gross negligence or willful default of Walk Japan and its officers, employees, agents, tour leaders and other representatives (collectively, “Walk Japan and Employees”) (only to the extent where such officers employees, agents, tour leaders and other representatives are acting within their duties, powers or authorities granted or given by Walk Japan); or (2) foreseeable based on the information provided to Walk Japan at the time of your booking.
Please note that Walk Japan will not accept responsibility for any services which do not form part of the Contract. This includes, for example, any additional services or facilities which any hotel or any other supplier agrees to provide where the services or facilities are not advertised or promoted by Walk Japan or Walk Japan has not agreed to arrange them as part of the Contract.
The promises Walk Japan makes to you about the services Walk Japan has agreed to provide or arrange as part of the Contract and the laws and regulations of Japan will be used as the bases for deciding whether the services in question have been properly provided.
If the particular services which give rise to the claim or complaint comply with local laws and regulations in Japan applicable to those services at the time, the services will be treated as having been properly provided. This will be the case even if the services did not comply with the laws and regulations of countries other than Japan which would have applied had those services been provided in such other countries.
Walk Japan’s liability to you, if any, (i) in respect of any loss of and / or damage to property (including money), is limited to JPY30,000 (where JPY means Japanese Yen) per person or such other lower amount under these Conditions, and (ii) in connection with or arising from your booking or tour (whether under the Contract or otherwise), is limited to two times of the amount received by Walk Japan under the Contract (excluding any insurance premiums, amendment charges or other charges paid or payable under these Conditions) or such other lower amount under these Conditions. You shall ensure that you have adequate travel or other insurance cover. You are responsible for mitigating any and all losses suffered by you, and best efforts must be made on your part to claim any and all such losses from your insurers before making any action, demand or claim against Walk Japan.
Where any claim or part of a claim (including those involving death or personal injury) concerns or is based on any travel arrangements (including the process of getting on and/or off the transport concerned) provided by any air, sea, rail or road carrier or any stay in a hotel or any other accommodation, the maximum liability of Walk Japan shall not exceed the amount the carrier or hotelier or accommodation owner concerned would have been liable for Japanese law or under the international convention or regulation recognised in Japan which applies to the travel arrangements or hotel stay in question. Therefore, where a carrier or hotelier or accommodation owner would not be obliged to make any payment to you under Japanese law or the applicable international convention or regulation recognised in Japan in respect of a claim or part of a claim, Walk Japan will not be responsible for that claim or part of the claim. When making any compensation to you, Walk Japan shall deduct any money which you have received or are entitled to receive from the carrier or hotelier or accommodation owner for the complaint or claim in question.
23. Release and waiver of liability. In consideration of Walk Japan accepting your booking:
(a) you release Walk Japan and Employees from all costs, liability, loss or damage incurred or suffered by you directly or indirectly during the course of the tour arising from your personal injury, illness or death or damage to or loss of property, unless such injury, illness, death, damage or loss is caused by the gross negligence or wilful default of Walk Japan and Employees (and in such case, only to the extent where such Employees are acting within their duties, powers or authorities granted or given by Walk Japan); and
(b) you waive any claims you have, or may at any time have, against Walk Japan and Employees and you agree, by accepting the additional inherent dangers and risks associated with the tour, not to make any claim against or seek compensation from Walk Japan and Employees in respect of any personal injury, illness or death suffered by you or damage to or loss of property sustained by you as a result of participation in the tour, unless such injury, illness, death, damage or loss is caused by the gross negligence or wilful default of Walk Japan and Employees (and in such case, only to the extent where such Employees are acting within their duties, powers or authorities granted or given by Walk Japan).
Nothing in these Conditions operates to avoid or invalidate any statutory provision that would otherwise apply and, in the event there is an applicable statutory provision that conflicts with the Conditions, the terms of these Conditions shall apply to the fullest extent possible and not be invalidated in their entirety and, alternatively, may at Walk Japan’s discretion be replaced by a valid provision which has as far as possible the same commercial effect as the original provision.
24. Safety standards. Please note that it is the requirements and standards of safety in Japan that apply to the services included in the tour. As a general rule, Japan’s requirements and standards will not be the same as, and may be lower than, those in other countries. Tours can pass through remote locations and in the event of an emergency, it may take time for essential or emergency services to respond.
25. Website and advertising accuracy / media coverage. The information contained on Walk Japan’s website, in any brochure, and in any other advertising material is believed to be correct to the best of Walk Japan’s knowledge at the time of publication. However, errors may occasionally occur and information may subsequently change. You must therefore ensure you check all details of the relevant tour (including the price) with Walk Japan before booking.
Walk Japan reserves the right to host travel writers, bloggers, social media influencers and other members of the media (collectively “Travel Writers”) on our scheduled tours. In order to join a Walk Japan tour, a Travel Writer must agree to comply with guidelines to ensure that his or her presence does not impact the tour in any material adverse manner. These guidelines are designed to ensure the privacy of tour participants.
26. Jurisdiction. The Contract shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Hong Kong. Any suit, action or proceedings arising out of or in connection with the Contract shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Hong Kong.
