Tourism and Proof of Existence
— Inscribing 'I Was Here' Through Travel

*This essay is an academic analysis and does not criticize any specific tourist destination or religious practice.

1. The Desire to Say "I Was Here"

What is the first thing people do at a tourist destination? They take photographs. They record the scenery, the architecture, and the fact that "they were there." This act is not merely commemorative; it is rooted in a more fundamental desire — the desire to leave proof that "I existed here."

Sociologist John Urry, in The Tourist Gaze, analyzed the social construction of how tourists "see" landscapes. Tourists travel to confirm images that have been formed in advance. They then preserve this confirmation as "evidence" in the form of photographs.

"The tourist gaze is socially organized and systematized. It defines what tourists should see and how they should see it."

— Summarizing John Urry, The Tourist Gaze

However, this act of "seeing" has its limitations. A photograph is a record of a place, not a record of the "self" who was there. Among the countless photographs taken at the same location with the same composition, what makes "my photograph" special? It is not the photograph itself, but the memory that "I was there."

2. Pilgrimage and the Imprint of Existence

The desire to say "I was here" has often been left as physical traces. From ancient times to the present, people have inscribed their existence onto the places they visit.

Graffiti — Primitive Proof of Existence

Ruins and historical structures around the world bear the graffiti of visitors. The walls of Pompeii are covered with countless Latin inscriptions, and the pyramids of Egypt bear the names of ancient Greek travelers. While these are often condemned as "acts of vandalism," the underlying desire — proof of existence stating "I came here" — is universal.

Even today, lovers' initials carved into bridge railings and "So-and-so was here" written on rocks at tourist spots are manifestations of this impulse. Setting aside legal and ethical issues, it is undeniable that humans possess the desire to "leave traces."

Ema — Institutionalized Proof of Existence

Ema (votive wooden tablets) at Japanese Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples can be seen as an institutionalization of this desire. Worshippers write their wishes and names on ema and dedicate them within the temple grounds. This is both a prayer to the deities and Buddhas and proof of existence stating "I came here and prayed."

Interestingly, ema have no expiration date. They may be preserved for decades, sometimes even centuries. Worshippers can leave a memory of their temporary visit in a more permanent form.

Pilgrimage Books and Goshuin (Temple Stamps)

Goshuin (vermillion seal stamps) collected when making pilgrimages to temples and shrines represent a systematic practice of collecting proof that "I visited this place." Pilgrims carry a goshuin-cho (stamp book) and collect stamps from each temple or shrine they visit. This is not merely a stamp rally but a unique culture where religious practice and proof of existence merge.

3. The "Landmark-ification" of Tourist Sites and Collective Memory

The process by which a place becomes a "tourist landmark" is also a process of forming collective memory. As people visit, take photographs, and share their experiences, a place becomes a "node of memory."

The Social Construction of Place

Dean MacCannell, in The Tourist, analyzed the process by which the "authenticity" of tourist attractions is socially constructed. Tourists seek "genuine" experiences, but that very "genuineness" is staged by the tourism industry.

"Tourists seek authenticity lost in modern society. But ironically, the very presence of tourists undermines that authenticity."

— Summarizing Dean MacCannell, The Tourist

What is important here is the fact that tourists are seeking something "genuine." Why must it be "genuine"? Because having visited a "genuine place" serves as a more powerful proof of existence.

Instagrammable Locations

Modern tourist destinations are often designed to be photogenic. Since the proliferation of Instagram, "photo spots" have become essential elements of tourist sites. This responds to tourists' desire — to leave evidence that "I was here."

However, when everyone takes the same photograph at the same location, the "uniqueness" of that photograph is lost. There are hundreds of millions of photographs taken in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. What makes "my photograph" special among them is not the content of the photograph, but only the fact that "I was there."

4. Instagram-Worthy Aesthetics and Proof of Existence

The spread of social media has fundamentally changed the nature of proof of existence in tourism. Travel records were once private, but now travel is undertaken with the premise of being "broadcast."

Travel as Performance

Since the emergence of Instagram and TikTok, tourists have become both "viewers" and "the viewed." Experiences at travel destinations are only "complete" when posted on social media. Travel that is not posted can even feel as if it never existed.

This is a new form of proof of existence. In the past, the fact that "I was there" was confirmed only by one's own memory and the testimony of a few companions. But now, hundreds or thousands of followers know that "you were there."

The Need for Validation and Proof of Existence

Posts on social media receive validation in the form of "likes" and comments. This validation means more than just acknowledging that the photograph was good. It is social validation that "you were there" and "you had that experience."

However, this validation has vulnerabilities. If an account is deleted, all records disappear. If the platform shuts down, years of travel records are lost. Digital proof of existence sacrifices permanence in exchange for immediacy.

5. The Religious Significance of Pilgrimage

Religious pilgrimage is a practice that can be considered the prototype of tourism. Visiting a sacred site, praying there, and returning — this act carries meaning beyond mere travel.

The Shikoku Pilgrimage — The Meaning of Walking

The pilgrimage to the 88 temples of Shikoku is a practice of walking approximately 1,200 kilometers. Today, "segmented pilgrimages" using cars or public transportation are common, but originally, walking was the fundamental mode of pilgrimage.

Why does "walking" carry meaning? Because by physically moving with one's body, the pilgrim makes certain the fact that they were "physically there." Travel by car is efficient, but creates a stronger sense of merely "passing through." Walking means that each step is contact with the land, providing stronger proof of existence.

The Shikoku pilgrimage has the phrase "Dogyo Ninin" (traveling together as two). Pilgrims are said to walk alongside Kobo Daishi Kukai. This means that even on a solo journey, there is always a "witness." It is a form of religious proof of existence.

Santiago de Compostela — Europe's Pilgrimage Route

The pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela in Spain has traditions dating back to the Middle Ages. Pilgrims walk hundreds of kilometers to visit the tomb of Saint James. Upon arrival, a pilgrimage certificate called the "Compostela" is issued.

This certificate is an official proof of existence. The Church certifies the fact that "this person indeed completed this pilgrimage." The pilgrimage certificate is a system that socially recognizes an individual's religious achievement.

Pilgrimage and Transformation

What is important in religious pilgrimage is the structure of "going and returning." The pilgrim leaves everyday life, experiences some form of transformation at the sacred site, and returns to everyday life. This experience of transformation is the essence of pilgrimage.

Anthropologist Victor Turner proposed the concept of "liminality" (threshold state) in pilgrimage. The pilgrim is placed in a threshold state between everyday life and the sacred site, where they are freed from social status and roles. This liminal experience brings transformation to the pilgrim.

"Pilgrimage is a journey to the outside of social structure, where pilgrims experience a fundamental communitas — direct bonds between human beings."

— Summarizing Victor Turner's pilgrimage theory

6. Dark Tourism — Journeys of Memory and Mourning

Dark tourism refers to visiting places associated with war, disaster, and tragedy. Auschwitz, Hiroshima, Chernobyl, Ground Zero — these places carry different meanings from ordinary tourist destinations.

Tourism as Mourning

The essence of dark tourism lies in knowing "what happened there" and paying tribute. Visitors confirm the existence of victims and take on the role of inheriting their memory.

This is a dual proof of existence. First, proof that the victims existed there. Second, proof that the visitor learned of and remembered that fact. Through the fact of visiting the site, visitors become "witnesses" to past events.

Disaster and Memory

People who visit areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake can also be seen as engaging in a form of dark tourism. There is debate over the preservation of earthquake ruins, centered on whether "sad memories should be preserved." However, without physical traces, memories fade rapidly.

Visiting disaster-affected areas is both a tribute to the victims and the visitor's own pledge that "I will not forget this event." Dark tourism is a practice that connects collective memory to individual memory.

The Ethics of Photography

In dark tourism, the ethics of photography are sometimes questioned. "Selfies" at Auschwitz can be criticized. There is discomfort with taking "cheerful" photographs at places of mourning.

However, the act of taking photographs itself can also be an expression of the desire to "record and convey this fact." The issue is not the photography itself, but the attitude with which it is conducted.

7. Positioning Toki Storage — Travel Records Beyond Photography

Based on the above analysis, it becomes clear that proof of existence in tourism has fundamental limitations. Photographs are records of places, not records of existence. Social media posts have no guaranteed permanence. Even religious pilgrimage certificates depend on the continuation of their religious communities.

Preserving Travel Memories

Toki Storage offers one answer to this problem. Travel records can be preserved not as photographs of places, but in the form of "what this journey meant to me."

• Verbalizing experiences: What was felt and thought at that place, which photographs cannot convey
• Recording transformation: Records of self-transformation through travel, like what pilgrims experience
• Recording relationships: Who traveled with, what encounters occurred
• Recording tribute: Feelings experienced in dark tourism, memories to be inherited

Permanence Independent of Platforms

Posts on social media depend on the platform's survival. However, Toki Storage is recorded on physical media (quartz glass), so it is not affected by the disappearance of digital platforms.

In 1,000 years, Instagram may not exist. But travel records inscribed on quartz glass can remain. This opens new possibilities for proof of existence in tourism.

Connecting Tourism and Life

Travel is part of life. The fact of visiting a specific place at a specific time constitutes part of one's life trajectory. Toki Storage enables positioning individual travel records within the record of an entire life.

"Made the Shikoku pilgrimage in 2025," "Walked to Santiago in 2030" — these records can convey what kind of life a person lived in a richer form than photographs.

Conclusion — Beyond Traces of Travel

Why do people travel? To see new places, to experience different cultures, to escape from daily life — the reasons vary, but underlying them all is the confirmation of existence: "I am here."

The act of taking photographs at tourist destinations, the impulse to leave graffiti, the practice of collecting goshuin stamps, the habit of posting on social media — all of these are expressions of the desire for proof of existence: "I was here."

However, photographs are records of places, not records of existence. Among the countless photographs taken at the same location, what makes "my photograph" special is not the photograph itself, but the memory that "I was there." That memory fades with time and eventually disappears.

That is why travel records need to go beyond photographs. What was felt there, what was thought, how one changed — these internal records are the true proof of existence.

The significance of travel lies not in the arrival, but in the journey itself.

Travel has meaning not only in the destination but in the journey itself. What we experienced, felt, and thought during that journey — that is the essence of proof of existence stating "I was there." Photographs are merely supplementary records.

In 1,000 years, we do not know what the tourist destinations we visited will look like. But the fact that "a person visited there and felt something" can hold meaning across time. That is the ultimate form of proof of existence in travel.