I have been using traveler’s notebooks (TNs) since early 2013 – for almost 6 years. In the beginning, the community was very very small. I bought my first leather cover from Ray Blake (of the Midori Traveler’s Notebook Resources Facebook group), and then when it became clear the system worked for me, I bought a genuine Midori* (as they were called then) cover from Japan. Sometimes I bought inserts from Ray, other times I bought genuine Midori inserts from various online shops, or JP books in London. For a long time these covers and the inserts were not easy to find, and the only sizes available were Passport and Regular.
As the traveler’s notebook (TN) community exploded, things began to happen. You could order different sizes and designs, you could buy inserts in all sizes, for all sorts of purposes. Some Etsy sellers started their own websites, others sold on social media. Right now several of them have waiting times of months for their TN covers. But it is almost impossible to find TN covers or inserts in brick and mortar stores in Sweden – Panduro had a few and Flying Tiger also has them.
Imagine my delight yesterday when I walked past a cool shop – Second Sunrise – about three doors down from where I live, and saw an entire section of the shop devoted to genuine Traveler’s Company covers, inserts AND accessories. This shop had been selling the Traveler’s Company brass rulers and pencils for a while, as well as Field Note notebooks. But never almost the entire range.
This is huge news for the TN community in Stockholm and Sweden, particularly ‘Midori’ purists. Second Sunrise has a wide range of inserts and accessories (plastic pockets, credit card pockets, pencils, pencil boxes, sticky pockets, free diaries etc etc). In addition to their brick and mortar store, they have an extensive webshop, and ship worldwide. They will be getting in the dated diary, and I hope I can ask them to stock the lightweight paper, which is what I love.
As I mentioned, the Second Sunrise shop is about three doors down from where I live, and well worth a visit if you are in Stockholm. Second Sunrise has a Wild West vibe crossed with a Japanese aesthetic, the most amazing heritage niche brand jeans, and turquoise and silver jewellery. All the cultures represented are given their due reverence and respect. Douglas and Kerstin sell both new and vintage items, do repairs in-house, make their own clothes, hold jeans discussion groups, and teach indigo dyeing workshops. The staff have always been very helpful when I have been in there – usually to buy Field Notes notebooks. It’s the kind of shop you want to keep for yourself, so that no one else can discover it!
To browse their selection, please click here. For Instagram, click here.
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*TRAVELER’S COMPANY consists of TRAVELER’S notebook, BRASS PRODUCTS, SPIRAL RING NOTEBOOK and other related products. We also own and run the shop TRAVELER’S FACTORY. All these products share the theme of traveling that takes place in one’s daily life. In order to pursue and enrich this theme, we changed the brand name from “MIDORI” to “TRAVELER’S COMPANY” in 2015. Through this change and the notebook we make, we would like to propose a journey where one can express themselves freely.
Super! They’re definitely tricky to track down. I tend to stock up and bulk buy when I’m in Japan once or twice a year – keeping the notebooks in a drawer in my study. For me, a visit to the TN shop in Meguro, Tokyo is like visiting Santa Claus’ workshop!
Like you, I move between different paper systems and sizes, but the TN approach is so flexible and straightforward, I’ve never abandoned it permanently.