Travel sketchbook: Japan edition
Mixed media drawings, collage journaling, and stamp collecting
Buckle in, it’s time for a tour of my sketchbook from my Japan travels! I procrastinated this post as I wanted to fill more sketchbook pages, but that hasn’t been happening…which is alright, because there’s already plenty here to show you.
Psst: This email may get cut off in your inbox! You can click the title to check out the full post in web browser.
I used a square sketchbook by Global Art Hand Book for my travels. It measures 5.5”x5.5”, making it slightly bigger than the Royal Talens square version. I don’t think paint layers as nicely in this notebook compared to the Royal Talens, but it has a back pocket which I very much needed on this trip to hold all my collected paper.
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4f4e825b-5187-4682-bd61-73994938d230_2000x1066.jpeg)
I started off with some visual journaling at the airport. At the beginning of every trip I am EAGER TO DRAW EVERYTHING!…then the enthusiasm wanes as I morph into my full vacation mode potato self.
Food is one of the best things to draw while traveling. It’s colorful, it’s informative, it doesn’t move, and it’s right there in front of you. The one tricky bit is to have patience before you eat (or you can take a photo and draw it later).
We went to two museums in Tokyo—the Ueno Royal Museum where we got to see a ton of chigiri-e artworks, and the National Art Center of Tokyo where there was a large Matisse exhibit dedicated to his paper cutouts and Vence Chapel work in Nice, France. Both exhibits were very inspiring and well-organized.
Our Tokyo hotel was in the Ginza/Tsukiji area, where there is the lovely local Tsukijigawa Park and the tourist destination Tsukiji Market. The market was slightly overpriced and quite crowded, but everything was incredibly delicious. Highly recommend trying Japanese strawberries.
On a warm weekend afternoon we headed to Shinjuku Gyoen, a beautiful public garden in the middle of Tokyo. It was the last weekend of cherry blossom season so the entrance was packed, but there are so many pockets of quiet and respite here even amongst the crowds. I collected some fallen petals and taped them here with Midori XS glue tape (I love this tape so much, it’s so tiny and precise!)
I collaged a lot in my travel sketchbook this time, a practice I first started last summer in New Mexico with friends. Collaging really speaks to my ephemera-loving heart that also wants to get rid of clutter. Cut out the best bits of all the brochures, receipts, and packaging you collect, arrange in a fun way, then toss the rest with peace of mind!
As mentioned earlier, food is my favorite thing to draw while traveling. We had matcha multiple times a day (this chartreuse green Tombow marker came in handy for drawing matcha) and two omakase experiences, one for tonkatsu and one for sushi.
And of course, desserts were eaten! Japanese desserts are the best (aka not too sweet). The taiyaki, matcha jellies, mochi, and cream puffs were fantastic. Not pictured is Cremia soft serve, which my husband went absolutely nuts over (the delicate buttery cone is the best part).
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F26ab0a27-9f01-4649-a8ec-8fb7146d0e71_2000x990.jpeg)
Two Tokyo shops that will stay in my memory forever are Kindal, a secondhand consignment shop with branches all over Japan, and Sekaido, an epic art supply store especially for painters.
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F71ea71c7-9c51-4564-aa6f-8d72939b89fe_2000x990.jpeg)
One last thing about Japan: even if you’re not an avid sketchbooker, you may want to bring a little notebook to collect train stamps! I wasn’t very savvy about finding these, but did manage to collect one at JR Nara Station. There are also stamps at public onsens, which I delighted in collecting at Kinosaki. Museums may also have stamp stations for kids (or fun-loving adults like me, hah).
Thanks for making it to the end of the post! Subscribe for future sketchbook posts or browse the archives if you’re a paid member.
Jury is out on whether I will continue making Japan/Korea spreads or save this notebook for a future trip—either way, I’m reminding myself there’s no right or wrong way to sketchbook. Any time, place, or method you want to use to play in your sketchbook is fully up to you, so have fun with it!
Oh wow, Carolyn! Fabulous work! Loved this post. ❤️
Love this! So cool to see all your pages!