The Black American story in Asia, told where it happened.
Luxury journeys through Japan and Thailand that reveal the overlooked history connecting Black America and Asia — guided by a Yale-trained historian who has lived in Asia for over twenty years.
Our Journeys
A Kingdom's Celebration
Bangkok · Grand Hyatt Erawan
Pattaya Extension
Jomtien Beach · Andaz Pattaya
The Untold Japan
Tokyo · Yokohama · Hakone · Osaka · Kobe · Hiroshima
What changes when David is your host
You don't navigate alone
Restaurants. Hotels. Language. Transportation. Security. Shopping. Every moment of potential friction — handled quietly in the background before you notice it as a problem.
You arrived to experience Asia. David makes sure that's all you do.
Small enough to know everyone
Two to ten guests. Never forty strangers on a bus. A group small enough that by the second evening, everyone is already finishing each other's sentences.
The friendships formed on Blaisian journeys are part of what people come back for.
Access through relationships
Twenty years of showing up in the same places builds something no booking site can replicate. The Grand Hyatt Bangkok staff who know David by name. The Blue Elephant chef who taught a private class. The MBK shop owners who greet David by name.
That network is what you're actually purchasing.
Stories from the Journey
and Southeast Asia
always intimate, never a crowd
multiple journeys
Many guests return for a second journey — some reserve their next trip before the current one ends.
The Untold Japan
"My husband and I were interested in learning more about the history of black people in Asia, so we signed up for the tour that visited Hiroshima. Some parts of the tour felt like a university lecture, and other parts were full of fun and action. I signed up for the Thailand tour without my husband because I liked the vibes of the other travelers."
"Since this was my first time to visit Asia, I didn't know what to expect. David told me not to worry, so I left it up to him. That was one of the best decisions I have ever made; I enjoyed it so much I signed up for the Thailand tour and had a ball!"
"We found out about Dave from a university group. We had so much fun in Japan that we asked him to book us another trip while we were still in Japan because there was so much more we wanted to do. David made everything so easy; we didn't have to worry about anything. We are planning a third trip next year."
"I've been all over the world, but this was the best group tour I have been on. I can't believe we packed so much in — Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, Arima Onsen, Hiroshima, and Awaji Island. I highly recommend the Japan tour."
"I had so much fun on the Japan tour that I came back the next year for the Thailand tour. David knows a lot of people in Thailand! The staff at the Grand Hyatt Bangkok treated us especially well because they love David so much, and the shopping at MBK went smoothly because David knew many of the salespeople. I can't wait to go again!"
"I liked the Japan tour so much, I brought my sister along as a Christmas present. David took us to the night market at midnight! The New Year's Eve party was impressive, and that's where I realized David knows so many people. I felt like a VIP. Highly recommend."
"I traveled with my brother to Thailand and was blown away by the country. The cooking class with the Thai king's personal chef was my favorite activity, with the visit to Koh Larn Island a close second. Trip of a lifetime."
David Wright
Founder, Cultural Connections Asia · Scholar-Host · Tokyo-based 20+ years
David Wright holds a Master's degree from Yale University and completed doctoral research at UC Berkeley in American History, with a focus on Black-Japanese encounters from Commodore Perry's opening of Japan through the postwar period.
He has lived in Tokyo for over twenty years and speaks Japanese fluently. He travels with every Blaisian group for the full duration of the journey. Every detail, every transition, every moment of friction — handled before guests notice it as a problem.
Blaisian Journeys is the second brand under Cultural Connections Asia LLC — built specifically around the African American relationship to Asia, and around the Black intellectual tradition that has always understood that relationship to be significant.
Mirei Sato
In-Country Scholar · UC Berkeley · Asahi ShimbunMirei translates for Japan's premier newspaper. A fellow academic at UC Berkeley, her PhD research focused on Japan–Black American relations — the same field as David's doctoral work. That shared intellectual foundation makes her contribution to these journeys unique rather than supplementary.
The Black American story traveled further through Asia than most people know.
Black sailors served in Commodore Perry's fleet at the opening of Japan
Japan's victory over Russia — W.E.B. Du Bois read it as proof against white supremacy as natural law
Black GIs shaped postwar Japan and Okinawa — a presence still visible today
Black servicemen discovered Thailand on Vietnam-era R&R. Some never left. Their community still lives in Pattaya.
Blaisian traces these stories in the places where they happened. Every journey is built around what most tours leave out — the frame that makes everything else make sense.
Scholar-led. Unhurried. At the level of luxury the journey deserves.
Scholar-led
Every journey is built around the history most tours skip. The frame that makes everything else make sense.
Unhurried
Small groups of 2–10. Hyatt properties throughout. No rushing. Time to ask the question that came to you at dinner.
At the level of luxury the journey deserves
NYE at the Grand Hyatt Bangkok. Kaiseki in Hakone. Wagyu teppanyaki on the Kobe Concerto. Every experience curated at the level of luxury the journey deserves.
Every Blaisian journey begins with a conversation.
Tell us which journey interests you and when you're thinking of traveling. David responds personally to every inquiry.