There’s something wonderful about having a place you can always return to.
Some people find it in familiar streets, in the comfort of their childhood homes, or in the company of people they’ve known for years. Others find it in something less tangible—a song, a memory, or a feeling that somehow makes the world seem a little warmer.
For me, that place has seven familiar faces.
Last year, when I wrote about Travis Japan’s third debut anniversary, I ended with five simple words:
Travis Japan. Forever my home.
At the time, those words reflected the happiness and comfort they had brought into my life. Their music had reignited my passion for creating, their performances had reminded me why I loved entertainment, and their personalities had become a familiar part of my everyday routine.
A year later, that feeling hasn’t changed.
But perhaps I’ve come to understand it a little better.
Because home isn’t necessarily somewhere we remain. Sometimes, it’s something we carry with us, something we continue to build, and something we find ourselves returning to no matter how much life changes.
And if there’s one thing Travis Japan has shown us over the past four years, it’s that moving forward doesn’t have to mean leaving the things we love behind.
On October 28, 2026, Travis Japan celebrated four years since their worldwide major debut with “JUST DANCE!“
Four years of new music, spectacular performances, international adventures, and countless memories shared between the members and their fans.
Their journey has never stood still. And yet, somehow, they continue to feel like home.
When we celebrated their third anniversary, Travis Japan was already preparing to introduce another chapter of their music. “Disco Baby” had offered a glimpse of what was to come, bringing a playful confidence and infectious energy that promised something new.
That promise eventually became ’s travelers, released in December 2025.
Produced by Kaito “Machu” Matsukura, their third studio album embraced an imaginative journey through different musical eras and genres. From swing and disco to hip-hop and contemporary dance music, the project reflected the versatility and creativity that have always made Travis Japan such exciting performers.
Naturally, they weren’t content with simply taking listeners on a musical journey. They wanted to bring us along for the ride.
Even the time machine’s name, falcon1028, carried a reminder of their beginnings.
October 28. Their debut anniversary.
It’s such a small detail, but perhaps that’s what makes it so endearing. Even while imagining a journey through time, they made sure to bring a piece of their own history along with them.
It reminds me of something Noel Kawashima shared in an interview I wrote for the Swedish-Japanese Performers Association back in July 2022, when Travis Japan was taking its first steps toward the international stage.
“No matter which stage we’re on, we’re still the same Travis Japan,” he said.
At the time, he was reflecting on their participation in World of Dance, explaining that performing in an international dance competition didn’t mean leaving behind their identity as the idol group they had always been. The environment was different, the challenges were new, but they were still Travis Japan.
Looking back at those words now, four years after their debut, I find them even more meaningful.
Because that’s exactly what they’ve continued to show us.
The music has changed, their performances have grown more ambitious, and the opportunities before them have expanded far beyond what they could have imagined back then.
But underneath all those changes, the heart of Travis Japan remains wonderfully familiar.
They’re still the seven people who want to entertain, who put everything into their performances, and who continue challenging themselves without forgetting the journey that brought them here.
Perhaps that’s why each new chapter feels less like saying goodbye to the Travis Japan we once knew, and more like discovering another side of the same group we’ve always loved.
After the imaginative adventure of ’s travelers, their upcoming album Jewelry Basket promises another side of Travis Japan, returning to the foundations of idol entertainment while expressing them through the personalities and experiences of these seven individuals.
This time, Shizuya “Shizu” Yoshizawa has taken on the role of producer, shaping a project inspired by the classic idol entertainment that the members have long admired.
Songs, dances, performances, and above all, the simple desire to make people happy.
There’s something reassuring about that. Growth doesn’t always mean becoming someone completely different. Sometimes, it means understanding more clearly what you loved about something in the first place.
Four years into their major debut, Travis Japan continues exploring new possibilities without losing the qualities that made us fall in love with them.
And there’s still so much more waiting ahead.
Perhaps one of the most meaningful reflections of Travis Japan’s journey this year came not from a concert stage, but from a return to a place that holds an extraordinary part of their history.
In May, Disney+ released Travis Japan Summer Vacation in the USA (Travis Japan Summer Vacation!! – 7人のアメリカ旅 –), following the members on a ten-day journey across the United States.
For most people, a vacation is an opportunity to escape their everyday routines.
But for Travis Japan, returning to America carried a much deeper significance.
This was the country where they had once left behind the familiarity of Japan to pursue a dream with no guarantee of success. Where they studied, trained, struggled, and learned to navigate an unfamiliar environment while preparing for a future they could only imagine.
Years later, they returned as artists who had already achieved the worldwide debut they had worked so hard for.
For much of the documentary, the members traveled in separate groups, following an itinerary carefully arranged by Noel. They discovered new places, encountered different experiences, and eventually reunited in Sedona, Arizona, before continuing toward Los Angeles.
Noel spoke about genuinely believing that they could remain together until they were old.
It’s such a simple wish.
And yet, knowing everything these seven have experienced together, it feels extraordinarily precious.
Because while we often celebrate idol groups through their achievements—album releases, concert attendance, television appearances, and international opportunities—there’s another kind of success that deserves just as much recognition.
The ability to grow without growing apart.
Travis Japan has never pretended that maintaining a group is effortless. They are seven individuals, each with their own personality, ambitions, and experiences.
But their bond is something they’ve continued to nurture throughout the years. And perhaps that’s why seeing them together can feel so comforting.
Not because their journey has always been easy, but because they’ve continued choosing to walk it together.
For fans, there’s a particular happiness in simply seeing the seven of them laughing, teasing one another, and enjoying each other’s company.
Thank you for being seven.
It’s a sentiment that carries so much more than gratitude for the group’s continued existence.
It’s appreciation for each member, for everything they’ve overcome, and for the relationships that continue making Travis Japan what it is today.
An Ocean Away, But Never Far From Home
For me, following Travis Japan has always meant doing so from a little further away.
Living in Sweden, there’s an ocean and thousands of kilometers separating my everyday life from the country where most of their activities take place.
And naturally, that distance comes with certain realities.
Attending a concert isn’t simply a matter of deciding to go. There are flights to consider, accommodation to arrange, time away from work, the cost of traveling, and the uncertainty of whether everything will even fall into place.
Sometimes, a performance I’ve been looking forward to happens while I’m asleep. Sometimes, an announcement arrives in the middle of an otherwise ordinary working day. And sometimes, I can only experience a concert through the memories, photographs, and impressions shared by those fortunate enough to be there.
Of course, these experiences aren’t unique to international fans.
Distance, money, time, work, family responsibilities, and countless other circumstances affect fans everywhere, including those living in Japan.
For me, being a fan from overseas has meant learning to appreciate the moments I can experience rather than dwelling on everything I might miss.
It’s waking up to a new song and immediately wanting to listen. It’s sharing excitement with friends thousands of kilometers away, reading concert reports, and feeling genuinely happy for the fans who were able to experience something special.
It’s also finding comfort in the smallest things.
A familiar voice through my headphones. A ridiculous conversation between the members that makes me laugh after an exhausting day. A performance I’ve watched countless times but still find myself returning to.
Those moments don’t require a concert ticket or a plane reservation. They just require pressing play. And perhaps that’s what makes music such an extraordinary thing. For a few minutes, the distance doesn’t seem quite so important.
The distance between us may determine how often I can see Travis Japan, but it has never determined how much they mean to me.
And I imagine there are countless other fans who feel exactly the same way.
Not necessarily because we share the same circumstances, but because we’ve all found something in Travis Japan that makes us want to stay.
That, to me, is one of the most wonderful things about the Travis Japan family.
It’s not defined by a country, a language, or a particular way of showing support.
It’s made up of people with different backgrounds, different experiences, and different lives, brought together by seven artists who have given us something to smile about.
There’s room for the fan who knows every choreography by heart, and the one who finds happiness in listening to their music.
For someone cheering from the front row, and someone watching from their sofa.
For someone who’s supported them for over a decade, and someone who only discovered them yesterday.
And I hope that anyone who discovers Travis Japan can feel they’ve found somewhere they belong.
And I hope that anyone who discovers that happiness can feel they’ve found somewhere they belong.
A Place to Belong
As I was reflecting on what I wanted to say for this anniversary, something Kaito “Chaka Miyachika shared on October 28 felt almost impossibly fitting.
In his fourth-anniversary message, he referred to Travis Japan as 自分の居場所.
His own place to belong.
Ibasho.
It’s a Japanese word that can carry a warmth beyond the simple idea of a physical location. Somewhere you feel accepted, somewhere you can be yourself, somewhere you know you have a place.
Reading those words, I immediately thought back to what I’d written a year earlier.
Travis Japan. Forever my home.
Of course, what Travis Japan means to Chaka is entirely different from what the group means to me.
For the members, Travis Japan is the place they’ve created together. For fans, it’s the music, the laughter, the friendships, and the countless memories we’ve discovered through supporting them.
For me, it’s seven artists whose music and personalities have become a source of comfort, encouragement, and happiness. Those experiences are different, but I find something beautiful about the fact that they can lead to a similar feeling.
Belonging.
The feeling that somewhere, even beyond the boundaries of our everyday lives, there’s a place where we’re welcome. Whenever we return, there’s something familiar waiting for us.
And as much as I treasure the home Travis Japan has given me, this past year has reminded me of something else.
I want Travis Japan to continue being a home for the members themselves.
A place where they can support one another, celebrate one another, and simply enjoy being together. Where they can continue growing as artists without losing the warmth and familiarity that have carried them this far.
Because for all the stages I hope they’ll conquer, all the countries I hope they’ll visit, and all the dreams I hope they’ll achieve, there’s something I wish for even more.
I want them to be happy.
I want them to look back on their journey someday and feel glad that they shared it with one another.
And I hope that wherever their careers take them, Travis Japan will always be a place where Chaka, Umi, Shime, Noel, Shizu, Genta, and Machu feel they belong.
Just as they’ve made so many of us feel.
Four Years Later, We’re Still Here
Anniversaries have a wonderful way of making us look backward.
We revisit old performances, remember the songs that first captured our attention, and marvel at how quickly the years seem to have passed.
But Travis Japan has always been a group that reminds us to look forward too.
There are still new songs waiting to be heard, new stages waiting to be discovered, and new memories waiting to become part of the story.
There will be more laughter, more unexpected challenges, more emotional performances, and almost certainly more moments when the seven of them leave us wondering how they managed to make something so ridiculous so entertaining.
This is a celebration of seven people who have given us all something worth cherishing.
And in that sense, perhaps we aren’t so far apart after all.
So, to Travis Japan:
Thank you for another year of music, laughter, and memories.
Thank you for the beautiful performances, the wonderfully chaotic moments, and the dedication that continues to shine through everything you do.
Thank you for reminding us that dreams don’t always have to be pursued alone, and that the people we share them with can become just as important as the dreams themselves.
Thank you for the moments that make the difficult days easier, and for the happiness that has become such a familiar part of our lives.
And thank you for creating something that can make people feel connected, even when oceans stand between us.
Last year, I thanked Travis Japan for giving me somewhere to return to.
This year, I want to thank them for continuing to build that home—not only for those of us who support them, but for one another.
I hope your fifth year brings you incredible opportunities, unforgettable experiences, and all the success you’ve worked so hard to achieve.
But above all, I hope it brings you happiness.
The kind of happiness that makes you look around at the people beside you and think, I’m glad I’m here.
Because that’s the feeling you’ve given me.
Four years after your debut, I’m still watching, still listening, still cheering, and still grateful that our paths crossed through music.
And no matter how many oceans separate us, how much time passes between the moments we can share, or where life takes me next, I know there will always be seven familiar voices I can return to.
Happy fourth anniversary, Travis Japan.
No matter how far you go, I’ll always find my way back to you.
Forever my home.
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