Our Story

About Training Study Center

We believe that traveling alone is one of the most courageous, clarifying, and transformative things a person can do. Our mission is to make that journey safer, smarter, and more accessible for everyone.

50K+
Solo travelers helped
120+
Destination guides published
6+
Years of expertise
30+
Countries covered
How It Started

Why We Started Training Study Center

In 2019, a small group of solo travel veterans gathered in a Tokyo co-working space with a shared frustration: despite the explosion of travel content online, genuinely useful, safety-conscious, and culturally sensitive guidance for solo travelers was still remarkably hard to find.

What existed was scattered across forums, buried in blog comment sections, or locked behind expensive guided tour packages. The community had the knowledge — it just didn't have a home.

Training Study Center was founded to change that. Based in Shibuya, Tokyo, our team brings together writers, safety experts, linguists, and experienced solo travelers from 12 different countries to build the resource we all wished existed when we first stepped off the plane alone.

Seven years and 50,000 readers later, we're still driven by the same conviction: that solo travel, done thoughtfully, is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself.

Traveler relaxing peacefully in a garden after a cultural tour
2019
Founded in Tokyo
Our Purpose

Making Solo Travel Accessible,
Safe, and Transformative

We believe no one should be held back from experiencing the world by a lack of information, support, or community. Every resource we create is grounded in that conviction.

Person practicing yoga peacefully in an outdoor park — embodying the mindful travel philosophy
Wellness Philosophy

Travel as a Practice, Not Just a Trip

At Training Study Center, we see solo travel as something deeper than tourism. At its best, it's a practice of presence — of showing up fully to new places, new people, and new versions of yourself.

That's why our content doesn't just cover logistics. We explore the psychological dimensions of solo travel: how to manage loneliness, cultivate confidence, build resilience through discomfort, and return home genuinely changed.

  • Mindfulness-based travel practices for solo journeys
  • Guidance on sustainable, slow travel approaches
  • Mental health resources specific to solo travelers
  • Community connection strategies for meaningful encounters
Solo traveler enjoying a moment of calm in a garden setting
Our Approach

Research-Backed, Community-Tested

Every guide on Training Study Center is built on three pillars: firsthand research by experienced solo travelers, fact-checking by regional safety experts, and feedback from our community of 50,000+ readers who live these experiences daily.

We don't publish destination content we haven't verified. Our team travels to every region we cover, building relationships with local communities, testing safety tips in the real world, and updating our guides regularly as conditions change.

  • On-the-ground research in every destination we cover
  • Safety assessments reviewed quarterly by regional experts
  • Community feedback loop integrated into every guide update
  • Independent, ad-transparent editorial standards
What Drives Us

Our Core Values

These four principles guide every decision we make — from what content we publish to how we engage with our community.

🛡️

Safety First

We never prioritize aesthetics over accuracy. If a destination has genuine risks, we say so clearly and provide actionable mitigation strategies. Our readers trust us to be honest, and we take that responsibility seriously. Safety information is always reviewed by qualified experts and updated as conditions change.

🌏

Cultural Respect

Solo travel is a privilege, not a right. We educate our community on responsible travel practices — how to engage with local cultures with humility, how to minimize tourist impact, and why understanding local customs and norms isn't just polite, it's essential for meaningful travel experiences.

🌱

Personal Growth

We believe solo travel is one of the most powerful catalysts for self-development available to anyone. Every guide we write aims to help travelers not just navigate a city, but grow through the experience — stepping outside comfort zones, building resilience, and returning home with a broader, more compassionate worldview.

🤝

Community

Solo doesn't mean alone. Our global community of travelers shares knowledge, warnings, recommendations, and encouragement with each other daily. We've built Training Study Center as a community platform, not just a content hub — because the best travel advice often comes from someone who arrived at the same crossroads just one week before you did.

The People Behind Training Study Center

Meet Our Team

A small but passionate team of solo travel veterans, writers, and safety advocates — united by a belief in the transformative power of independent travel.

🌸

Yuki Tanaka

Founder & Editor-in-Chief

+81 3-5888-5690

1-15-12 Mukojima,
Sumida Ward,
Tokyo 131-0033, Japan

📍 Tokyo, Japan
🌺

Emma Rodriguez

Content Director

A Mexico City-raised writer and editor who spent three years traveling solo through Southeast Asia before joining Training Study Center. Emma oversees all long-form content, manages contributor relationships, and brings a deeply personal lens to the site's women's solo travel coverage and Latin America destination guides.

📍 Mexico City, Mexico
🏔️

James Chen

Safety & Risk Expert

With a background in international security consulting and a decade of solo travel through high-complexity destinations, James leads Training Study Center's safety research program. He reviews all destination safety ratings, coordinates with travel advisories globally, and develops our emergency response guides and digital security content.

📍 Singapore

Ready to Begin Your Solo Journey?

Whether you're planning your first trip or your fiftieth, we're here to help. Reach out to our team, explore our guides, or join the community.

Get In Touch Explore Guides