Influencer collaborations in Japan, planned by the team on the ground

What is a hosted trip in Japan with Explera?

It is an in-kind collaboration: Explera arranges your accommodation, transfers and activities in Japan, and you publish honest, disclosed coverage of the experience. Explera is a B2B destination management company. The same team books hotels and ryokan, private cars, licensed guides and tours for travel agents and tour operators, so your itinerary is built on services we arrange every day rather than on favours from third parties.

Explera does not script your videos or approve your edit. In Japan that matters more than usual, because a guided morning in Arashiyama or an evening in Gion only works on camera when the creator is free to explain what they actually saw, including the crowds and the rules.

Is this the same as a tourism-board press trip or a FAM trip?

No. A tourism-board press trip is usually a group itinerary set by the organiser, and a FAM trip is a familiarisation tour that shows travel agents a product; an Explera collaboration is planned for one creator and one niche. It is not a brand deal either, since no fee is paid and nobody approves your content. What you do have is a written agreement, signed in the creator portal, listing what each side provides.

Can creators from outside Japan apply?

Yes. Creators of any nationality, living anywhere, can apply if they are 18 or over and own a blog or website. What matters is that your audience is real and that Japan fits what they follow you for. Your audience's location also decides how you disclose: viewers in Japan expect 「PR」 or 「広告」 shown clearly at the start under the stealth-marketing rules, while viewers in the UK, the US or the EU have rules of their own.

Do I need a minimum number of followers?

For a hosted trip, yes: hosted tiers start at 150,000 followers on your primary channel, and the programme page shows what each tier includes. Smaller creators can still apply. The Spotlight path normally covers one activity or tour, such as a guided evening walk, without hotel or transfers. At any size, bought followers, engagement pods or past sponsorships that were not disclosed end an application.

Which places in Japan suit my niche?

Japan rewards creators who pick one story and film it well, so choose a base that matches your channel rather than trying to cover the country in a single trip. Distances and transfers eat filming time quickly.

• Culture and heritage: Kyoto, with Arashiyama at dawn, a tea ceremony, and Gion at dusk with a licensed guide. Nara's temples and deer park are an easy day away.
• Food: Osaka, where Dotonbori's neon, canal and street stalls carry a night of content on their own. The food niche page explains how we plan food trips.
• City and street photography: Tokyo, from Senso-ji at opening time to the Shibuya scramble at dusk.
• Landscape: Lake Kawaguchi for Mt Fuji, which is visible far less often than the photographs suggest. Winter mornings give the best odds.
• Wellness and luxury: Hakone for hot springs and ryokan stays, where the story is service, food and quiet rather than size.

When is the best time for a hosted trip to Japan?

Late October to early December and late March to April give the most reliable filming weather in the places we host, but the cherry-blossom and autumn-colour weeks are also the busiest and hardest to book. Winter brings the clearest views of Mt Fuji and good onsen weather. The rainy season runs from about June into early July, which suits moss gardens and wet-street reflections if your gear is covered. Summer is hot and humid, and typhoons can disrupt trains and outdoor plans from late summer into autumn, so keep a day spare. Golden Week and the New Year period fill early, and blossom dates move every year, so do not build a trip around a single peak day.

What are the filming rules in Japan?

Assume no drone, limited tripods and a high expectation of privacy, then check the current rules for each site. Flying over built-up areas generally needs permission under national aviation rules, and many parks, temples and shrines ban drones outright. Station staff usually stop tripods on platforms and concourses, and observation decks often do not allow them, so a gimbal or handheld rig is the practical choice. Photography is commonly prohibited inside temple halls. In Gion, private lanes are off-limits and maiko are not to be followed or filmed without consent. Ask before filming anyone close up, and keep calls and voice-overs off trains.

Is a hosted trip a free trip?

No. It is a working arrangement under a written agreement, and Explera never provides flights, cash fees, visas or travel insurance. Flights are excluded whether international or domestic. Insurance is mandatory and checked before you travel. Entry requirements depend on your passport, so check current rules with official Japanese government sources before you book. Personal shopping, extra meals and upgrades nobody agreed are yours to pay.

What do I have to post?

You post a short pre-trip announcement on social and on your blog tagging @expleradmc, then publish the coverage listed in your agreement, with each piece disclosed at the start. Typical coverage is a blog post linking to the Explera page for the experience and posts on your main social channels.

• Tag @expleradmc on Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube and Threads.
• Explera has no TikTok account, so TikTok posts carry your disclosure but no Explera tag.
• Submit each piece in the creator portal with its URL and screenshots showing the mention and the disclosure.

The deliverables page covers deadlines, proof and disclosure wording by audience market.

How do I apply?

Apply through the online application with your primary channel, your blog or website, your audience markets, your dates and what you want to film in Japan.

1. Choose dates with the season in mind and leave room for weather.
2. Name one or two bases rather than five.
3. Enter your legal name exactly as in your passport, with the passport details the form asks for.
4. Confirm that you follow @expleradmc across Explera's official profiles.
5. If approved, sign in the creator portal, post your announcement and upload proof of insurance before you travel.

For Explera's travel-trade services in Japan, see explera.jp.