Our story
Cocoro Japan (kokoro / 心) means heart—but is also used in words suchs as Enthusiasm and passion. That’s what this project is for us: a dream come true, shaped by our love for Japan and the joy of sharing it with others.
We are Moe and Tom, now happily married since 2022, we met in 2019 while Moe was doing an exchange in the Netherlands at the same study Tom was doing his full degree. Tom previously came into contact with Japan doing his own exchange in Japan. In 2020, while Moe started to work full time in Japan at JTB, the largest tourism agency in Japan, Tom started his internship at Tokyo Ramen Tours.
During this time we had the chance to travel extensively through Japan. While Tom didn’t have love at first sight with Japan back in 2018, together we helped each other appreciate Japan to fullest. Moe helped Tom see the deeper levels of Japan, the small details in everything around us, the meaning behind things. Moe got to see Japan through a fresh set of eyes to appreciate Japan in a new way.
Starting our own travel agency was something we’ve always talked about, but never dared to take the leap. Since that time Moe has built up experience in creating tailor made trips to Japan and we have continued to travel extensively through Japan. After getting more experience in the field, we decided to start Cocoro Japan.
We believe Japan is not just a destination to cross off your list, we want people to experience Japan the way we experienced it, not just the big tourist spots, but the hidden places, the genuine moments, the feeling of being welcomed and surprised, the way we fell in love with travel in Japan. That is the feeling we want to share and give to you. We want you to feel the Japanese hospitality from the moment you visit our website, we will help create the best holiday you could ever have in Japan. Everyone is different; we listen to you and help create the perfect trip that you will never forget. We want to make an ambassador out of everyone who visited Japan with us.
Two worlds, one passion
About Moe
Born and raised in Saitama
About Tom
My first time in Japan was during an exchange to Kansai Gaidai in Osaka. At that point clueless about Japan and doing the standard tourist things, while I enjoyed the experience a lot, I didn't fall in love with Japan. It wasn't until I started to travel with Moe, that I started to fully enjoy all that there was to see and do in Japan. She was a guide in our travels that took every experience to the next level. And this is why this project is so important to me, I believe that with the right plan, guidance and information you can take your holiday to Japan to the next level.