Profile photo for Van Milton
74 messages

Van Milton

Van hails from Washington DC but has lived in Colorado since he was a teenager - which perhaps accounts for his passion for the great outdoors. Whether it's mountain biking, trail running, hiking, or climbing, Van is your man for all things adventurous - so it's no surprise that his top tip for visitors to Japan is to get out of the big cities and explore the beautiful countryside.

Van spent five years living in Japan, teaching English on the JET programme. While there, he enjoyed observing the differences in architecture and aesthetics between his own country and Japan: the different textures of wood and tile, plants and concrete, and nature within the cities. As well as his interest in nature, Van describes himself as having a "mild obsession" with ceramics, and has a keen interest in photography and light painting.

What places and activities do you specialize in?

"Central Japan, Shikoku, & Kyushu. Biking & hiking are my main areas of interest along with photography and ceramics."

How did you get involved in travel?

"Before joining us at Inside Japan Tours, Van worked at the Denver Botanic Gardens and REI, an outdoor equipment store in the US. Like all of us he loves to travel, and spent six months exploring New Zealand with the WWOOF (Willing Workers On Organic Farms) programme. "

Please share a unique travel experience you will never forget.

"His favourite places in Japan are Yakushima, the island that inspired Miyazaki's masterpiece Princess Mononoke, and the town of Kumamoto for its incredible food, art and history."

Van is part of the following groups: Japan Travel Agents

Recent trip reviews for Van

Japan Family Vacation Posner Anderson Family
Japan | Aug 5 - Aug 18, 2018

karen
karen a.
Bethesda, MD | Reviewed on Sep 18, 2018
Van was wonderful- very well versed in Japan, gave us good advice about what we could do realistically with 3 kids in tow! He was very helpful in getting us to scale back on some of the more expensive things we thought about doing (like some pricey restaurants) that really would not have been fun when we were jet lagged or for the kids in general. All our guides were very informative and great with engaging our kids. We loved all the destinations Van chose for us- we got just the right... Read more

Van was wonderful- very well versed in Japan, gave us good advice about what we could do realistically with 3 kids in tow! He was very helpful in getting us to scale back on some of the more expensive things we thought about doing (like some pricey restaurants) that really would not have been fun when we were jet lagged or for the kids in general.

All our guides were very informative and great with engaging our kids.

We loved all the destinations Van chose for us- we got just the right mix of urban Tokyo fun and rural/seaside experience. All the accommodations were wonderful, we really felt like we traveled to a foreign country, not just staying in generic hotels. We did not rent a car and felt that the train and bus travel was all fairly easy.

The only event (and this was such a minor thing) we did not really enjoy was the Monster Cafe in Tokyo- our 13 and 15 year olds thought it was kind of silly, and our 9 year old was amused for a few mintues but then bored. The food was really average and overpriced. Would not rec this.

Local specialist: Van Milton