Our Story

TripJunction, founded by two Asian women in the startup nation on a mission to enrich the way you experience Japan

TripJunction connects travelers with locals in Japan who share similar interests

Traveling with a tour or using a guide book is the entry level to visiting foreign countries. When one decides to explore further, mingling with the locals is the best way to better understand the culture and enjoy the best the place has to offer.

If you are a rock music lover, you may want to explore the local rock scene with a like-minded rock fan. If you are a foodie, you will be excited to learn how to cook delicious home dishes. You may even want to venture a wild night out with local party goers!
TripJunction enables you to do all this when travelling to Japan.

TripJunction Global Ltd, a new startup based in Ra’anana, Israel, develops an online platform that connects travelers and locals with similar interests through unique experiences in Japan. The company recently raised seed fund from the Chartered Group and set out on its voyage to change the way people travel in Japan.

How it all started

TripJunction is the brainchild of two entrepreneurial-minded Asian women who saw opportunity where others just had problems: Miho Beck from Japan (Co-founder and CEO) and Taejin Kim-Doron from South Korea (Co-founder and COO).

Miho spent a large part of her 20s traveling in Asia and Europe, and was lucky enough to always find someone with whom to experience a bit of local life.
“I had a chance to enjoy the most amazing Christmas dinner with a French family in a small village in the mountains of the Pyrenees. They had this really old stone house with a real fireplace. Everything was covered with snow and I felt as if I was in a movie about the middle ages.

On another occasion, I spent a weekend at an English pub in a town near Manchester, which was owned by someone I met through the classified section of a Heavy Metal magazine. The place was a hangout spot for local bikers. Drinking beer with bunch of riders with long beards and leather jackets was certainly a special experience!

People travel because they want to experience something special. Meeting and sharing experiences with locals is the best way to do that. Communication with locals is the key.” says Miho.

Taejin, a long-time resident of Israel, frequently hosts friends and business guests from Korea who visit the country.
“My guests were amazed to take part in a Jewish ‘Shabbat’ dinner with locals. I shared my insights about life in Israel in Korean, and we compared Korean and Israeli cultures, we laughed so much together. They were so delighted to have this experience and they said it was one of the most memorable moments they had abroad.“ Kim shared.

When travelling, finding someone you like to spend time with, who shares your interests, and with whom you can communicate well is still a challenge even for the millennial generation – especially in countries where foreign languages are not commonly spoken – like Japan.

TripJunction is committed to providing a safe and easy platform where travelers with different interests can have fun and memorable experiences together with local people who speak their language.

Two Asian Female Founders in the Startup Nation will make your trip to Japan a whole new experience

Being in Israel, known as the startup nation, was an inspiration for Miho and Taejin. Working for Israeli startups eventually led them to start their own business. While working on the project, the two women joined ‘Hubananot’, an educational program designed for female entrepreneurs of the ‘Hubanana’ Incubator run by the Ra’anana city municipality.

Hubanana supports startups by offering a shared working space, networking events and lectures by leaders in the HiTech industry, mentoring from experts in various fields, and private consultations.

“Japanese and Korean female entrepreneurs are not a regular sight in Ra’anana, but where else in the world can this happen, if not in the startup nation called Israel? So, we are extremely happy that TripJunction joined our city’s incubation center and are delighted to see them grow. Miho & Taejin are an inspiration to any startup. They prove that hard work and real passion can take you far. I wish them good luck, and hope to visit Japan soon and have some local experiences.” – Gili Bisa, General Manager at Hubanana

TripJunction raised seed funds from the Chartered Group, a global private equity group with a strong presence in Japan. The group is mainly active in the financial sector, and has recently opened a large portfolio in Israeli high-tech, as well as in the hospitality industries.
“As a group based in East Asia, we are feeling first hand the growth of inbound tourism to Japan, especially from China and Korea. So, when I met with Miho and Taejin, heard their story, reviewed their plan and, above all, felt their passion for TripJunction, it was an easy call for us. We shared the same vision and we want to leverage the Chartered Group’s expertise in hospitality to capitalize on the tourism boom, with TripJunction becoming the #1 travel experience marketplace platform in Japan.” – Eyal Agmoni, executive Chairman at the Chartered Group

The TripJunction team greatly appreciates the support. “We are happy to partner with the Chartered Group because they have hands-on experience with both technology and hospitality businesses in Japan and can help us understand and access the travel industry there. We definitely see the Chartered Group as a strategic investor and we appreciate Eyal for believing in us” – Taejin Kim-Doron, Co Founder & COO at TripJunciton

The founders’ vision for the future is to make TripJunction a worldly renowned brand, known for offering the widest variety of fun and unique experiences in Asia. To do that, they plan to use the most innovative technologies from the Israeli travel tech scene.
TripJunction is looking for people who wish to offer unique tours and experiences, and share their insights and passions with travelers from all over the world.

Get in touch at info@tripjunction.com!