If you have made a booking with Unique Japan Tours before January 1, 2022, the below terms and conditions apply to your booking.
1.0 General
The following terms may be interpreted as follows:
“Booking” a written consent from you to the company requesting participation in a particular tour.
“You/Your” implies the person, company or organisation whom the Company has agreed to provide the tour having accepted these conditions.
“Company” means Unique Japan Tours, a company registered in Dublin at the registered address of 54 Dawson Street, 3rd Floor, Dublin 2, Ireland.
“Letter of Confirmation” means the Confirmed Plan received by You following the Booking which confirms the Contract.
“Contract” means the contract for the provision of the Tour made between the Company and You.
“Departure Date” means the start date of the Tour outlined in the Letter of Confirmation.
“Tour” is the specific holiday/package organised by the Company in accordance with these conditions.
“Tour Price” refers to land arrangements only and does not include flights. Flights are sold as separate entity until further notice.
1.1 By signing these conditions You shall be deemed to have accepted and agreed that the supply of the Tour by the Company shall be in accordance with these conditions.
1.2 These conditions may only be varied when supplied in writing by the Company. The Company reserves the right to change or update these Conditions at any time without notice.
1.3 These conditions as well as the Companyʼs Letter of Confirmation act as the whole agreement made between You and the Company. Any promises or undertakings given prior to this are invalid whether oral or written.
1.4 It is Your responsibility to check that the details of the Tour and the Letter of Confirmation are accurate before signing this. In other words, any additional requests, not outlined in the letter of confirmation, are invalid.
2.0 BOOKING & PAYMENT
2.1 The price of a Tour may fluctuate, depending on currency exchange rates. Once you have paid a deposit and received your Letter of Confirmation, prices will remain unchanged.
2.2 Payment shall be made in the currency stated on your Letter of Confirmation.
2.3 When a Booking is made 60 days prior to the Departure Date, a non-refundable deposit of 250 euro per person is to be made to the Company in full within 7 days of receipt of your Letter of Confirmation. The outstanding balance is due to be paid prior to 60 days of departure date.
2.4 In the event of making a Booking less than 60 days prior to the Departure Date, full payment must be made within 7 days of receipt of your Letter of Confirmation.
2.5 Failure to make payment in accordance with clause 2.4 will result in the Company canceling the Contract and the provisions of Clause 3 shall apply in full.
2.6 Until funds are cleared, payment will not be deemed viable.
3.0 CANCELLATIONS
3.1 In the event you may have to cancel your Booking or are unable to make the payments in accordance with Clause 2 after receipt of your Letter of Confirmation, the Company reserves the right to charge the following cancellation fees:
Numbers of Days before Departure Date Cancellation Fee as a % of Tour Price
60-48 days Deposit plus 10% Tour Price
47-35 days Deposit plus 20% Tour Price
34-22 days Deposit plus 30% Tour Price
21-14 days Deposit plus 45% Tour Price
13-8 days Deposit plus 75% Tour Price
7 days or less (or no show) Deposit plus 100% Tour Price
Check with your travel insurance provider in the event you need to cancel. You may be entitled to reclaim these charges. Claims must be made directly with your insurance provider.
3.2 The date of cancellation shall be decided on the written notice given to the Company by You detailing the cancellation request.
3.3 Tour price is based on land arrangements only arranged by the Company. Flight cancellation charges will be at the discretion of each individual airline. You should be aware of all flight cancellation policies before making payment to any airline.
3.4 Cancellations due to airport closures in your country or Japan due to a natural disaster will be handled on a case by case basis where an alternative cancelation policy may become in effect. If you are able to fly the day after your original departure date or 2 -3 days later, your tour can be altered to suit your arrival date at no extra charge. In all cases, booking deposits are non-refundable.
3.5 Cancellations due to force majeure: unforeseen events preventing travel to Japan such as; terrorist activity, industrial dispute, natural or nuclear disaster, adverse weather conditions, fire, flood, epidemic, closure of airports or airspace, civil unrest, war, or any other event outside of our control, are considered outside The Company’s control. Regretfully, the Company cannot hold any liability in these circumstances. Any changes to the obligations under our contract with you, will be treated on a case-by-case basis.
4.0 ALTERATIONS
4.1 If You wish to alter any item of your Tour, a written notification must be given to the Company in advance of the Departure Date. The Company may do so at its discretion if practicable. An administration charge of minimum €25 and maximum €100 (subject to the number of changes made) must be paid for any changes made to the original Booking, outlined in the Letter of Confirmation. If the alteration is impracticable the original holiday will continue to apply. Additional charges may apply to cover the costs of any changes made in Japan. Once travel has commenced, no changes or alterations may be made by You and no refunds shall be made in respect of travel arrangements.
4.2 You may wish to transfer your Booking another person. This may be done without penalty provided that you do so within 30 days of the Departure Date. Any change must be notified to the Company in writing more than 30 days prior to the given Departure Date. Less than 30 days notice will be treated as a cancellation and dealt with in accordance with Clause 3.
4.3 You accept that the Company specializes in flexible and innovative Tours to Japan. If, as a consequence outside the control of the Company, the Tour is altered, extended, cancelled or curtailed, You shall not be at liberty to maintain a claim to the Company for any loss arising as a result of this alteration.
4.4 The Company reserves the right to make minor changes to the Website and / or Tour arrangements both before and after You have receipt of your Letter of Confirmation. In this case you will receive written notification by the Company at the earliest opportunity. The Company will offer you a choice of the following options: A) To accept the Material change, B) To book an alternative Tour at the current advertised price where the Company will make a refund for any difference in price, C) To cancel the Tour and receive a full refund of the Price.
4.5 You agree that, if weather conditions prove unsuitable and / or unsafe for a scheduled activity or travel destination, the Company reserves the right to cancel this activity or journey. In the event of this happening, an alternative activity or destination of similar interest will be offered in exchange for this. The Company is not liable in this case.
4.6 You may wish to postpone your trip to a later date. If you do this, within 30 days of original departure date, any price change will be subject to availability and prices of all services included in your package. While it is our intention to keep your original price unchanged, please note that some services may have been already paid for, or booked as a non-refundable service. In which case, you will be expected to cover any costs incurred to the Company. If you have already been issued your Travel Pack where tickets and vouchers are issued, costs to re-issue will apply. You will be informed of this by your Travel Consultant.
4.7 Cancellations made on any Tour that has been postponed will be calculated on the original contract with The Company. Same charges will apply using the original service start date and written notice to the Company to cancel or postpone.
5.0 MINIMUM NUMBERS
5.1 Most Escorted Tours or Small Group Tours engage a minimum number. In the unlikely event that this minimum number is not achieved, the Company reserves the right to cancel the Tour. In the event of cancellation, You will be given at least 4 weeks notice in writing and offered the option of: 1) Accepting the same tour operated on a semi-escorted basis 2) Joining a different tour or 3) receiving a full refund. If the price of the new Tour exceeds the Price of Your original Tour, the Price difference must be made by You. If the Price of the new Tour is less than what you paid for your original Tour, you will be refunded the difference.
6.0 YOUR RESPONSIBILITY
6.1 It is Your responsibility to ensure you have adequate travel insurance. You must take out medical, personal accident, and baggage cover before signing this Contract. This should include the cost of emergency repatriation. It is not possible to take part in any Tour, whether assisted or self-guided, arranged by the Company, without giving Your Insurance Company Name, Policy Number & a 24 hour Emergency Telephone Number. It is your responsibility to ensure you have suitable cover for your trip. The company will not check your insurance policy.
6.2 You must read all documentation prior to the Departure Date including Your Letter of Confirmation and Terms & Conditions. If You find fault in any document You must notify the Company who will respond as soon as possible.
6.3 You are responsible for ensuring that all members of Your travel group are in possession of a valid passport and a visa for Japan where applicable. If You or Your travel party members are not granted permission to enter Japan or obtain a valid visa, the Company holds no responsibility for this. If such refusal occurs and the Tour is cancelled, Clause 3 will take effect.
6.4 If You have existing medical conditions You are advised to visit a doctor prior to Departure Date. The Company holds no responsibility for illness obtained during the course of Your Tour. It is up to You to ensure You have taken the correct and safe medical precautions when traveling to Japan.
7.0 LIABILITY
7.1 The Company shall not be liable for any damage caused to You by the failure to perform the contract or the improper performance of the contract where the failure is of no fault of the Company or suppliers used by the Company because:
1. such failures are attributed to You or a third party who has no connection with the Company
2. such failures are due to unforeseeable circumstances beyond the control of the Company and / or the Suppliers used by the Company which could not have been avoided even if all careful measures were taken. Such unforeseeable circumstances include, but are not limited to, acts of God, war or threat of war, terrorist activity, riot, civil strife, industrial dispute, natural or nuclear disaster, fire or adverse weather conditions.
1.
1. The Company will not be liable to You in the event of flight or transportation delay or failure in Your outward or inward journey, whether caused by the weather, rescheduling, industrial action or mechanical failure. The Company will give no refunds or compensation for lost time and services from the itinerary due to delayed or cancelled flights or delayed or cancelled public transport such as buses, trains, subways or other forms of transport included in Your itinerary.
2. It is Your sole responsibility to ensure that all items carried on board any means of transport are legal and will not danger other passengers.
3. If You experience loss and/or damage of baggage during Your Tour, which falls outside the range of liability of the Company, You will be offered advice and assistance as much as possible by the Company representative.
8.0 COMPLAINTS
8.1 Without prejudice to the Consumerʼs rights under Clause 8.2 below and in the unlikely event You wish to make a complaint in relation to the Tour, You must inform the Company representative as soon as the complaint arises and if the Company requires, complete a form stating details of the complaint.
8.2 You are obliged to notify the Company in writing of any complaint not later than 28 days after Your return to the port of departure or termination of the Tour whichever is the earlier and no complaint received thereafter shall be entertained.
9.0 Covid-19 Amendments to T&C’s
[valid for bookings made between May 1 2020 onwards]
On May 21, 2020, the Company has introduced new temporary adjustments to parts of our terms & conditions. Below amendments are only valid on bookings made between May 1st 2020 and December 31st 2021, directly related to Covid-19 Global Pandemic.
9.1 Free Date Change
As entry bans are lifted in Japan, you will be able to make a date or name change up to 30 days prior to your start date, free of charge. After 30 days, any changes made may be subject to the costs of tickets issued. Or if suppliers have already been paid, it will take longer or be more difficult to cancel. At all times, we will do our best to make any costs minimal.
9.2 Booking Deposits
Flexible booking deposits during Covid-19 Panedmic are as follows:
EUR400 GBP350 USD500 AUD600 Per Person Traveling
Your booking deposit will be fully refundable if Covid-19 is still a problem when you are due to make your final payments- up to 30 days prior.
Your deposit will be refunded if:
• 30 days prior to your start date, your country of origins’ official state advice is to avoid all but essential travel to Japan.
• 30 days prior to your start date, Japan’s Immigration borders restrict your country of origin from entering Japan.
Your deposit will not be refunded if:
• An official travel ban from either Japan or your country of origin is put in place 29 days prior to your start date. At this stage, the company has incurred costs associated with your booking. You should therefore have adequate travel insurance to cover this risk.
9.3 Delayed Final Payment
We usually request full payment 8 weeks prior to tour start dates. This is reduced to 30 days prior.
9.4 Japan Official Travel Ban
If you have paid your tour in full 30 days or more prior to your start date, our normal cancellation charges will apply.
However, if the Japanese government announces an official ban to enter {specific to your port of embarkation}, between 30 – 5 days before your tour start date, we will work with each supplier to ensure you can receive a refund. Please note by this time, all of your tour services will be fully paid in Japan. Receiving refunds from suppliers can take some time. If this happens, deposits paid will be non-refundable. Refunds will be handled on a case-by-case basis. In all cases, we recommend you take out adequate travel insurance to cover Covid-19 ‘last-minute’ changes.
9.5 Tour Cancellation
If the Company cancels your tour due to the health and safety risks of Covid-19, you will be given the option to change your tour to a later date or receive a full refund.
The Company will only cancel a tour, or part of a tour, if:
• Accommodation and transport companies are unable to provide their services
• The Japanese Government advises us to stop running tours
• All flights in and out of Japan are canceled
We would not cancel tours if:
• One or some attractions are closed, but the majority of the tour can run unaffected
• Some flights are canceled
• Some foreign governments recommend against their citizens traveling
Participants who have already canceled in advance or transferred to a different tour would not receive any refund. Unique Japan Tours would not be liable for any other items or costs incurred such as airfares or seasonal supplements for your new dates.
9.6 Flight Cancellations
If your airline cancels your flight in or out of Japan the Company is not liable. You will be advised to contact your airline for an alternative date. The Company will re-arrange your travel services inside Japan. Any additional costs will be paid for by you.
