The company name AJ Travel Bureau (short for Australia/Japan Travel Bureau) denotes our area of expertise and interest specialising in tours to Japan for westerners and to Australia for Japanese people. (It is also serendipitous that my initials are ‘AJ’).

I have a BA in Asian Studies from the Australian National University and extensive experience working and living in Japan for five years as a translator and interpreter. I also have a CIT Diploma of Tourism and extensive experience working in several key sectors of the travel industry in Australia and Japan, including the development and implementation of complex itineraries for up to 200 people at a time. Furthermore, I have 10 years experience as an administrator working in various Departments of the Australian Federal Government.

It seemed a logical step for me at some time to create a travel company where I could utilise skills acquired during my professional career to develop cultural experiences introducing Australians and Japanese to each other’s culture. The tours I create are unique with the aim of providing grass roots cultural insight into these two very different countries. Also, as a practitioner of several Japanese sports (including iaido, jodo, aikido and kyudo) it is my intention to assist in providing opportunities for western people to train in Japan and provide them with some valuable cultural experiences there.