The Traveler's Notebook is one of those objects that becomes something different to everyone who uses it. For some it's a travel journal; for others a daily planner; for others a sketchbook, a memory archive, a letter-writing kit, or simply the most satisfying notebook they've ever owned. This flexibility is deliberate — and it's what makes choosing your first Traveler's Notebook feel unexpectedly complex.
This guide covers everything: the history, the sizes, the refills, the leather, how to set it up, and what to expect as it ages. At The Journal Shop, we were the first retailer in the UK to stock the Traveler's Notebook, back when Midori still made it and before it had become the cult object it is today. This is what we've learned in the years since.
What is the Traveler's Notebook?
The Traveler's Notebook is a leather cover — made from vegetable-tanned cow leather — that holds one or more slim notebook refills, secured by an elastic band system running through the spine. The genius of the design is its modularity: you can carry a lined refill for writing, a grid refill for sketching, and a pocket refill for receipts and tickets, all inside the same cover. Or a weekly planner and a blank journal. Or just a single refill and nothing else.
The leather cover has a single elastic band looped through a brass fitting on the spine. Refills are slipped under this band to hold them in place. Additional refills can be added using the connecting bands sold separately, which link multiple refills together. The system has no clips, no rings, no clasps — just leather, brass, and elastic. It is almost ludicrously simple, and it works.
The notebook was created by Atsuhiko Iijima, initially as a competition entry for his then-employer DesignPhil. The covers are handmade in Chiang Mai, Thailand, by craftspeople Iijima had connections with through his work. The paper inside the refills is MD paper — Midori Diary paper, the same paper used in the Midori MD Notebook — made in Japan. TRAVELER'S COMPANY was spun off as its own entity from DesignPhil (which also owns the Midori brand) in 2015.
Regular vs Passport: choosing your size
The Traveler's Notebook comes in two sizes. This is the first decision, and it's worth making carefully.
Regular size
Dimensions: approximately 22 × 12.4cm (about 8.7 × 4.9 inches), weight around 170g. Roughly the size and proportion of an A5 notebook, though somewhat narrower. When open, a Regular refill page is a similar size to a sheet of B6 paper — generous enough for comfortable writing and sketching.
The Regular size is the original Traveler's Notebook and remains the most popular. It fits in a jacket's inner pocket — barely — and in most bags without difficulty. The longer page height gives room for proper writing, and the wider variety of available refills makes it the more versatile choice.
Best for: Daily journals, travel diaries with sketches and ephemera, anyone who writes at length, anyone unsure which size to choose (when in doubt, Regular).
Passport size
Dimensions: approximately 13.5 × 9.8cm (about 5.3 × 3.9 inches), weight around 90g. Exactly passport-sized — it fits in a passport holder, a shirt pocket, or the small pocket of a coat. The Passport is a genuinely pocketable object in a way the Regular is not.
The Passport is more limited in refill variety — some Regular refills don't have Passport equivalents — and the smaller page size suits briefer daily entries or more graphic, sketch-based use. It also makes an excellent everyday carry pen-and-notebook combination when paired with a slim pen held by the elastic.
Best for: Everyday carry, pocket notebook users, travel specifically (it fits alongside a real passport), brief daily entries, those who want something they'll always have with them.
The leather: what to expect
Traveler's Notebook leather is vegetable-tanned — a traditional tanning process using plant-based tannins rather than synthetic chemicals. The result is leather that starts firm and slightly rough and softens over time with handling. It also develops a patina: the surface darkens gradually, creases and marks accumulate, and the object becomes uniquely yours. No two well-used Traveler's Notebooks look the same.
This is not a defect. It is the point. Iijima has described the Traveler's Notebook as an object designed to age with you — the leather's evolution over years of use is inseparable from what makes it meaningful.
The current leather colours are Black, Brown, Camel, Blue, and Olive, in both Regular and Passport sizes. All are the same leather, differently dyed. Black develops a dark, polished patina; Brown and Camel warm and deepen; Blue and Olive develop more subtle tonal changes.
A starter kit — the recommended first purchase — includes the leather cover, one blank notebook refill, two spare elastic bands, and a small cotton storage case. It's everything you need to begin.
Basic leather care
The leather requires no specific care product to age well — your hands will condition it naturally over time. If the leather dries out (more likely in very dry climates), a small amount of leather conditioner applied with a cloth will restore suppleness. Avoid soaking the leather in water; surface moisture is fine and can be dried gently with a cloth. The brass fittings will develop their own patina — some owners polish them, others don't. Both approaches look good.
The refill system
Refills are the heart of the Traveler's Notebook's flexibility. They're slim booklets — saddle-stitched or staple-bound — that slot under the main elastic band inside the cover. A Traveler's Notebook typically holds two refills comfortably; with connecting bands, you can add a third or fourth, though the cover becomes thicker.
Standard paper refills (MD paper)
All standard Traveler's Company refills use MD paper — Midori Diary paper, a cream-toned writing paper with a slight texture that suits graphite pencils and fountain pens alike. MD paper is not as optimised for fountain pen ink as Tomoe River (it shows more show-through and is more absorbent) but it writes pleasurably with almost any instrument and is much better than ordinary notebook paper.
Standard paper refills are available in the following formats, in both Regular and Passport sizes:
- Blank — no ruling at all. Maximum freedom for writing, sketching, or combining both.
- Lined — 6.5mm horizontal ruling. The choice for writing-focused users.
- Grid — 5mm grid. Versatile for both writing and sketching.
- Dot Grid — a reticle-style dot grid using plus signs rather than dots. Excellent for bullet journaling and diagrams.
- Blank Cream — an alternative paper colour for those who prefer a warmer page tone.
Specialty paper refills
Beyond the standard MD paper refills, TRAVELER'S COMPANY makes a range of specialty paper options:
- Lightweight Paper — uses 52gsm Tomoe River paper, the same paper as the Hobonichi Techo. Thinner, more fountain pen-oriented, with the shading and sheen performance that Tomoe River offers. The Passport size version has perforated sheets for writing letters.
- Kraft Paper — textured brown paper that's feather and bleed resistant. White inks look beautiful on kraft paper; so do stamps, washi tape, and dried flowers.
- Watercolour Paper — heavyweight paper for watercolour washes. Sheets are perforated for removal.
- Sketch Paper — heavyweight smooth paper for pen and ink and graphite. Also perforated.
- Accordion Fold — a single long sheet of watercolour paper folded accordion-style. Use individual sections as separate artworks, or unfold for a wide continuous piece.
Planner refills
TRAVELER'S COMPANY makes a range of undated planner refills, all using cream MD paper. Available formats include:
- Free Weekly Planner with Memo — the most popular planner refill. The left page shows the full week; the right page is gridded for notes. Six months of pages per refill.
- Free Monthly Planner — fourteen months of monthly calendar spreads plus a yearly overview. Good for scheduling alongside a writing journal.
- Free Daily Planner Grid — one full page per day, in grid format, for two months. (Regular size only.)
- Free Weekly Vertical Planner — hourly columns from 7am to 11pm. For those who want structured daily scheduling. (Regular size only.)
Functional accessories
Beyond paper refills, the Traveler's Notebook system includes non-paper inserts for organisation:
- Zipper Case — a clear-pocketed zipped pouch that fits inside the cover. Useful for cards, coins, USB drives, and anything that needs securing.
- Pocket Stickers — adhesive pockets that stick inside the cover or onto refill pages. Good for receipts, tickets, and small ephemera.
- Card File — a clear file holding up to twelve cards, for business cards or small prints.
- Brass Clips — vintage-style brass clips that hold the notebook open while you write. They develop patinas with use, just like the cover.
- Pen Holders — metal clips that slide onto the leather exterior to hold a pen against the cover.
Setting up your first Traveler's Notebook
The starter kit comes with one blank notebook. Most first-time users add a second refill before they start — here is how to think about the choice.
A common and effective setup for a daily-use Regular: one lined refill for writing, and one weekly planner refill for scheduling. You write in the lined refill daily; the planner refill lets you see the week ahead without disrupting your journal. This two-refill setup is the most popular starting point and suits most people who want both a journal and a planner.
For pure journaling: blank and lined together, or just blank. The blank refill gives you total freedom; the lined gives structure. Try blank if you're inclined toward sketching or mixing writing with visuals; try lined if you primarily write.
For travel: blank or kraft paper refill for collecting ephemera, and a lightweight Tomoe River refill if you write with a fountain pen. The Passport size with a single blank refill is also a classic travel combination — everything you need in a space smaller than a paperback.
How to install a refill
- Open the refill to its middle pages — where the stitching or staple is visible.
- Slip the refill under the main elastic band inside the cover, so the middle of the refill sits on the band.
- Close the cover. The refill should be held firmly.
- For a second refill, use the shorter inner elastic band that comes with the starter kit.
- For three or more refills, connect them using the Connecting Bands accessory, which links the refills together before slipping the combined set under the main band.
What to expect as it ages
A new Traveler's Notebook leather feels stiff and slightly waxy. By the end of the first month of daily use, it will have softened noticeably. By six months it will be unmistakably broken in — flexible, slightly creased along the spine, with a deepening of the colour where your hands contact it most. At a year, most people find they've developed a strong attachment to the specific object, distinct from just liking the system.
This ageing process is the reason many long-term Traveler's Notebook users don't replace their covers when they start a new refill. The cover outlasts many refills; the accumulated character of the leather is part of the point. The elastic bands, brass fittings, and connecting bands can all be replaced when they wear out — repair kits are available for exactly this purpose.
The Traveler's Company describes their notebooks as designed to be "companions" — objects that travel with you, absorb the minor damage of daily life, and become more personal with use. This is either a design philosophy or excellent marketing, depending on your disposition. In our experience at The Journal Shop, having stocked these notebooks since they first came to the UK, the people who buy them tend to come back — not because the first one wore out, but because they want to give one to someone they care about.
A note on the TJS connection
We were the first retailer in the United Kingdom to stock the Traveler's Notebook, when it was still made under the Midori name. The people who discovered it in those early years were the ones who introduced it to friends, wrote about it online, and helped build the community of Traveler's Notebook users that exists globally today. We've watched the object go from niche import to cult status, and we still find it one of the most interesting things we sell.
Browse the full Traveler's Notebook range at The Journal Shop, including all current leather covers, refills, accessories, and compatible pens.
Where to start: browse our notebooks and fountain-pen-friendly notebooks at The Journal Shop.
