Originally Posted by
trekker
It's not a guided tour, but a custom-arranged trip for three couples. There will be guides and/or drivers on a few occasions (necessitating tips, of course), but mostly we will be on our own, taking taxis, riding trains. Dinners at ryokans are already paid for (a little over half the nights), we are on our own for other nights and for lunches.
No the guided portions will NOT necessitate tips. There is no tipping in Japan, and that really means NO TIPPING. I certainly hope your TA told you that!
FYI, a decent served lunch in a small restaurant in Japan will cost Y800-1500. Dinner could normally be Y1200-3000, although there are obviously fancy places that cost much more. Fast food, like ramen, is less.