The limited edition Traveler's notebook Tokyo

Escape to the streets of Japan's capital with the limited edition Traveler's notebook Tokyo

Traveler's notebooks are customizable travel journals that are extremely popular with stationery enthusiasts the world over. Marketed by the Japanese brand Traveler's Company since 2006, these notebooks are available in a range of colors: black, brown, blue, camel and olive, and are regularly complemented by various limited editions. While it is often difficult to obtain these limited editions outside Japan, this is not the case with the superb edition dedicated to Tokyo.

On the cover of this edition, the word Tokyo is soberly and elegantly embossed with various symbols of the Japanese capital. Whether you've ever walked the streets of Tokyo or not, this edition will instantly transport you to this incredible megalopolis of a thousand faces.

 

Traveler's notebook

Traveler's notebooks are an original concept created in March 2006 by the Japanese brand Traveler's Company. Unlike conventional, one-time-use travel notebooks, Traveler's notebooks can be reused again and again. Thanks to an elastic band system, notebooks can be inserted inside the Traveler's notebook cover, but can also be easily removed once they're finished and replaced, without having to change travel notebooks.

The ability to insert different notebooks inside a Traveler's notebook is not only very practical, but also allows you to customize your travel notebook to suit your personal style. You can choose the type of paper you'd like to use (white, lined, watercolor, drawing...), insert pockets to store travel souvenirs, or add a pen case so you'll always have something to write on.

Traveler's notebooks are available in two formats: a standard size (22 x 12 cm) and a passport size (13.5 x 10 cm), smaller and easier to carry. While Traveler's notebooks are excellent for travel, they can also be used as everyday planners, for example, by inserting specially designed diaries.

Each Traveler's notebook cover is handmade in Chiang Mai, Thailand, making it unique. Also, as the cover is made from vegetable-tanned leather, a material that marks with time, scratches appear as we use our Traveler's notebook, giving it an obvious cachet.

The Tokyo limited edition

Traveler's Company regularly releases limited editions, which can sometimes be difficult to obtain. There is, for example, a limited edition available only in the Traveler's Factory boutique located in Narita airport, Tokyo's main airport. This magnificent edition featuring Mount Fuji is impossible to find in any other Traveler's Factory boutique, online or outside Japan.

This is not the case with the brand-new limited edition, released here on April 25, 2024, which pays tribute to the city of Tokyo. It features a black leather cover (standard format) on which the word Tokyo is embossed in aluminum, using various symbols of the city. Aluminum has the particularity of reflecting light, and therefore changes color depending on how you look at it, a little like the city of Tokyo, which presents different faces.

The different symbols used to write the word Tokyo :

T: formed using the Tokyo Tower and mountains. The Tokyo Tower, built in 1958 on the model of the Eiffel Tower, is an essential symbol of the city. Recognizable by its red and white dress, Tokyo Tower offers a marvellous view of Tokyo and the surrounding mountains, including Mount Fuji when it deigns to show itself.

O: formed using the Yamanote line. This is a circular railway line that connects the main points of central Tokyo. Thanks to it, you can take a walk in Ueno Park in the morning, go shopping in Shibuya in the afternoon and eat a good ramen in Shinjuku in the evening.

K: formed using sushi. There are different varieties of sushi: nigirizushi, makizushi and temakizushi. What is commonly known as "sushi" is actually nigirizushi, balls of rice covered with a slice of raw fish. This sushi originated in Tokyo and is also called "sushi edomae", Edo being the old name for Tokyo.

Y = formed using a ginkgo leaf and its stem. The ginkgo leaf has been the symbol of the city of Tokyo since June 1989. While the ginkgo leaf with the stem is reminiscent of a y, the ginkgo leaf alone is more reminiscent of a T, which is why it was chosen to represent Tokyo.

O = formed from several cherry blossoms (sakura). The sakura blossom is an important event in Japan. Every spring, many parts of Tokyo are decked out in pink, to the delight of locals and tourists alike. When they bloom, many people go to the parks to picnic under the sakura. As these flowers only bloom for a very short time, they are a symbol of the ephemeral side of life, so make the most of them.

Each Traveler's notebook comes with a 64-page white notebook, featuring high-quality MD paper made in Japan, as well as two spare rubber bands and an organic cotton pouch for storage. This is of course also the case for this Tokyo limited edition, but instead of a 64-page notebook with an ordinary cover, the cover also features the Tokyo logo.

In addition to the symbols found on the cover of the Traveler's notebook, the cover features other elements typical of the capital, such as sumo wrestlers, who can be seen training and sparring in the Ryôgoku district; the Maneki-neko, the famous white cat that raises its paw and is said to have been born at Gotoku-ji temple; the door of Sensô-ji, Tokyo's oldest temple; the Shibuya crossroads with its numerous crosswalks and even the façade of the Traveler's Factory boutique in Nakameguro. All these symbols are bound to bring back memories for those who have already walked the streets of Tokyo, and allow others to learn more about this incredible city.

On this cover, the symbols are in red and black, with a special feature for those in red, as the color reflects light. Inside the notebook, there's also a special page entitled "My favorite things in Tokyo", where you can jot down your top 3 places to visit, dishes to eat and so on. At the end, there's also a page for stamps, such as those found at railway stations and tourist attractions, as well as messages from people you've met. It's also possible to buy this notebook of blank pages individually.

Other limited edition products

In addition to the Traveler's notebook, there are other Tokyo-themed limited edition products available:

-2 BRASS charms: 1 taiyaki (fish-shaped filled cake) charm and 1 sakura (cherry blossom) charm. The Traveler's notebook cover closes with an elastic band that can be personalized with charms. While it's possible to add various objects, such as PICUS luggage tag key rings, the brand also markets its own charms, like this adorable taiyaki. Each Traveler's notebook also contains a bookmark, which can be personalized, as with this sakura flower.

-Set of 10 stickers featuring maneki-neko, sumô, taiyaki, ramen, cream soda... These stickers are perfect for decorating Traveler's notebooks and pockets, as well as other objects such as Toyo Steel storage boxes. Just let your imagination run wild.

-BRASS pencil. Brass pens, pencils and fountain pens from the BRASS range are the perfect match for Traveler's notebooks. They retract when not in use, making them easy to carry around, by hanging on your Traveler's notebook for example. The Tokyo limited edition pencil is white, decorated with symbols reminiscent of Tokyo in red. The bright orange eraser is supplied with 3 spare erasers.

-Booklet of 12 postcards. The pages of this notebook are made from special watercolor paper and are perfect for drawing beautiful landscapes of Tokyo or wherever you happen to be. Each sheet can be detached and used as a postcard.

As you can see, this limited edition is a true declaration of love to the city of Tokyo, birthplace of the famous Traveler's notebook, and its many symbols. Whether you plan to use this edition as a travel notebook or a planner, its sober, elegant design will accompany you wherever you go, while adding a touch of Tokyo to your everyday life.