🌐 Trip Publishing - Quartz and Wanderlog
Goal
Make this vault accessible to all four travelers on their phones without requiring everyone to install or manage Obsidian.
Live Site
https://jjamjapan.com — bookmark this in Chrome on all 4 phones.
Auto-deploys within ~2 minutes of every git push. To update on the road: edit any .md file at github.com (pencil icon), commit, and the site rebuilds in ~2 min.
Part 1 — Quartz + Netlify
✅ Done. No further setup needed.
Part 2 — Map Tools
The trip uses a choose-your-own-adventure structure — energy and weather drive daily decisions. Wanderlog fights that model if used as a day planner. Instead, two tools, two jobs:
| Tool | Job |
|---|---|
| Google Maps Saved Lists | Neighborhood clusters — all options on one map, grouped by area |
| Wanderlog | Fixed anchors only — confirmed dated events, accommodations, stations |
Google Maps Saved Lists — Setup
Jeff creates all lists, then shares each link in the group chat. Everyone else just taps the link — no account needed to view.
Step 1 — Create the lists
On your phone: Saved (bookmark icon, bottom nav) → New list → name it → Create
Osaka
Osaka — Nishinari Base— Kishinosato-Tamade Station (house anchor) · Tennoji Station · Tsutenkaku Tower (Shinsekai) · Daruma Kushikatsu Shinsekai · Shitennoji Temple · Hankai Tram Kishinosato stopOsaka — Namba / Dotonbori— Dotonbori (Glico Running Man sign) · Hozenji Yokocho · Wanaka Takoyaki Dotonbori · Kuromon Ichiba Market · Nankai Namba Station · Kintetsu Namba Station · Osaka Metro Namba StationOsaka — Amerika-Mura— Triangle Park (三角公園, the district anchor) · B.B. Garage (watch dealer) · FIRELOOP Osaka (Apr 9 concert) · Shinsaibashi StationOsaka — Umeda / Osaka Station— JR Osaka Station · Hankyu Umeda Station · Yodobashi Camera Umeda · Grand Front OsakaOsaka — Osaka Castle— Osaka Castle main keep · Osaka Museum of History · Osaka Castle Park (Nishinomaru Garden)Osaka — Yamazaki— Suntory Yamazaki Distillery (山崎蒸溜所) · Yamazaki Station (JR Kyoto Line)
Kyoto
Kyoto — Arashiyama— Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple (walk start) · Hiranoya Sagano tea house · Adashino Nenbutsuji · Arashiyama Bamboo Grove north entrance · Tenryu-ji Temple · Togetsukyo Bridge (main Arashiyama landmark)Kyoto — Fushimi Inari— Fushimi Inari Taisha main gate (Omotesando) · Inari Station (JR Nara Line) · Yotsutsuji viewpoint (halfway point — pin manually)
Tokyo
Tokyo — Ikebukuro Base— Ikebukuro Station West Exit (house transit anchor) · Sunshine City Ikebukuro · Mo-Mo-Paradise Ikebukuro · Ikebukuro Station East Exit (Sunshine 60 side)Tokyo — Shinjuku— Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden · Shinjuku Golden Gai · Hands Shinjuku (Takashimaya Times Square) · Fuunji ramen (Shinjuku west exit) · Samurai Restaurant Shinjuku (add if confirmed)Tokyo — Ginza— Shellman Ginza (3-4-17 Ginza) · Ginza Rasin (8-7-11 Ginza) · Quark Ginza (8-8-8 Ginza) · Firekids Ginza (Ginza Nine Bldg 2, 8-7 Ginza) · Itoya Ginza (2-7-15 Ginza) · Tsukiji Outer MarketTokyo — Asakusa— Senso-ji Temple (Kaminarimon gate) · Nakamise Shopping Street · Kappabashi Dougu-gai (kitchen street — look for the giant chef statue) · Sometaro okonomiyaki · Hirayama soba · Tokyo SkytreeTokyo — Akihabara / Nakano— Nakano Broadway (building entrance) · Jack Road (Nakano Broadway 3F) · Kamekichi (Nakano Broadway 3F) · Firekids Nakano Broadway (1F Room 113) · Nakano Station North ExitTokyo — Shibuya— Shibuya Crossing (Hachiko Exit) · Hachiko Statue · Meiji Shrine (main torii) · Omotesando Hills · Loft Shibuya (21-1 Udagawacho) · Shibuya Sky (Shibuya Scramble Square rooftop) · Kaikaya Shibuya (celebratory dinner)Tokyo — Day Trip— add once Fuji vs Nikkō is decided: either Hakone-Yumoto Station + Lake Ashi + Owakudani, OR Tobu-Nikko Station + Tosho-gu Shrine + Shinkyo Bridge
Step 2 — Add pins
Search the place → tap result → Save → select the right list. Drop a manual pin for anything hard to find exactly.
Priority pins to add first:
- Both accommodations (Nishinari house + Ikebukuro house)
- Shin-Osaka Station, Tokyo Station, HND Terminal 3
- FIRELOOP Osaka (Apr 9 concert)
- USJ main entrance
- Arashiyama walk start: Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple
- Ginza watch dealers: Shellman (3-4-17 Ginza) · Ginza Rasin (8-7-11 Ginza) · Quark (8-8-8 Ginza) · Firekids Ginza (Ginza Nine Bldg 2)
- Nakano Broadway watch dealers: Jack Road (3F) · Kamekichi (3F) · Firekids (1F)
- Kaikaya Shibuya (Apr 18 dinner)
Step 3 — Share with the group
Open each list → ⋮ → Share list → copy link → paste in WhatsApp. Anyone with the link views it without an account.
Step 4 — Download offline maps
Profile → Offline maps → Select your own map → draw a box over each city. Three separate downloads: Osaka metro, Kyoto, Tokyo metro. Do on wifi before Apr 7. Saved list pins work on top of offline maps.
Wanderlog — Fixed Anchors Only
Purpose: See all confirmed events on a timeline with a map. Not for planning flexible days — those stay in Google Maps.
Step 1 — Create the trip
- Download Wanderlog (Android, free)
- Sign in with Google
- + New trip → name:
Japan 2026→ destinations: Osaka, Kyoto, Tokyo → dates: April 7–20
Step 2 — Add fixed dated events
Only items with a real confirmed date and time:
| Date | Item | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 7 | HND arrival | Transit to Osaka overnight |
| Apr 8 | Osaka check-in | Shinkansen arrives Shin-Osaka 8:00 PM |
| Apr 9 | Overplugged @ FIRELOOP | Doors 6:00 PM · Muddy Jackets 10:00 PM |
| Apr 11 | Kyoto day trip | Arashiyama upper Sagano walk (preferred) — confirm B1 vs B2 by Apr 9 |
| Apr 13 | USJ | Jeff/Jeannette/Ana · Express Pass 7 ✅ |
| Apr 14 | Shinkansen Shin-Osaka → Tokyo | 1:06 PM Nozomi 22 · Green Car · Car 9 · 8A/8B/9A/9B ✅ |
| Apr 15 | Tokyo check-in | Ikebukuro house |
| Apr 18 | Kaikaya dinner | Add once reservation confirmed |
| Apr 19 | HND departure |
Step 3 — Add as unscheduled
Add these now; assign a day once confirmed:
- Yamazaki Distillery (Jeff/Matt)
- Samurai Restaurant, Shinjuku (all 4)
- TeamLab Planets (Ana)
- Blue Note Tokyo (if booked)
- JDM Car Day location (Jeff/Matt — add once Fun2Drive confirmed)
- Matt’s hike trailhead per city: Minoo Station (Osaka) · Kurama Station (Kyoto) · Takaosanguchi or Mitake Station (Tokyo)
- Both accommodations
- Shin-Osaka Station, Tokyo Station, HND
Everything else stays in Google Maps Saved Lists.
Step 4 — Share with the group
Trip → Share icon → copy link → WhatsApp group. View without an account; give edit access to anyone who wants it.
Step 5 — Download offline
Trip → download icon → saves map and place data locally. Do on wifi before Apr 7.
Morning Routine On-Trip (2 min)
- Daily Rhythm - April 7-20 — read today’s agenda and path decision
- Daily Decision Helper — if deviating based on energy or weather
- Google Maps — open the relevant cluster list, see what’s near each other
- Wanderlog — check if today has a fixed anchor that shapes timing
- Navitime Japan (app) — transit routing once destination is decided
What Everyone Uses On-Trip
| Tool | Who | For What |
|---|---|---|
| jjamjapan.com (Chrome bookmark) | All 4 | Strategy, context, food, decisions |
| Google Maps Saved Lists | All 4 | Cluster options, on-the-ground “what’s near me” |
| Wanderlog | All 4 | Fixed events, accommodations, overall timeline |
| Navitime Japan | All 4 | Transit routing with fares and platform info |
| Google Maps offline | All 4 | Walking navigation |
| All 4 | Real-time coordination when split up |
Before Departure — Setup Checklist
Google Maps (Jeff first, then share):
- Create all cluster lists above
- Add priority pins (accommodations, stations, FIRELOOP, watch dealers, Otagi Nenbutsuji, Kaikaya)
- Share each list with Jeannette, Ana, Matt via WhatsApp
- Download offline maps: Osaka, Kyoto, Tokyo — all 4 phones, on wifi
Wanderlog:
- Create trip (Japan 2026, Apr 7–20)
- Add all fixed dated events from table above
- Add unscheduled items (accommodations, distillery, restaurant, Matt hike trailheads)
- Share trip link in WhatsApp — confirm all 4 can view on Android
- Download offline before Apr 7
Site:
- Share jjamjapan.com with all 4 — bookmark in Chrome
- Add to Home Screen: Chrome → ⋮ → Add to Home Screen