The Art, Craft & Purpose of Travel Journals with Frank from Yokogaki
And why Helen is now buying Charms...and Traveler's notebooks
Hey Stationery Freaks,
We hope you are doing safe and well. Rob here with this edition of Stationery Freaks, which means there is a podcast episode to charm your ears and bring you stationery joy.
In this edition of the newsletter and podcast, we are covering all things Traveler’s notebooks / journals. Or Traveller’s notebooks / journals. Spelling aside, these are the journals / notebooks that are typically a leather exterior with various refills inside, held together with bands / ribbons.
I’ll be honest, I’ve seen these online for years, nearly bought one in the past but not fully jumped into what they are, or whether they would make sense to my stationery process and collection.
Well, in this episode Frank, from Yokogaki, gives us a little masterclass on what they are, how to use them and why he started making them.
We also spring a surprise Desert Island Stationery on Frank and he selects 5 epic items to keep with him on a desert island. It’s great how our guests are considering items of stationery that could save them on an island, versus our original episode where we just thought about 5 items we’d enjoy having with us. Love it.
Frank has also been super kind to us Stationery Freaks with a special code giving you 20% off his beautiful products on his online store.
Simply use code stationeryfreak20 at checkout: https://yokogaki.be/
The podcast can be found here - Episode 63 - The Art, Craft & Purpose of Travel Journals with Frank from Yokogaki
Read on for more details plus all of the cool resources and products mentioned in the cast.
Here’s a run down of what we cover in the episode:
Frank demystifies what traveler's journals are, how they're used, and the unique philosophy behind why he meticulously crafts them.
Helen and I, notorious notebook hoarders, finally get the lowdown on why this versatile system might just be the one solution we need!
Franks explains how traveler's journals are designed for versatility, allowing you to mix and match any type of refill (dotted, blank, sketch, planner) and inserts (pouches, envelopes, card holders) to create the perfect system.
Frank shares how he started making traveler’s journals and how he loves the process.
We dive into Frank's unique approach, exploring the Japanese concept of Mottainai (deep respect for resources) and his passion for creating durable, timeless pieces that "love you back" and are designed to be lifelong companions.
Frank shares some examples of how he uses his traveler’s journal - for daily journaling, sketching, collecting travel ephemera, scrapbooking-light, and even integrating other popular notebooks.
We cover what makes a good traveler’s notebook and why Frank uses leather for the cover.
And Frank did so well with Desert Island stationery - we had a laugh working through his thinking process as he settled on 5 very practical and useful items.
We mentioned several companies, brands, and items in this episode.
Products/Brands:
Midori: Mentioned as the company behind "The Traveler's Notebook" (the largest brand in traveler's notebooks) and known for their paper, which Frank has used for sizing of his own journals.
Filofax Flex: Are these still made? Helen seemed to think so, although she couldn’t say it correctly in the cast - they are forever now known as Filoflax Flex.
Leuchtturm and Hobonichi notebooks (Helen inspired Frank to buy a Hobonichi - likely after this episode here!)
Instax (photos/printer) and thermal printers
Tom's Studio and Lumos pen (affiliate link) - interestingly, Frank uses the Lumos Pen as the size guide for his pen holders. Reckon we need to get Tom’s Studio on the cast….
Vitsœ - who sell Dieter Rams’ shelving - these are really cool - I’m now pondering how I can get these and how much stationery I could squeeze into them.
Note: We have no affiliation or sponsorship from the brands mentioned in the cast.
It was a real joy chatting to Frank and learning more about traveler’s journals.
I suspect next time Helen and I get together to record, we will both have bought one!
Explore Frank's beautiful handcrafted journals and dive deeper into his philosophy - plus get 20% off online with code stationeryfreak20 - at https://yokogaki.be/
Did Frank inspire you?
Do you have a favourite traveler's journal tip?
Share your thoughts in the comments.
Thanks for reading this article and listening to the podcast. If you enjoyed this edition of Stationery Freaks, feel free to share it with others.
Until next time
Rob & Helen
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Hey guys, I'm currently using the Canon Zoemini 2 printer with the accompanying sticky photo paper. It works fine and the prints don't seem to fade (yet). But I'm going to check out Robert's recommendation, too
Another entertaining episode - love Franks enthusiasm and will definitely be checking out his travel journals.
One of the drawbacks of thermal printers is the limited lifespan of the prints which tend to fade rather quickly, especially if exposed to sunlight. As an alternative I highly recommend the Canon Selphy CP1500 compact photo printer. Small enough to take on holiday and it prints via an easy to use app which allows a range of print sizes. I tend to print 8 to a single postcard sized sheet as they are small enough to include in my daily journal without taking up too much writing space. The prints are excellent quality and have a protective coating with an estimated lifespan of 100 years. Currently available on Amazon for less than £100. Happy to answer any questions if anyone wants to find out more.