Craig Mod on Walking Japan, Membership Programs, and Finding Purpose

Craig Mod is a writer, photographer, and creative entrepreneur who has built a unique career centered around walking long distances in Japan and writing about his experiences. In this wide-ranging conversation, Craig shares the story of how he went from working in Silicon Valley tech to becoming an independent writer and creator focused on exploring Japan.

Craig first came to Japan at age 19 as a study abroad student, and was immediately struck by the sense of safety, cleanliness, and care he felt in Tokyo compared to his hometown in the US. This experience was healing for Craig, who had grown up in a struggling post-industrial town. He fell in love with Japan and kept finding ways to return, eventually moving there full-time in his 20s.

After a stint working at Flipboard in Silicon Valley in his late 20s, Craig returned to Tokyo feeling unsure of his next move. Around this time, he connected with an older Australian man named John who had extensive experience walking Japan's old pilgrimage routes. John began inviting Craig on multi-day walks along these historic paths, which opened Craig's eyes to a whole new way of experiencing Japan beyond just the big cities.

These walks with John planted the seeds for what would become Craig's signature creative pursuit - doing long solo walks across Japan and writing extensively about the experience. Craig developed a practice of walking 20-30 miles per day, talking to locals, taking photos, and then writing several thousand words each night to capture the day's experiences.

To fund this unconventional creative work, Craig launched a membership program in 2019. At first, he felt embarrassed about asking people to support his work. But he soon realized the membership gave him permission to pursue strange, ambitious projects that no traditional media outlet would fund - like walking 50km in 10 different mid-sized Japanese cities that tourists never visit.

One of those cities, Morioka, ended up being featured as the #2 place to visit in the world by the New York Times in 2023 based on Craig's recommendation. This led to a media frenzy in Japan and has driven an estimated $100 million in economic impact to the city. Craig sees this as a powerful example of how his membership program enabled him to have an outsized positive impact.

Beyond the walks themselves, Craig has experimented with creative ways to share the experience with his audience. He's done things like:

• Sending daily SMS updates during a 30-day walk, which were later compiled into a print-on-demand book
• Recording binaural audio at 9:45am each day of a walk to create an audio profile of the journey
• Shooting unnarrated video clips to give viewers a raw, unfiltered glimpse into moments along the walk

Craig has also produced several limited edition books about his walks and explorations of Japanese cafe culture. His upcoming book "Things Become Other Things" will be his first major release with a big publisher (Random House). The book interweaves reflections on a 1000km walk during COVID with memories of Craig's childhood best friend who was murdered shortly after high school graduation.

Throughout the conversation, Craig emphasizes how his membership program has given him the freedom to pursue unconventional creative projects and make a meaningful impact. He encourages other creators to use membership programs as permission to do strange, uniquely personal work rather than trying to replicate traditional media models.

Some other interesting topics covered include:

• Craig's struggles with alcohol in his 20s and how running helped him build self-worth
• His experience being adopted and how that shaped his sense of identity
• The challenges of learning to accept love and build healthy relationships
• How living in Japan allowed him to reinvent himself away from his troubled hometown
• His newfound appreciation for smoking as a mindful, social ritual (limited to one cigarette per day)
• The rapid disappearance of traditional cafes and jazz bars in Japan as older owners retire

Overall, Craig's story is an inspiring example of building an unconventional creative career by following one's curiosities and creating intimate connections with an audience. His deep explorations of Japan offer a window into a side of the country that most never see.

Article created from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMnpwPtXwxo