Craig Mod: Adventure, Discipline, and Design. Living Adventurously 66
Apr 22, 2025
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Craig Mod, a writer and photographer celebrated for his long-distance walks in Japan, shares his unique blend of adventure and creativity. He discusses the tech-savvy navigation methods he employs compared to Alastair's minimalist approach. The joys of meticulous documentation and the artistic integrity behind book design are highlighted, alongside the deeper connections formed through long walks. They explore the contrasting cultural practices around litter and nature responsibility, ultimately emphasizing how walking fosters mindfulness and creativity.
Craig Mod emphasizes that long-distance walking in Japan enriches cultural connection through immersive experiences along historical routes like Tokaido and Nakasendo.
Through his meticulous planning and personal rules, Craig highlights the importance of minimizing distractions to cultivate a deeper engagement with nature and surroundings.
The podcast discusses Japan's cultural responsibility regarding littering, illustrating how communal respect for the environment shapes societal behavior and cleanliness.
Deep dives
Adventurous Walking in Japan
Long-distance walking in Japan offers a unique way to connect with the country's culture and rich historical routes. The speaker emphasizes his personal experiences with notable paths such as the Tokaido and Nakasendo, which allow for exploration of ancient roads and local traditions. He shares his adventures walking across the Kumano Kodo, the only UNESCO World Heritage certified pilgrimage route in Japan, highlighting its intricate system of varied paths that cater to different experiences. Through these walks, he finds joy not only in the physical journey but also in engaging with local communities, enhancing the overall adventure.
The Joy of Walking vs. Biking
Despite owning multiple bikes, the speaker expresses a preference for walking as his primary mode of exploration, stressing that it allows for deeper connections with the environment and the people he encounters. He appreciates how walking encourages spontaneous interactions, fostering a sense of community that biking often overlooks. The slower pace of walking not only facilitates this engagement but also provides time for reflection and immersion in the surroundings. For him, the simplicity of walking enhances the joy of discovery and connection in a way that cycling does not fully replicate.
Rules of Engagement While Walking
The speaker articulates a set of personal rules designed to enhance his experience while walking, focusing on staying present and avoiding distractions from modern technology. He avoids using social media, listening to music, or engaging with news, which he feels detracts from the richness of the experience. These self-imposed limitations encourage a deeper engagement with both the physical and social aspects of his journey. By adhering to these principles, he cultivates awareness and cultivates a more meaningful interaction with the environment and culture.
Planning for Adventures
The speaker contrasts his meticulous planning for walking adventures with a more spontaneous approach to adventure. He advocates for pre-booking accommodations and meals to eliminate logistical concerns during the actual journey, allowing him to focus entirely on the experience. This organizational strategy both relieves stress and maximizes the time available for exploration and engagement with the surroundings. By doing so, he aims to maintain a state of flow, encouraging creativity and connection without the burden of unresolved practicalities.
Cultural Attitudes Towards Litter in Japan
The discussion highlights cultural differences in attitudes towards litter and personal responsibility in Japan compared to other places. In Japan, individuals are expected to take their trash home, resulting in incredibly clean public spaces, which fosters a sense of community and respect for one’s environment. This societal norm is not only ingrained from childhood through school cleaning responsibilities but also supported by adult behavior and expectations. By emphasizing the contrast with places where littering is commonplace, the speaker suggests that such cultural values could inspire broader discussions about environmental responsibility.
In this rich, wide-ranging conversation, Alastair Humphreys chats with Craig Mod about the overlapping worlds of adventure, creativity, and publishing. The two explore their different but kindred approaches to long walks — Craig’s meticulous, high-tech planning versus Alastair’s spontaneous, minimalist style — and how these journeys feed into their creative work. Craig shares the thinking behind his wildly successful newsletters, membership programme, and beautiful, obsessively designed books. They also dive into broader themes like cultural responsibility, self-discipline, nature connection, and why sometimes walking is just the best way to think deeply.
🧭 Topics and Themes
Craig's long-distance walks across Japan (Tokaido, Nakasendo, Kumano Kodo)
Comparison of walking vs. cycling as immersive travel tools
Digital minimalism and “no teleporting” rules during walks
High-tech vs low-tech navigation: Apple Watch Ultra vs. paper maps
The joy and discipline of documentation: notes, photography, audio, video
Daily synthesis as a creative practice while walking
Books as tangible artefacts of ephemeral experience
Craig’s reasons for walking: presence, routine, deadlines, synthesis
Planning vs. spontaneity in adventures
The special role of beautiful book design
Making creativity sustainable: Craig’s membership model (Special Projects)
Emotional and logistical tension between audience growth and creative purity
Walk & Talk retreats with Kevin Kelly: structure, goals, dinner conversations
Litter and cultural responsibility in Japan vs. the West
The role of access in building care for the natural world
The value of constraints, caps, and intimacy in building an audience
📚 Books Mentioned
Things Become Other Things by Craig Mod (Random House edition)
Kissa by Kissa by Craig Mod
Rings of Saturn by W.G. Sebald
Kevin Kelly’s essay “1000 True Fans”
Papyrus: The Invention of Books in the Ancient World by Irene Vallejo (mentioned by Alastair)
💡 Concepts & Quotes
“Walking is a platform for other things to happen.”
“Teleports” as anything that removes you from presence (phones, news, etc.)
“I’ve never thought: I have to do this because my subscribers are expecting it. It’s all selfish.”
“The best piece of technology ever invented is the book.”
“Snickers bar logic”: why we’re fine carrying snacks, but not their wrappers
“Make the ephemeral tangible”: the purpose behind bookmaking
“You can’t walk with someone and do the thinking.”
