This year, TRAVELER’S COMPANY celebrates 20 years of TRAVELER’S notebook. It is a milestone shaped by countless journeys and the people who have carried this notebook with them through life.
To mark the anniversary, TRAVELER’S COMPANY USA spoke with two of the creators who have been part of the TRAVELER’S notebook story from the very beginning: Miho Hashimoto (Miho-san), Product Designer, and Atsuhiko Iijima (Iijima-san), Brand Director.
In this conversation, they reflect on travel, the value of analog, and what it means to keep making something with care for two decades.
Travel and the Feeling of Movement
When we asked what Iijima-san enjoys about traveling, he spoke about a recent trip to Kyoto for a TRAVELER’S COMPANY CARAVAN event. Kyoto used to feel like “taking a trip,” he said. But after TRAVELER’S FACTORY opened there six years ago, that feeling changed.
“It started to feel almost like visiting a relative’s house,” he told us. “It no longer felt like an unfamiliar place. It became somewhere I could feel at ease, somewhere I felt I belonged.”
He also shared how he sets out on a bicycle trip each summer. “Every summer vacation, I travel around Japan by bicycle,” he said. Over the years, he has connected those routes like a line, going north step by step. He described the quiet joy of looking back and thinking, “I’ve come this far.”
For Iijima-san, travel is closely tied to motion. He likes “the feeling of being in motion,” the feeling of moving from where you are now to somewhere different. In daily life, effort does not always lead to a clear result. But on a bicycle, the progress is real. “When you ride a bicycle from point A to point B… you are definitely moving forward,” he said. “You can feel that sense of achievement.”
What Makes Travel Memorable
When we asked what stays with Iijima-san most after a trip, he didn’t mention famous sights. Instead, he spoke about everyday life.
“What stays with me most when I travel is being able to experience the everyday life of that place,” he said.
He explained it simply: “When I talk with someone local and feel like I’ve been able to briefly become part of their everyday life, that is what leaves the strongest impression on me.” It is also what brings him the most joy when he travels.
The Joy of the Unexpected
Both Miho-san and Iijima-san described a travel style that leaves room for the unexpected.
Iijima-san said he is not the type to plan much. He prefers to follow his instincts in the moment, thinking, “Maybe I’ll go this way.” He also shared that this kind of spontaneous travel can be harder now, since many places require reservations.
Still, his favorite travel moments are often the unplanned ones. He described a scene he loves: “When you’re traveling and suddenly see a restaurant that catches your eye… you go in. There are lots of local people there, the food is good, and you end up chatting with them.”
At the same time, he said we now receive so much information that spontaneity can be difficult. “If you ask AI, it will tell you all the recommended places,” he said. But a trip that simply follows those recommendations can feel “a little unsatisfying.”
Miho-san also values wandering. She recently traveled to Korea for a 20th anniversary event. After giving birth, it was her first overseas trip in about three years, making it a refreshing change for her.
Her favorite way to travel, she said, is without deciding too much in advance. “I really like wandering as inspiration comes, even getting a little lost,” Miho-san told us. For her, getting lost and taking detours can be a gift. “By getting lost, or by taking detours, you can discover unexpected things.”
Patina and Why Analog Matters
TRAVELER’S notebook is known for becoming more beautiful with use. When we asked why aging, patina, and imperfection matter, Iijima-san spoke about value that grows over time.
He said they wanted to create a notebook “whose value increases the longer you use it,” connecting that idea to the unique appeal of analog things, something that cannot be replaced by digital.
As a notebook gets scratched, he explained, you can choose to see those marks differently. The scratches can become “proof of your travels,” as well as marks of where your life has been carved into the leather. “Just by looking at them, memories… come softly back to you,” he said. That gentle return of memory is part of what they hope a TRAVELER’S notebook can hold.
He also shared a broader idea. Scratches and wrinkles are often seen as negative, but seeing these marks and changes in a positive way can help you feel more positive about life. He brought up the phrase “anti-aging,” then added that rather than trying to resist aging, “enjoying aging is better for life.”
Iijima-san also spoke about imperfection in a very personal way. “My handwriting is not good,” he said. Still, when he writes in a TRAVELER’S notebook, he feels that even his handwriting has character. He described the notebook as something that can accept those imperfect parts of us. Because of that, people customize it and pour more and more of themselves into it. Over time, each notebook becomes unique to the person using it.
What has Changed and What has Stayed the Same Over 20 Years
Looking back, Iijima-san said the first thing he feels is that “it went by incredibly quickly.” At the same time, he told us that the heart of TRAVELER’S notebook still feels the same as it did at the beginning, when he and Miho-san decided, “Let’s make this kind of notebook and do it this way.”
So what has changed? For Iijima-san, it is the growing community around the notebook. He said, “The number of people who are waiting for it and looking forward to it has grown so much compared to back then.” That makes him happy, but it also brings a sense of responsibility. He shared honestly that he does not want to disappoint people, and he wants to keep making them excited.
Miho-san spoke about how meeting users has shaped their thinking, and even influenced product development. When people say, “I wish there were something like this,” or “This is how I use it,” those words help shape what they do next. She also mentioned hearing people say, “My life changed in this way after encountering this notebook.”
At first, she said, it began with the feeling that it would be enough if they themselves could enjoy it. Over time, that changed into a desire to bring joy to many people.
Iijima-san described this as their circle of companions growing. The people who use the notebook can feel like companions who share the same sensibility.
As for what has not changed, Miho-san said they have always continued to enjoy it. She added that “the desire to share that feeling of excitement has not changed at all either.”
Gratitude
When we asked what they are most grateful for as the 20th anniversary approaches, Iijima-san answered: “What I am most grateful for is truly the people who love and use this notebook.”
Because those people exist, he said, TRAVELER’S COMPANY can continue this work and keep growing. Miho-san agreed, adding that her gratitude extends in two directions. She is grateful for the encounters she has had with people, and she also feels the desire to thank the notebook itself for changing so many people’s lives.
We also asked if they have ever seen a TRAVELER’S notebook that surprised or moved them. Iijima-san shared a story from an event at TRAVELER’S FACTORY, where fans were able to show their notebooks and explain how they use them. One person told him, “Ever since I started using TRAVELER’S notebook, my everyday life has become so much more enjoyable,” they told him. They added that they had never drawn before, but after seeing others drawing, they decided to try. “Since then, I’ve been drawing every day.”
That moment stayed with Iijima-san. He said he wants TRAVELER’S notebook to be something that can create “a change in someone’s life.”
Miho-san shared another memory: a notebook that recorded a child’s life, including memories from when the child was born. She also spoke about seeing people connect through their notebooks even when they cannot speak the same language. They write travel recommendations for each other, and she said, “Seeing people connect through the notebook makes me very happy.”
Iijima-san put it in one line: “It is the story of that person that comes through the notebook, and that is what moves us.”
A Message to Longtime Fans
At the end of our conversation, we asked for a message to the fans who have continued using TRAVELER’S notebook for many years.
Iijima-san began with gratitude. “First of all, thank you so much for these 20 years,” he said. When they first created the notebook, he never imagined what it would look like two decades later. They started with “the feeling of wondering what might happen even one year later.”
Now, he said, it has continued for 20 years. To continue doing something as part of your work for so long feels like a kind of “life work.” “It is truly because there are people who continue to use TRAVELER’S notebook. I am deeply grateful,” he said.
Miho-san left us with a message that feels like an invitation.
“From here on, I hope we can all continue traveling together with TRAVELER’S notebook,” she said. “Let’s keep enjoying the journey.”
Together, they closed with: “Thank you, and we look forward to continuing this journey with you.”
Meet the Creators behind TRAVELER’S notebook
This September, the TRAVELER’S COMPANY CARAVAN will be coming to the U.S. for a special 20th Anniversary celebration of TRAVELER’S notebook. The creators behind TRAVELER’S notebook will be joining the festivities at Paper & Pencil in Chicago (September 6–7) and Yoseka Land in Brooklyn, New York (September 11–12). We look forward to welcoming visitors to browse event-exclusive limited items, visit the Stamp Caravan, and explore a gallery tracing TRAVELER’S COMPANY’s history. You can read more details here.
Whether you’re a longtime fan or discovering TRAVELER’S notebook for the first time, we hope you enjoy the celebration and make this CARAVAN stop part of your own TRAVELER’S notebook journey
Have a nice trip!
