About MTJ

Who Is MTJ

Founded in 2009, MTJ is a Tokyo-based Destination Management Company (DMC) operating exclusively in Japan. Leaning on our long-standing connections with diverse suppliers and a creative team of experience designers, we craft tailor-made itineraries for a wide-range of travelers, specializing in high-end departures.

MTJ works with international tour operators and travel advisors who count on us for end-to-end trip development and delivery. Turn to us to immerse your clients in the people, places, flavors, cultures and customs that make each corner of Japan unique. Whether the sites and excursions you expect or those that only locals know, each of our customized journeys respond to the vision, special interests, and greatest imaginations of your clients.

We pride ourselves on our standards of service, providing a high level of care and attention to our partners in the planning stages, which extends to your clients once they’re on the ground. We are especially attentive to the little details, thoughtfully incorporating “wow” moments whenever possible and layering immersive storytelling every step of the way.

MTJ works with partners across the world, and continues to expand our international network.

We shine for our partners, so you can shine for your clients.

Our Founder’s Story

The journey that inspired MTJ – Japan, 1989.

Discovering Japan From Within

MTJ was founded by Italian entrepreneur Mariateresa Agusto, who has lived in Japan since 2006. When she first visited the country in 1989, it was in the early days of international tourism when many foreign travelers were there primarily for business.

Welcomed into the home of a Japanese friend and her family, Mariateresa experienced Japan from a local viewpoint; sharing meals, everyday rituals and personal encounters revealed to her a country shaped by timeless traditions, genuine hospitality, and remarkable beauty. She was left wondering why so few global travelers were discovering this Japan.

And so, a dream was born: to help others immerse themselves in the country she had fallen in love with.

“... a dream was born: to help others immerse themselves in the country she had fallen in love with.”

When Passion Became Expertise

The impacts of that first visit stayed with her and she returned whenever she could, determined to understand Japan beyond the perspective of the average visitor.

In the years that followed, she was selected for the European Union’s Executive Training Programme, an initiative created to strengthen business and cultural understanding between Europe and Japan. Through the program, she studied management, entrepreneurship and business administration primarily at Waseda University in Tokyo, complemented by specialized modules at leading European institutions.

The experience deepened her understanding of Japan, international business, and the importance of building lasting cross-cultural connections.

A Dream Becomes MTJ

All of this time visiting and studying in-destination led to her dream becoming a reality in 2009, when she officially launched MTJ.

Today, Mariateresa continues to lead the organization, ensuring that every journey remains true to the vision behind its creation: helping travelers from around the world discover the same, authentic Japan she first discovered decades ago.

Our Ethos

We’re Japan specialists

Count on our expertise at every step, from experience design to in-destination host. We curate and deliver immersive itineraries that show the authentic, unscripted sides of Japan, based on the unique interests of our partners and their clients.

We’re guest-centred

We know Japan, and you know your client. Leaning on this collective expertise, we develop itineraries that incorporate the sites, scenes, and activities your clients want to enjoy, moving at the pace they want to move.

We’re creative

We love an open runway to imagine intimate, immersive, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences that are only possible thanks to our local knowledge and connections.

We’re proactive

We are well-familiar with high guest expectations. It is part of our practice to anticipate needs and demands so every journey feels stress-free, seamless, and customized.

We’re warm & welcoming hosts

Our trip leaders go above and beyond to make guests feel truly special and seen. They share local stories and perspectives to deepen connections to and understandings of place, while attending to their needs along the way.