TRAVELER'S COMPANY is a Japanese brand founded in 2006 around an object that has since become iconic: the TRAVELER'S notebook, a leather travel journal you put together yourself and that develops a patina over the years. Behind this notebook lies a fine story, that of a simple idea that grew into a true worldwide phenomenon.
À découvrir
An idea born in 2006
The TRAVELER'S notebook came into being in 2006. It was born at Designphil, the Japanese company known for its Midori paper, following an internal design competition, and then made its mark at a stationery fair where the prototype caught everyone's eye. The idea was simple and radical: a cover in plain, untreated leather, an elastic band, and notebooks that can be replaced at will. At a time when stationery was becoming ever more elaborate, this return to essentials won people over.
The TN nickname and a worldwide community
The notebook quickly found a loyal following, in Japan and abroad alike. Users affectionately nicknamed it the TN, shared their setups on social media and exchanged tips and layout ideas. This community, from travelers to bullet journal enthusiasts, has done much to make the TRAVELER'S notebook such a living object, almost a practice in its own right rather than a mere notebook.
From MIDORI to TRAVELER'S COMPANY
Originally part of the MIDORI brand, the notebook eventually came into its own: in 2015, the TRAVELER'S notebook separated from MIDORI to become a brand in its own right, TRAVELER'S COMPANY, entirely devoted to travelers and writing on the move. Older models still bear the Midori name on the back, a detail collectors find charming. Designphil remains the parent company of both brands.
Leather handmade in Chiang Mai
The cover is made of vegetable-tanned cowhide, simply cut and shaped by hand in Chiang Mai, Thailand, where the notebooks are still produced today. Elastic bands, a closure and a blind-embossed logo complete this raw, enduring aesthetic. The leather is not varnished: it lives, takes on marks and darkens with use, making each notebook a unique piece.
MD paper, designed for writing
Inside, the refills are made in Japan from MD paper. Developed in the 1960s to offer the greatest possible writing comfort, this paper is smooth under the nib, resists ink bleed-through and is particularly well suited to fountain pens. It is this paper that gives the TRAVELER'S notebook its reputation as a pleasure to write in.
The refill system
This is the very spirit of the brand: the leather cover stays, while the inner notebooks change. Lined, dotted and sketch refills, special papers, diaries, pockets, connecting bands: you assemble your notebook to suit your needs, slip in several at once, and replace whatever is finished. An object that lasts because it renews itself. To learn how to put yours together, see setting up your notebook.
Annual themes and the brass collection
Each year, TRAVELER'S COMPANY designs its diaries and accessories around a theme, and regularly releases special editions, some of them highly sought after. The brand also offers a fine range of brass objects, including a pen, a mechanical pencil, a ruler and clips, which also develop a patina and extend the aesthetic of the notebook. Find out more in our guide to the special editions.
Leather that develops a patina
The more you use it, the more depth the leather gains: its color and texture evolve, shaped by journeys and by time. No two TRAVELER'S notebook covers ever age in the same way, and that is precisely what makes it such a personal object, almost a travel companion.
A philosophy of travel
Behind the object lies an idea: to make every day a journey. TRAVELER'S COMPANY designs products that awaken the free spirit in each of us, with the notebook as a companion for writing, drawing, pasting and keeping a record. A journey need not be far away; it begins on the page. This philosophy, as much as the quality of craftsmanship, explains the lasting attachment of its users.
Frequently asked questions
Who makes the TRAVELER'S notebook?
The Japanese company Designphil, through its TRAVELER'S COMPANY brand. The leather is handmade in Thailand and the refills in Japan.
When was the TRAVELER'S notebook launched?
In 2006, which means it celebrates its twentieth anniversary in 2026.
Why do some notebooks bear the Midori name?
Because the brand was called MIDORI before becoming TRAVELER'S COMPANY in 2015.
Where is the leather made?
By hand in Chiang Mai, Thailand, since the very beginning.
Further reading: the complete guide, Regular or Passport and the special editions. Explore the TRAVELER'S notebook collection.
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