ABOUT OSAKADOKO
Getting to know Japan is about more than simply visiting places.
OsakaDoko was born out of a desire to turn visits into experiences with context — helping each traveler better understand the history, customs, and people behind the Japan they encounter along the way.
Fernando de Oliveira Lacerda
Founder of OsakaDoko
BEFORE OSAKADOKO
A story that began long before the first tour.
Before working in tourism, my path took me through communication, culinary arts, hospitality, and entrepreneurship. I studied Advertising and Marketing, gained professional experience in the United States, specialized in culinary arts, and later created a marketing company focused on the restaurant industry.
Along the way, I learned to look at service, experience, and human behavior from different perspectives — something that, years later, would directly influence the way OsakaDoko was built.
BEFORE BECOMING A GUIDE
I already knew what it was like to visit Japan without really understanding what I was seeing.
Before moving to Japan, I had already visited the country several times to see the woman who would later become my wife. On days when she had to work, I would head out on my own to explore temples, shrines, and other places that caught my interest.
With only English to rely on and no real background in Japanese history, I often arrived at remarkable places and left feeling that something was missing. They were beautiful, but I did not really understand why they existed, what they represented, or how they connected to the country’s history and culture.
That feeling stayed with me. Years later, when I began working as a guide, I realized I did not want to simply take people from one attraction to the next. I wanted to help travelers understand what they were seeing — in a way that was engaging, accessible, and never felt like a lecture.
"It’s beautiful. But what does it actually mean?"
WHEN JAPAN BECAME HOME
Japan was never part of the plan. Then life changed course.
For several years, the plan was to build a life in Canada. That was where I met the woman who would later become my wife, and for a long time, it was the future we imagined for ourselves.
The pandemic changed everything. After a year of waiting and uncertainty, we left Brazil and moved to Japan — a move we had never planned, but one that would completely reshape my path.
I arrived with my life packed into two suitcases, without speaking the language fluently, and had to learn how to navigate a society very different from the one I had known in Brazil. I first worked at a factory and later at an Italian restaurant, where daily contact with Japanese customers helped me improve my language skills and, more importantly, understand the country from the inside.
“Japan stopped being a place I visited and became part of my everyday life, my family, and the way I see the world.”
WHEN IT ALL BEGAN
That’s how I began showing Japan to others.
In February 2024, an unexpected opportunity came up. An acquaintance who was starting to work as a guide in Tokyo needed someone to guide travelers in Osaka and Kyoto. I took on the challenge and began studying Japanese history and the places I would be introducing to guests in depth.
The first itineraries were simple and fairly fixed, built around the cities’ best-known sights. At the beginning, I was constantly checking official sources to make sure every piece of information I shared was accurate.
With every new tour, I began to realize that a good day of travel depended on far more than the places on the itinerary. Pace, age, physical condition, interests, transportation, and the time needed to truly enjoy each stop could completely change the experience.
"Every traveler taught me something no ready-made itinerary ever could."
FROM EXPERIENCE TO OSAKADOKO
The itinerary stopped coming first. The traveler did.
Over time, each new tour called for a more personalized approach. Some travelers wanted to dive deeper into the history, while others needed a slower pace. There were families, couples, different ages, interests, and entirely different ways of experiencing a trip.
That process gradually shaped OsakaDoko into what it is today. I began exploring new destinations, refining the logistics of each day, discovering cultural experiences, designing itineraries around each group, and realizing that a guide’s role goes far beyond simply showing the way.
At the same time, I began connecting with other professionals in Japan. Some became trusted partners; others reinforced just how important it is to carefully choose the people who represent OsakaDoko when working with a guest.
“Personalization is not simply about changing the attractions. It is about understanding the person who is traveling.”
WHY OSAKADOKO?
A name that still points back to where it all began.
OsakaDoko was born from the combination of two elements. The first is Osaka, the city where I live and where this story began. It is a vast, diverse city full of contrasts, and one that has always helped me see Japan beyond its most familiar images.
The second is doko (どこ), the Japanese word for “where.” In the beginning, the idea was almost literal: to answer the question of where to go in Osaka and introduce places worth discovering beyond the obvious.
Over time, OsakaDoko grew beyond the city and began working with travelers across different regions of Japan. The name remained because it still says something important about our roots: Osaka is where this story begins.
Osaka + どこ = Osaka Doko
OSAKADOKO TODAY
A boutique operation designed to stay personal.
Today, OsakaDoko is a boutique travel operation in Japan, primarily serving Brazilian travelers who want to experience the country with greater context, peace of mind, and attention to detail.
We deliberately keep our operation lean. Staying closely involved and limiting the number of projects we take on allows us to preserve what matters most: understanding each trip, knowing who is traveling, and maintaining control over the quality of the experience.
When a trip requires other professionals or destinations, we work with a network of guides and partners built over time and selected according to the same standards of care, trust, and responsibility that shape OsakaDoko’s own work.
This same approach has also led OsakaDoko to work with travel agencies and tourism professionals looking for a trusted local partner in Japan for specific services.
"For us, growth only makes sense if quality grows with it."
WHAT WE WANT TO PRESERVE
Excellence, context, and a genuinely human experience.
To us, quality is not simply about choosing great places. It means studying, sharing reliable information, understanding each group’s pace, and making sure travelers feel well cared for throughout the experience.
We want every explanation to have a purpose, while still leaving time to observe, take photos, talk, and simply enjoy being in Japan.
If a traveler ends their trip feeling that, without OsakaDoko, the experience would have been very different, then we have done our job.
"We want you to return home not only remembering the places you visited, but with a deeper understanding of the Japan you experienced along the way."
IN THEIR WORDS
An experience shaped throughout the journey.
“Our stay in Japan was incredible! You and your partner guides made all the difference in changing the way we saw the country. [...] It was 17 days of learning and discovery! We left wishing we could stay...”
Marlene Peccin and family
17 days across Japan · Fernando and partner guides
