About Us
ABOUT US
o8Experience LLC
o8Experience LLC is a local tour company and tour operator based in Nagano, specializing in small-group and private tours across Nagano and Matsumoto.
We also design custom journeys connecting Nagano with key destinations in central Japan, including Kanazawa, Takayama, and Shirakawa-go, while also helping shape smooth onward travel plans to major destinations such as Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka.
We’re proud to be local experts with deep roots in Nagano and Matsumoto, while also offering broader travel insight shaped by hands-on experience across the wider region. With international life experience, our team understands what truly resonates with global travelers.
Our tours go beyond the usual sights. We bring you closer to the real flavor of each place—through food, culture, and stories you won’t find in guidebooks.
To us, a guide isn’t just someone who shows the way—they’re a bridge.
A bridge between cultures, between visitors and locals, between moments and memories.
Join us, and discover Japan in a more personal and meaningful way.
— o8Experience LLC
Masashi Okamura(a.k.a. Masa)
CEO & Creative Director (o8Experience / o8Design)
Robin Müller
Tour Guide
Kei
Tour Guide
Takuma
Tour Guide
Private Tours, Iconic Day Trips & Local Experiences by o8Experience
Who We Are
o8Experience LLC is a local tour company and tour operator based in Nagano, specializing in private tours, small-group experiences, and custom journeys across Nagano and Matsumoto.
We also design tailor-made routes connecting Nagano with key destinations in central Japan, including Kanazawa, Takayama, and Shirakawa-go, while also helping shape smooth onward travel routes toward places such as Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka.
Our Featured Tours
・Private Tours & Custom Journeys
Our strongest offering. We create flexible private tours designed around your pace, interests, and travel style—whether that means a relaxed one-day experience, a multi-stop regional route, or a more customized journey through central Japan.
・Snow Monkey, Hokusai & Sake – A Perfect Day in Nagano
Visit the world-famous Snow Monkeys, explore the charming streets of Obuse, and enjoy a seamless full-day experience filled with scenery, culture, and local flavor.
・Matsumoto Everything Tour: Castle, Miso, Wasabi, Wine & Ukiyo-e
Discover the best of Matsumoto and Azumino in one well-balanced day, featuring Matsumoto Castle, traditional miso, Daio Wasabi Farm, local wine, and Japanese art and culture.
・Kamikochi & Matsumoto Castle – A Perfect Nature & Heritage Day
Experience one of Japan’s most beautiful alpine landscapes together with one of its most iconic original castles, all in one rewarding day.
Where It All Began
At the heart of o8Experience is our deep connection to local walking tours and food culture. Our roots are in exploring Nagano on foot—through backstreets, local stories, hidden food spots, sake, and everyday encounters that most travelers would never find on their own.
That same spirit still shapes what we do today. From relaxed cultural walks around Zenkoji to lively evening izakaya experiences, these more personal, local tours remain an essential part of who we are.
More Ways to Explore
Beyond our featured tours, we also offer distinctive experiences such as Narai-juku & Wasabi Grating Lunch, Togakushi forest and soba tours, selected seasonal journeys such as the Kurobe Alpine Route, as well as walking tours focused on food, sake, local history, and nightlife in Nagano and Matsumoto.
Why Choose o8Experience
・Private Travel Designed Around You
Our greatest strength is creating private experiences that feel smooth, personal, and well-paced.
・Built on Real Local Connection
Our company began with walking tours rooted in food, culture, and conversation. That local perspective still defines every experience we create today.
・A Local Tour Company with Regional Insight
We are not just guides—we are a Nagano-based tour company and tour operator with hands-on knowledge of Nagano, Matsumoto, and the wider region.
・Thoughtful Route Design
We combine iconic highlights with meaningful local stops, creating journeys that feel both efficient and deeply rewarding.
・Real Local Flavor
From food and sake to history, nature, and everyday culture, we focus on experiences that reveal the true character of each place.
At o8Experience, we’re not just running tours—we’re crafting private and small-group travel experiences that connect people with the real heart of Japan.
Our Mission
At o8Experience, we believe the best journeys go beyond guidebooks. Our mission is to create thoughtful, meaningful travel experiences that connect guests with the true heart of Nagano, Matsumoto, and the wider region.
Through private tours, small-group experiences, walking tours, food, culture, history, nature, and carefully designed routes, we aim to offer journeys that feel personal, memorable, and genuinely enriching.
We look forward to welcoming you and helping you discover Japan in a deeper and more memorable way.
Corporate Identity
– Designing Tours for Quality of Life –
私たちが考えるツアーは、一つのデザインだと捉えています。それは単なる旅程の組み立てや観光スポットの紹介にとどまらず、社会の課題や訪れる方々の潜在的なニーズを見出し、それに応じた革新的な体験やソリューションを提供することを目指しています。インバウンドツアー事業者として、私たちの使命は、ゲストが日本の文化、歴史、地域の魅力に深く触れることができるようなツアーをデザインすることです。小さな感動や発見の連鎖が、やがて大きな変化を生み出し、ゲストの日常や人生の質（Quality of Life）を向上させると信じています。
「我々のデザインで世界を変える」といった壮大な目標ではなく、私たちが提供するツアーというせせらぎのような小さな変化が、やがて大きな川となり、社会をもっと楽しく、幸せな方向へ導くことを願っています。直接的であれ間接的であれ、人々の生活を豊かにし、地域社会や文化の未来をより良いものにする手助けをすることが、私たちの使命です。
We see the tours we create as a form of design. It goes beyond simply crafting itineraries or showcasing tourist spots. Instead, it involves identifying the underlying challenges of society and the latent needs of our guests, and providing innovative experiences and solutions to address them.
As an inbound tour operator, our mission is to design tours that allow guests to deeply connect with Japan’s culture, history, and regional charm. We believe that a chain of small moments of joy and discovery can eventually lead to significant change, enhancing the quality of life for those who join our tours.
We are not striving for grandiose goals like “changing the world through our design.” Rather, we hope that the small ripples of transformation created by the tours we provide will eventually flow into a great river, guiding society toward greater joy and happiness. Whether directly or indirectly, our mission is to enrich people’s lives and contribute to a brighter future for communities and cultures.
Careers With Us
We are always looking for passionate entertainers to join our team. Our food and walking tour guides not only know and love the places we go, but also give fantastic experiences and entertains to our guests . We accept applications on a rolling basis for vacancies throughout the year.
Not recruiting now…But if you are interested, please email us anytime!
Not recruiting now…But if you are interested, please email us anytime!
Not recruiting now…But if you are interested, please email us anytime!