From Tokyo to New York this November
I’ll be in New York from November 20 to 22, and I’m available on Friday, and on Saturday until early afternoon.
If you help people discover Japan—through travel, Japanese goods, or cultural events—I’d love to hear what they’re looking for and share ideas for connecting them with the people behind the craft.
Let’s start with coffee and a 30-minute conversation at a café near you.
Genki “Jake” Tochimoto
Founder of Wellnethy, a registered travel company based in Tokyo
Workshop visits shaped around your clients’ interests
For clients who have already seen Japan’s famous sights, meeting a maker can open up a different side of the country.
Tell me what your clients love and what they’re looking for. I can share ideas for makers and regions that may suit them, with visits planned and hosted locally in Japan.
A closer connection to the work you share with your customers
Your customers already appreciate the Japanese products you carry. A visit to Japan can help them discover the people, places, and traditions behind those products.
I’ll bring a few pieces for you to see up close and share the makers’ stories. We can explore how visits like these could deepen your customers’ connection to your business.
An idea for bringing Japanese makers to New York
One day, I’d love to bring Japanese makers to New York for a small market where visitors can meet them, hear their stories, and discover their work in person.
I’d like to learn what might be possible in a space like yours, what it would involve, and who else I should speak with.
A few pieces to look at, stories to share, and time to hear your ideas.
What do your clients, customers, or guests ask about Japan? What have they already experienced, and what would they love to discover next?
I’ll bring a few pieces from makers I know so you can see them up close, hear how they were made, and get to know the people behind them.
If we find a shared interest, we can discuss a possible next step. There’s no obligation to take things further.
No presentation needed—just a conversation over coffee.
A few pieces—and a taste of Japan—to share when we meet.
Broken pottery repaired with lacquer, with the seams finished in gold. Rather than hiding the cracks, kintsugi makes them part of the piece’s beauty.
An art form that combines Japanese brush calligraphy with gemstones or crystals. As you move around the piece, the stones catch the light in different ways.
狭山茶
Japanese green tea from the Sayama tea-growing region near Tokyo. I’ll bring some to share with you.
Each comes from an independent maker or producer in Japan. When we meet, I’ll share the stories behind them.
The story behind the plate—and my trip to New York.
You’ll find the video on my YouTube channel, where I go by Jake. @liljapan
I grew up in Hida Takayama, a mountain town with a long tradition of woodworking.
On a recent visit home, I was told that the local craftspeople who used to make Buddhist altars were no longer there. That stayed with me.
Across Japan, I’ve met skilled makers whose extraordinary work deserves to be better known. I wanted to help connect them with people who would appreciate it.
That’s why I left my job and started a travel company.
I often have dinner with guests on the last night of their trip.
One guest, a business owner from Germany, had discovered a food he loved. Over dinner, he asked me, “Is there a way I could bring this to Germany?”
It didn’t work out in the end, but his question stayed with me. The trip had sparked an idea: he wanted to share something he had discovered with people back home.
I saw how a visit could become the beginning of a lasting relationship, especially with someone there to introduce the maker and explain their work.
That’s the kind of connection I hope to create for your clients.
In kintsugi, a gold seam marks where separate pieces have been brought back together.
I’d like to be that connecting line between a maker in Japan and someone who would love their work.
A journey built around your client’s interests, with the makers at its heart.
What they love, what they’ve already seen, how they like to travel, and who will be joining them.
Together, we explore which makers and places best fit your client’s interests.
Your client visits the maker’s own workshop, accompanied by someone who knows the maker and can explain the work.
Wellnethy plans the visit and arranges the travel.
About Me
Founder of Wellnethy, a registered travel company based in Tokyo.
I plan journeys in Japan for guests from overseas, with opportunities to meet makers and discover the places behind their work.
I believe skilled makers should be able to earn a living from their craft. Through travel, I hope to help their work reach people who will value it.
I go by Jake on YouTube, so you may know me by that name.
Wellnethy Co., Ltd.
Travel agency registered with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, No. 3-8746
Choose a day and a time of day that works for you. I’ll come to a café near you.
Send me your preference and I’ll reply by email to arrange a time and place.
If none of these times work, we can arrange an online conversation instead.
It’s an introductory conversation to learn about your work, share a few pieces and their stories, and explore whether there’s a good fit for working together.
There’s no obligation to book anything or take the conversation further.
No. The coffee is on me.
At a café near you in New York. Let me know which neighborhood is convenient, and I’ll come to you.
If none of these times work, we can arrange an online conversation instead.