Where Curiosity Leads, Stories Begin… Japan Off The Map began with a question: What happens when you stop trying to see everything, and start trying to feel something?

I’m Josh. I’ve lived in Japan for over a decade, moving slowly through its mountains, temples, coastlines, and corners most people overlook. When I first arrived, I traveled without much of a plan, just a train pass, a notebook, and a sense of wonder. That kind of travel stayed with me.

In 2017, my first son was born. Suddenly, travel wasn’t just personal, it was purposeful. Our adventures stretched beyond Japan, through Brussels and Naples, before returning to Japan in 2021 with two young boys in tow. That return marked a shift. I began to see travel not just as discovery, but as connection. Stillness. Memory.

From that came two projects:
Japan Off The Map (JOTM), a space for immersive, slow, and reflective travel across the country.
And LuNi Travels, a family-focused adventure blog narrated through the playful lens of our sons, Luca and Nico.

Though different in voice, both are rooted in the same idea: that travel is most powerful when it’s personal.

What This Site Is, and Isn’t

Japan Off The Map isn’t built on checklists.
It’s built on presence. On pacing. On places that stay with you.

Yes, you’ll find guides to major cities like Kyoto and Tokyo, but told differently. Through the quiet back streets, the before-dawn shrine visits, the corners most visitors never notice.

And yes, you’ll find hidden villages, sacred hikes, secluded onsens, and volcanic ridgelines, but not as bucket list items. As stories. As invitations.

Who This Site Is For

If you’re the kind of traveler who slows down in silence before stepping into a temple…
If you choose a forest trail over a packed tour, or seek a conversation with a local craftsman over a souvenir shop…
If you want to see Japan’s depth, not just its surface…

Then this site is for you.

Whether you’re a solo wanderer, a nature enthusiast, a mindful traveler, or someone who simply craves more than the obvious…
You’re in the right place.

How We Travel

We travel slow.
We stay longer.
We talk to people.
We read the plaques others walk past.

Every destination on this site has been visited by me, my wife (who’s Japanese), or the whole family. What we share comes from firsthand experience, deep research, and lived presence.

We walk the trails. We soak in the onsen. We get lost on purpose.

And then we share it all, so you can follow with clarity, not crowds.

Our Responsibility

Travel isn’t neutral.

Many of the places we visit, especially rural towns and ecological reserves, are fragile. They rely on local stewardship, sustainable tourism, and respectful visitors to survive.

That’s why we travel with intention:

  • Supporting local businesses and accommodations
  • Respecting cultural norms and spiritual spaces
  • Treading lightly on nature
  • Encouraging mindful movement over mass consumption

If we want the quiet places to stay quiet, we have to travel in a way that protects them.

The JOTM logo is more than a mark, it’s an invitation.

The red curve at its center echoes the Enso, the Zen circle often drawn in a single, open stroke. It speaks to motion, to imperfection, to the idea that a journey is never truly complete.

Split into two mirrored forms, the circle remains unfinished, not broken, but expanding. It represents the shift from familiar to unseen, from destination to discovery, from map to feeling.

That open space between the curves?
That’s the invitation… to keep going, to keep wondering, to step quietly beyond what’s already known.

This Is Japan Off The Map

This isn’t just a site.
It’s a way of seeing.

So whether you’re hiking a sacred mountain, soaking in a remote onsen, or pausing in the early light of Kyoto’s back alleys…
We hope something here speaks to you. Quietly. Deeply. Lastingly.

Welcome… The map is in your hands now.

~ Josh