Our Story

Koi no yokan perfectly describes the feeling we had, knowing we’d fall in love with the country on our initial visit. Japan captured our hearts from the very beginning, and we wish everyone the same experience when planning their (first) trip to this magical place on earth.

Venture beyond

Japan has so much more to offer than just its major cities. What if you venture beyond and search for the real, unfiltered Japan? You'll discover that in Koi No Yokan, a travel guide with a compilation of unique day trips that you can undertake from the more well-known Japanese cities, including Tokyo, Kyoto, Takamatsu, Hiroshima, and Takayama. In this guide, we collected our experiences during this three-week holiday in October 2019, where we travelled almost 2000 km by the superfast Shinkansen, 100 km by bike, 80 km by ferry, and we must’ve taken thousands of footsteps. From the countryside, to unknown art islands, the biggest freshwater lakes, traditional small towns, mountain trails and so much more: it's all detailed in the guide.

Practicalities

Additionally, we share practical tips for thorough preparation, our itinerary, and some unwritten rules to bear in mind. Learn why you simply can't tip, unabashedly stare at people on the metro, or leave your rubbish lying around - Japan is the cleanest country you will ever come across. Lastly, we've included a tribute to one of Japan's national treasures: the Shiba Inu dog. During our time in Japan, we encountered these adorable dogs everywhere, which reminded us of our own Shiba, Yoji.

Don't expect recommendations for the coolest restaurants, hotels, shops, or other fancy places. Koi No Yokan is a travel guide intended to remain relevant even ten years or more into the future. It's a guide designed to cherish, or pass on to your family or friends.

Enjoy! Or, how the Japanese would say: tanoshimu! 

Chloë & Jordi
@chloealyshea / @mokyokay