There’s a story behind every journey.

I’ve lived in seven countries and travelled to more than seventy. After over a decade abroad, I’m less interested in collecting destinations than in understanding them — with time for a mountain, an unexpected turn, or a conversation along the way.

Japan is the place that taught me most about how I want to travel. I first arrived in 2011 as a Japanese student, and have kept returning ever since.

I completed a PhD in Japanese Studies at the University of Cambridge, researching the histories of empire, education and citizenship. My work has taken me through archives and communities across the World, following connections that cross borders.

That research shapes how I travel: looking for the people who passed through a place, the ideas they brought, and the traces they left behind.

Tokyo, Kyoto, Nagoya and Hakodate have all been home. Just as much of the Japan I know comes from everyday life as from research: walking through shrines, climbing mountains, and returning to a neighbourhood restaurant until it feels familiar.

There’s a reason people come to Japan’s famous places, from Tokyo’s lively streets to Kyoto’s historic temples. But turning away from the crowd, there’s often something quieter and unexpected to discover. I want to share that balance: seeing the well-known sights and finding discoveries of your own.