#803: Craig Mod Returns — Epic Walks in Japan, The Art of Slowness, Digital Detox, Publishing “Impossible” Books, and Choosing Beauty Over Scale

The Tim Ferriss Show

Tim Ferriss: Bestselling Author, Human Guinea Pig

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4.6 • 17.4K Ratings

🗓️ 27 March 2025

⏱️ 149 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Craig Mod Returns! Craig is a writer, photographer, and walker living in Tokyo and Kamakura, Japan. He is the author of Things Become Other Things and Kissa by Kissa. He also writes the newsletters Roden and Ridgeline and has contributed to The New York Times, The Atlantic, Wired, and more.

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Timestamps:

00:00 Molly Joins the Podcast

00:52 Meet Craig Mod

07:46 Living in a Six-Tatami Mat Room

12:24 Golden Gai: Tokyo's Historic Drinking District

17:33 Epic Walks: From Tokyo to Kumano Kodō

18:05 The Influence of John McBride

31:25 The Magic of Polite Japanese

38:38 The New Generation of Japanese-Speaking Foreigners

40:30 Kevin Kelly's Walk

41:08 The Birth of the Photo Book Idea

43:05 The Big Solo Walks Begin

43:56 Launching a Membership Program

44:58 The Nakasendo Walk

50:06 Rules of Walking

01:00:43 Booking Logistics in Japan

01:04:24 The Wired Magazine Essay

01:16:23 Creating CraigStarter: A Kickstarter Alternative

01:17:26 The Success of CraigStarter and Membership Strategy

01:19:50 Membership Community Rules and Goals

01:22:22 The Dangers of Scale in Creative Work

01:26:56 Navigating the Publishing Industry

01:38:37 Promoting Midsize Cities in Japan

01:50:48 Unexpected Cultural Encounter

01:52:50 Economic Benefits of Spotlighted Cities

01:54:46 Exploring Hidden Gems in Japan

01:56:55 Global Walking Adventures

01:59:46 Adoption Journey and Family Reconnection

02:05:27 Reflections on Family and Identity

02:19:46 Closing Thoughts and Future Plans

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Transcript

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0:00.0	And so to do this thing where there was basically a month built in where I wasn't going to see these responses.
0:06.7	Sorry, my dog's vomiting.
0:08.2	Give me a sec.
0:11.8	That's a new one for the podcast.
0:14.1	No.
0:15.0	Okay.
0:15.4	Sorry.
0:17.2	Your dog hates SMS.
0:19.1	Sure.
0:19.3	Yeah.
0:20.5	Give me a second to deal with this.
0:22.5	Never had my dog vomit while I'm recording a podcast right next to me before.
0:27.4	That's a new one.
0:28.0	This is the glamorous life of a podcaster, folks.
0:34.0	Hello, boys and girls, ladies and germs.
0:36.5	This is Tim Ferriss.
0:37.4	Welcome to another episode of The Tim Ferriss Show, where it is my job every episode to deconstruct world-class performers, people who are the best at what they do, people who are the deepest in the deep end of whatever their specialty happens to be.
0:52.1	This episode that you are going to hear is my second
0:55.4	interview, my second conversation with Craig Mod, a gem of a human being. Love the guy.
1:01.8	Now, important note, though, you do not need the first interview to enjoy this one. This,
1:07.8	what you're about to listen to, is perfectly self-sufficient as a standalone conversation.
1:12.1	So, go forth. Enjoy. But if you also want to check out our first combo, which covers his early
	...

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