Tim FerrissCraig Mod Returns — Epic Walks, The Art of Slowness, and More
CHAPTERS
- 0:00 – 0:54
Walking with Tamori-san: sudden, overwhelming celebrity in Morioka
Craig describes walking through a town with Tamori-san and witnessing an intensity of public affection that shocks him. He recounts people stopping cars, shouting greetings, and thanking him for bringing Tamori-san to town, leaving Craig disoriented by the attention.
- •Craig recalls people reacting emotionally and dramatically to Tamori-san in public
- •Craig is repeatedly thanked as “Modo-san” for bringing Tamori-san to the town
- •He describes the experience as being near someone who draws “beams of love” from strangers
- •Tim briefly banters with Craig to set up the conversation that follows
- 0:54 – 4:29
Life in a six-tatami room and the slow hypnosis of Perfect Days
Tim asks Craig to explain what it means to live in a six-tatami mat room, and Craig describes measuring spaces by tatami and living ascetically in a tiny room for much of his adult life. They connect this to the film Perfect Days, discussing its deliberate pacing and how its protagonist’s room resembles Craig’s past living situation.
- •Craig explains tatami-based room sizing and what a six-mat room implies
- •Craig shares he lived in a six-tatami room from his early 20s into his mid-30s
- •Tim and Craig discuss Perfect Days as slow, repetitive, then hypnotic and endearing
- •Craig notes the film’s room matches the type of space he lived in for years
- 4:29 – 10:19
Tokyo night walks: Golden Gai, drinking, and early walking obsession
Craig traces the origin of his walking impulse to being 19 in Tokyo and wandering at night, captivated by the city’s safety and sensory openness. He explains Golden Gai’s history and how it shifted from a shady enclave to a tourist circus, and how those late-night walks stayed with him.
- •Craig describes nighttime Tokyo as safe and intensely sensory—sounds, smells, glimpses of home life
- •He says he was walking at night largely because he was drinking and going to Golden Gai
- •Golden Gai is described as a post-war ramshackle bar area with roots in prostitution
- •Craig and Tim discuss Ozu and Wim Wenders’ Tokyo-Ga in relation to Golden Gai’s culture
- •Craig laments how tourism and social media changed Golden Gai’s atmosphere
- 10:19 – 15:53
Meeting John McBride and discovering Kumano Kodo and pilgrimage Japan
Craig explains how collaborating on a book led him to meet John McBride, whose walking history in Japan opened Craig to pilgrimage trails. John invites Craig to explore Kumano Kodo, including Koyasan, which Craig describes as an activating, transformative introduction to a side of Japan he hadn’t known.
- •Craig recounts meeting John McBride through work connected to Art Space Tokyo
- •John’s early scholarship experience and literary interest led him to long walks in Japan
- •Craig joins John for Kumano Kodo in 2013 and is overwhelmed by Koyasan’s power and beauty
- •Tim and Craig outline Kumano Kodo as a network of routes rather than a single trail
- 15:53 – 19:56
Why pilgrimage trails hook so hard: nature, syncretism, and Koyasan’s gravity
Craig explains what made Kumano Kodo gripping: lush nature, heavy rainfall, and a strong sense of spiritual history. He also describes Shinto-Buddhist syncretism and how certain regions retained it more than others after historical shifts, deepening the trail’s emotional resonance for him.
- •Craig emphasizes the Kii Peninsula’s lushness and intense rainfall as a core draw
- •He describes religious syncretism between Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples in the area
- •Craig discusses how forced separation of Shinto and Buddhism affected Japan unevenly by region
- •He highlights temple stays (shukubo) and Koyasan’s graveyard as especially powerful experiences
- 19:56 – 30:49
Learning high-register politeness: how John turns locals into allies
Craig describes walking with John for years and learning that the real mastery wasn’t route planning but interaction—especially language and curiosity. He explains how John’s tea ceremony background and executive-level Japanese made farmers and locals feel profoundly seen, and how Craig’s own Japanese leveled up by listening and emulating.
- •Craig says his ‘study’ with John was mostly about interaction, not navigation
- •John’s tea ceremony experience informs exceptionally polite, high-register Japanese
- •Craig observes locals responding strongly to being treated with reverence and deep curiosity
- •Craig contrasts his earlier Japanese—formed in nightlife settings—with the politeness required in rural contexts
- •Tim underscores how complex keigo and formal politeness can be even for native speakers
- 30:49 – 33:31
From shared walks to making walks ‘immutable’: Kevin Kelly, photo books, and groups
Craig explains how Kevin Kelly’s invitation to walk part of the Nakasendō helped propel walking into a more structured creative output. He then describes the urge to give walks a durable form through a time-boxed photo book project, and how subsequent walks with Kevin and Hugh Howey escalated into broader walk-and-talk experiences.
- •Kevin Kelly reaches out to walk the Nakasendō, prompting Craig to prepare by scouting solo
- •Craig describes wanting to give ephemeral walking experiences a lasting shape via a book
- •Craig and Dan Rubin walk Kumano Kodo and then produce a photo book under strict time constraints
- •Kevin later brings Hugh Howey, and the walking format grows organically into larger group walks
- •Craig realizes solo walking has a unique emotional register worth exploring deeply
- 33:31 – 34:52
Launching a membership program: from rejection and ghosting to paid permission to walk
Craig recounts a low point where walking pieces were rejected and he was ghosted by editors, leading him to consult journalist friends and launch a membership program. He frames the early promise simply—he would walk and write about it—and describes how paid support created permission to commit fully to the work.
- •Craig describes widespread rejections and ghosting after pitching walking-related writing
- •He launches a membership program in early 2019 after encouragement from journalist friends
- •He says early on the pitch was essentially: supporters fund him walking and reporting back
- •Craig emphasizes how payment from readers created momentum and permission to pursue the craft
- 34:52 – 39:49
The first truly huge solo walk: Nakasendō, miscalculation, and the SMS reflection experiment
Craig details his 30-day Nakasendō walk from Kamakura toward Kyoto, including underestimating distances and struggling with gear and daily mileage. He also describes an SMS publishing system that delayed feedback, culminating in a printed book of audience messages that created a slower, more reflective loop than social media.
- •Craig describes his first big solo walk as a major leap from week-long trips
- •He estimates the walk at about 600 kilometers over 30 days and admits early inexperience
- •He publishes nightly updates via a one-to-many SMS tool and collects responses unseen in real time
- •A print-on-demand book compiles his daily messages and audience replies, which he reads after returning
- •Craig contrasts delayed reflection with the tight, often harmful feedback loops of social media
- 39:49 – 50:22
Rules for walking: engineered boredom, Vipassana influence, and daily creative output
Craig lays out his walking rules—no news, no social media, no podcasts or music—designed to cultivate boredom and radical presence. He connects these rules to his Vipassana retreat experience and describes a high-intensity rhythm: long walking days filled with conversations and photos, followed by hours of nightly writing and editing.
- •Craig’s rules include: no news, no social media, and minimizing digital ‘teleporting’ into distractions
- •He links attention control and withdrawal symptoms to insights from Vipassana practice
- •He sets arbitrary creative constraints (like taking a portrait before a certain time) to open the day
- •Craig describes a routine of extensive daily walking and several hours of nightly writing and photo editing
- •He frames the walking cycle as self-designed ascetic training that reshapes confidence and everyday life afterward
- 50:22 – 58:08
Walking logistics in Japan: pre-booking everything to stay cognitively free
Craig explains that he pre-books lodging and plans distances in a detailed spreadsheet so he doesn’t have to think about logistics mid-walk. He and Tim discuss how reservations often require phone calls and can feel like time-consuming, old-fashioned systems, but the payoff is deeper presence and creative focus.
- •Craig insists on booking all inns in advance to avoid decision fatigue during the walk
- •He argues ‘romance’ of spontaneous lodging isn’t necessary because he can revisit places later
- •Craig describes how making reservations can take extensive time, often by phone
- •Tim characterizes Japan as high-tech in some ways but paper-heavy and process-heavy in others
- •Craig notes the trust-based, minimal-confirmation style of some rural reservations
- 58:08 – 1:05:11
Depopulation seen on foot: kissaten survival, pizza toast, and Kissa by Kissa
Craig explains how walking rural stretches made Japan’s aging and depopulation issues visceral, revealing villages where little remains besides barbershops and kissaten cafés. Eating pizza toast repeatedly becomes both a practical pattern and a creative obsession that evolves into his book Kissa by Kissa, which unexpectedly sells far beyond his expectations during COVID.
- •Craig describes experiencing depopulation directly while walking through disappearing villages
- •He finds barbershops and kissaten as recurring fixtures in places with few remaining businesses
- •He explains pizza toast and ketchup-based ‘Neapolitan’ spaghetti as practical post-war café foods
- •The repeated kissaten meals inspire Kissa by Kissa, explicitly titled as an homage to Bird by Bird
- •Craig prices the book high, expects slow sales, and is surprised when it sells out rapidly
- 1:05:11 – 1:11:22
Craigstarter and the membership flywheel: discounts, conversion, and product-market fit
Craig describes building a Shopify-based alternative to Kickstarter—Craigstarter—to control the full software stack and offer membership-based discounts. The pricing structure produces a startling membership conversion rate among buyers, becoming a defining proof point that he can sustainably fund long-term walking-and-book projects.
- •Craig chooses Shopify over Kickstarter to enable coupons and simplify fulfillment workflows
- •He creates Craigstarter and layers stretch goals, including a promised pizza toast documentary
- •A membership discount leads many buyers to join membership first, then purchase the book
- •Craig calls the membership conversion rate among book buyers ‘insane’ and a major unlock
- •He identifies this as a durable model for the next phase of his work
- 1:11:22 – 1:16:41
Choosing sustainable scale: resisting mega-scale fantasies and protecting creative freedom
Craig argues that chasing mass scale can be a seductive but misleading narrative, especially in tech, where individual influence may be smaller than imagined. He contrasts emotional satisfaction from smaller, direct reader relationships with the numbness he felt launching large-scale products, and he frames his book sales scale as unusually strong for art books while still creatively sustainable.
- •Craig critiques the idea that impact requires operating at enormous scale
- •He describes disillusionment with being a small cog inside massive platforms
- •He contrasts large-scale product launches with the emotional reward of smaller readerships
- •Craig notes Kissa by Kissa’s sales are exceptional for a $100 art book and supports independence
- •Tim highlights that Craig’s numbers are significant even by traditional publishing standards
- 1:16:41 – 1:28:04
Publishing Things Become Other Things: rejection, Random House, and negotiating fine-art rights
Craig explains why he sought a traditional publisher for a more universal story centered on friendship, walking, and societal reflection, and recounts widespread rejection and ghosting. After connecting with Random House, he insists on retaining the right to publish a fine-art edition, then describes how intense editorial questioning unlocks a much longer, deeper manuscript than he could have produced alone.
- •Craig describes the new book’s blend of a peninsula walk, friendship with Brian, and subtle societal commentary
- •He seeks a larger platform partly to honor the people and story, and to access traditional media pathways
- •He recounts many rejections before a key introduction leads to Random House discussions
- •Craig negotiates contract terms to preserve his fine-art edition rights with pricing and quantity constraints
- •He says editorial collaboration adds hundreds of questions and results in doubling the manuscript length
- 1:28:04 – 1:35:39
New York Times picks and Japan’s response: Morioka spotlight, media storms, and civic pride
Craig describes touring ‘B-side’ midsize Japanese cities by walking 50 kilometers within each city’s limits, then later recommending Morioka to The New York Times. When Morioka appears near the top of the list, Japanese media erupts; Craig accepts extensive appearances out of duty to help the city handle attention and build pride—especially among young residents.
- •Craig describes a self-imposed 10-city tour with a rule of walking 50 kilometers per city
- •He recommends Morioka to The New York Times after being moved by its vibrancy and people
- •Morioka’s high placement on the list creates shock and widespread media attention in Japan
- •Craig says he did many appearances to help the city benefit from the spotlight responsibly
- •He describes steering interviews toward deeper topics like the structures that support vibrant local life
- 1:35:39 – 1:43:28
Tamori-san in the flesh: the TV show, the hug shock, and the peak surreal moment
Craig recounts being asked to host and walk with Tamori-san—an iconic figure Craig barely knew—so the celebrity would visit Morioka. He describes breaking protocol by hugging Tamori-san at the start, then experiencing the town’s explosive reaction as they move through markets and streets amid a massive production crew.
- •Craig agrees to the walk as a ‘final gift’ to Morioka despite not wanting more media work
- •He learns Tamori-san’s scale of fame and daily TV presence over decades
- •Craig describes a large crew, heavy protection, and formal staging for the shoot
- •He shocks the crew by hugging Tamori-san before filming begins
- •Craig depicts the public reaction as chaotic and deeply emotional, leaving him stunned
- 1:43:28 – 1:48:42
Hidden-walk recommendations and walking beyond Japan: Hagi Okan, global trips, and Walk & Talk design
Craig shares a specific two-day walk recommendation connecting Yamaguchi and Hagi and mentions an inn along the route, plus lodging suggestions in Yamaguchi. He then lists walk-and-talk trips with Kevin Kelly across multiple countries and Tim highlights the ‘Jeffersonian’ group dinner format Craig and Kevin use to create a single shared conversation.
- •Craig recommends the Hagi Okan walk between Yamaguchi and Hagi and describes it as doable in two days (or one day with effort)
- •He mentions Yuda Onsen and the inn Sansui-en as part of a Yamaguchi-based visit
- •Craig lists walk-and-talk locations with Kevin Kelly including Southern China, Thailand, Bali, England, Spain, and more
- •Craig mentions walking Wainwright’s coast-to-coast route in northern England with a friend
- •Tim describes the Walk & Talk structure: long daily walks followed by a single-topic, group meal conversation
- 1:48:42 – 2:05:35
Where ‘Mod’ came from and the adoption journey: finding his birth mother, rewriting the origin story
Craig explains changing his name after feeling disconnected from the father name he carried, then tells the story of reconnecting with his birth mother through Ancestry after years of little curiosity. A cautious, delayed exchange becomes a series of long, emotionally intelligent letters and culminates in a Chicago meeting that radically revises what Craig believed about his origins—including learning his birth father is alive.
- •Craig explains why he changed his name and describes his adoptive father as an ‘anti-archetype’
- •He reflects on how adoption can create a lingering mythology and suppressed curiosity
- •Ancestry yields a direct match with his birth mother after earlier limited results elsewhere
- •Craig describes a slow, careful messaging process that turns into deep correspondence
- •In person, Craig learns key facts contradicting adoption notes and feels he finally understands where parts of his mind come from
- 2:05:35 – 2:13:10
Ongoing reconnection: a new half-sister, unwinding old tensions, and closing reflections
Craig describes how the reconnection continues to unfold over months, feeling like long-held internal tensions are gradually releasing. He shares the surprise of gaining a half-sister and an extended family network, while Tim closes by celebrating Craig’s work and Craig ends with a meaningful note about receiving enthusiastic praise from David Mitchell.
- •Craig describes the emotional effects as slow unwinding and an opening of the heart over time
- •He shares meeting a half-sister and building a new sibling relationship through frequent contact
- •Craig notes the shift from being an only child with a tiny remaining adoptive family to having many relatives
- •Tim encourages listeners to find Craig’s work and highlights Things Become Other Things
- •Craig recounts receiving a long, appreciative email from David Mitchell and feeling proud of the book
