An extract from In Conversation with Craig Mod in issue 09.

“Being out on the road, in the middle of a long walk, unlocks a kind of kindness in myself that is difficult to access on a normal day.”

Craig Mod is a walker, writer, photographer, and a book maker. Originally from the US, he immigrated to Japan, where he explores Japanese society through walking and by engaging with locals in remote places. He tells us about how to stay focused, how to be aware, and why it is important to find a meditative way to help us maintain control of our attention.

Craig’s desire to write stretches far back. He always felt this creative pull, but because of the lack of role models, his path has not been straightforward. Growing up in a small, uncommonly diverse, working class town in central Connecticut in the 1980s provided few positive archetypes that would show him a way of living with kindness towards himself or others. Craig often highlights the impacts that economically and socially deprived areas can have on people, and especially children, even though pointing a blaming finger at someone or something in particular is not so simple. We all are products of our upbringing, and we can’t choose where we come from.

Perhaps luck plays a big part in one’s path, and Craig’s led him to Japan for university — a country he knew next to nothing about. He wasn’t a fan of manga, anime, or J-pop, and he didn’t get a job at a Japanese company, as is often the case for other migrants from the West. After his move he worked in tech and publishing, and even though 22 years later his professional focus has evolved, he has remained in Japan. Although he still doesn’t succumb to the obvious appeals of Japanese culture enjoyed by many foreigners, he calls Tokyo his home for a simple reason: “Society works in Japan. There's healthcare and it's pretty good. It's a sliding scale based on your income. Even as early as in my 20s I had full healthcare, which is often trickier for freelancers in the US. There's no compromise on that; it lets you be independent. The cost of living is extremely low compared to a lot of areas in the States: you can eat great food, you can go to museums and galleries, and you don’t need to work for a large bank to be able to afford it all.”

Despite all the perks he had been enjoying in Japan, in 2013 Craig started asking himself why he was actually there — why not be somewhere else? Around that time, he went on a long walk with a friend and something clicked. Little was he aware that Japan offered a huge variety of historical walks, crisscrossing the country, spanning hundreds of kilometres. This became a pull he couldn’t resist, and he went on a journey to explore by foot. At first with his friend or as part of a group, but later on, as he was gaining confidence, he ventured on solo walks. He realised that these were the ones that were most satisfying — walking alone was a catalyst for self-discovery and heightened observation. “Once you add just one more person to your walk, the conditions change dramatically. You keep conversing, you are less able to notice your surroundings, you are not alone with your thoughts. It’s hard to approach a stranger when you are in a group of two or more. Walking alone makes you much less intimidating. And it’s this loneliness that allows your mind to wander; it’s like a meditation — it’s a form of therapy for me. Especially on walks that last several days, it forces you to contend with who you are.”

Read more in issue 09.