On March 11, 2011, Japan was hit by the Great East Japan Earthquake which, together with the devastating tsunami that followed it, killed nearly 20,000 people and affected millions across Japan and the world. During the difficult times that followed, Swiss travel agent Thomas Köhler decided to walk across the country to document in his blog that Japan was still a safe and friendly travel destination. In five months he covered almost 3000 kilometers from the northernmost point of Hokkaido to the southern tip of Kyushu.

Inspired by his achievement, the We Love Japan Tour will be held for the first time this autumn to celebrate the diverse beauty of Japan and to introduce some of the country's less famous treasures. It is planned to hold the We Love Japan Tour every two years afterwards, with the next one in 2015.

The driving force behind the We Love Japan Tour 2015 is the KOTOBUKI Society, a non-profit oriented organization, founded on October 15, 2011 in Itoigawa during the half-way point event of Thomas Köhler's project Walking through Japan.

Members of the We Love Japan Tour 2015 steering committee include:

• Thomas Köhler / Japan Travel Specialist based in Switzerland
• Rolf Muller / Itoigawa GeoPark Advisor & President of the KOTOBUKI Society based in Japan
• Stefan Schauwecker / President of japan-guide.com based in Japan
• Kenji Takaoka / CEO of Export Japan based in Japan
• Smile Isles / Administration based in Japan

The KOTOBUKI Society is aiming at the promotion of Japanese culture and lifestyle to anyone around the globe who is interested in Japan and its hidden beauties!