Zigotours Tokyo Winter and Spring City Camp for Teens

Zigotours, a French youth-travel operator, runs this eight-day city camp in Tokyo for teenagers aged 15 to 17. It is offered during the winter and spring holiday periods, with several departure dates in each. The group flies from Paris on scheduled flights with a stopover, and once in Japan moves around the capital on metro and train passes rather than by coach, which makes the city itself the setting for the week. The itinerary is published by the operator and is the same for every departure. It covers the historic district of Asakusa and the Senso-ji temple; Akihabara, the district given over to manga, video games and technology; Shibuya and Harajuku, where Tokyo teenagers spend their own free time; Odaiba, the artificial island in the bay with its museums, leisure spaces and views across the water; Ueno park with its museums and the neighbouring Ameyoko market; a traditional Japanese onsen; and the panoramic observatory at the Shinjuku city hall. There are no lessons and no entry level is required, as this is a discovery trip rather than a language or academic course. Accommodation is in a youth hostel, in dormitories of four to eight beds, with showers and toilets shared and located outside the rooms. The hostel has a shared kitchen and a common room, and stands a five-minute walk from the railway and metro station, with a supermarket nearby. Full board is included: breakfasts at the hostel, picnic lunches during the day's visits, and dinners in snack bars or small restaurants. Groups run from twelve to twenty-four participants, supervised by a director and qualified youth leaders at a published ratio of one adult for every eight young people. A first-aid kit is carried by a member of staff acting as health assistant, and the operator states that a doctor is consulted at the slightest doubt. The published fee covers return flights from Paris, accommodation, full board, local travel, the supervision team, the listed activities and repatriation and personal accident insurance; travel to Paris from other French cities can be arranged by the operator for an additional charge that depends on the city. The camp may suit families whose teenager is drawn to Japanese cities and pop culture and who want a short, fully supervised trip with a fixed programme and a French-speaking team. Before making travel arrangements, please confirm dates, prices and availability directly with the camp provider, as they can change quickly.