About

Hi, I’m Cody.

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Before 2024, I was a backpacker who had roamed through more than 20 countries. But 2025, I made a somewhat crazy decision: I used a Working Holiday visa to stop and live in Japan.

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I wasn't content with just staying in one city. So, I embarked on a journey across the length of Japan: starting from Fukuoka, flying to Hokkaido, and then sweeping all the way back south to Kyushu by rail.

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During this time, I didn't just complete a geographical "Grand Traverse." I swapped my backpack for a uniform and worked on the front lines of a Japanese hotel.

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It was this transition "from tourist to employee" that revealed the unseen side of the travel industry to me.

Standing behind the front desk, I saw too many tourists overspending because they didn't understand the "unspoken rules," or blindly following influencer guides to restaurants that locals would never set foot in.

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I built this website not to be a "travel guru," but simply because I witnessed too much information asymmetry. I wanted to compile the hotel booking secrets I learned as an insider, along with my practical experience in long-distance travel.

Here, you won't find over-packaged, filtered photos. You will only find the authentic notes of a former hotel staff member and a seasoned traveler.

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I hope to help you avoid tourist traps and rediscover Japan from a local's perspective.