Jennifer Hale Ockner is a Destination Specialist, Consultant and Founder of Japan Tours and Travel. Before founding her own company, she spent nearly three years as a Director at GHA Travel, a San Francisco-based boutique travel agency, where she designed and directed Special Interest tours to Japan. Jennifer has spent more than half of her life becoming proficient in the country's history, language, fine arts, cuisine and culture. While living in Japan, she became intimately involved with the community as a teacher, musician and vocalist, performing traditional music with an ensemble on the 17-stringed o-koto (Japanese harp). She also performed regularly at community events and music festivals, and made guest appearances on Japanese variety television shows.

Jennifer has worked and studied extensively throughout Japan since 1986, completing two years on the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program in Osaka, and working as an analyst for American Express International in Tokyo. Jennifer holds a B.A. degree from Smith College and an M.B.A./M.I.M. degree from Thunderbird, the Garvin School of International Management. Jennifer and her trusted network of experienced guides, hoteliers, restaurateurs, artists, historians and area specialists join forces to create spectacular insider experiences not to be found anywhere else.  Proficient in Japanese, her passion is leading tours and sharing her favorite place in the world with first-time travelers and seasoned veterans alike.