About Us
Guide2Japan.com is a travel platform with a simple mission: to help travelers discover the Japan beyond the tourist trail. While iconic destinations like Kyoto, Tokyo, and Osaka deserve their fame, countless incredible places across Japan remain virtually unknown to international visitors. We want to change that.
How It Started
In 2017, I traveled to Japan for the first time with two friends. We were looking for something truly different — a country that would challenge everything we knew from life in the Netherlands. Japan delivered beyond our wildest expectations. From the quiet intensity of a rural onsen town to the sensory overload of Osaka's backstreets, every day felt like discovering a new world.
The trip that started it all — Japan, 2017.
I was hooked. Since that first trip, I've returned to Japan almost every year — five times and counting, including a two-month stretch working remotely from various cities across the country. Along the way, my girlfriend Marij caught the Japan bug too. We've traveled there together three times, each trip revealing new layers we hadn't seen before.
In February 2024, we took the biggest trip yet: my entire family came along. At Suzuka Forest Garden, with the plum blossoms in full bloom, I proposed to Marij. She said yes — in Japan, of course. Now we have a daughter, Lilly, and we can't wait to take her on her first Japanese adventure.
The family trip where everything changed — Japan, February 2024.
Why This Site Exists
Japan has changed since my first visit in 2017. Overtourism has become a serious problem. Places that once felt peaceful and authentic are now overwhelmed with crowds. The impact on local communities is real — from residents struggling with noise and litter to the well-documented harassment of Geisha in Kyoto's historic districts.
The Japan we want to share — beyond the crowds.
Guide2Japan.com is my way of being part of the solution. By combining my experience in online marketing, AI technology, and a genuine love for Japan, I'm building a platform that redistributes attention. Even when we write about popular destinations like Kyoto, we always make room for lesser-known alternatives — the neighboring town, the quieter temple, the local spot the guidebooks skip.
Meet the writers
The people behind Guide2Japan.com.
OnestoMedia B.V.
Guide2Japan.com is published by OnestoMedia B.V., registered with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce (KvK) under number 90709063.
Heerjansdampad 9, 6843HT Arnhem, Netherlands
nick@onestomedia.nl