Rural Japan
~ I’m obsessed with maps, so feel free to peak at my trip which includes hiking spots, accommodations, and the locations of my photos. ~
Japan is a country I could spend a lifetime exploring only to understand it less than when I started. It’s open for tourism yet resistant to change, and this is its secret sauce. It’s why it’s so unique.
In my first visit to the country, I paid homage to its neon industrial centers, but I also explored agrarian Japan along the Kumano Kodo, an ancient pilgrimage route in southern Wakayama prefecture. The Kumano Kodo is a local tourism success story that has rejuvenated a depopulating area of the country.
Shot on digital and 35mm film in color and black and white, this is a series of images that explores a deeply spiritual geography.
Pre-Trip Read: Pico Iyer has lived in Japan for decades. Here he gives readers a glimpse into this unique country. It’s less a novel and more a series of witty and interesting musings that can be picked up and put down in any place.
Pre-Trip Read: This is a practical guide on the Kumano Kodo put out by the Tanabe Tourist Bureau. It includes practical information about how to plan a walk on the Kumano Kodo but also includes interesting history of the area.
Pre-Trip Read: Craig Mod is a resident Japanophile, having lived in the country since he was 19. This book chronicles a 300-mile walking journey along the Kumano Kodo as he meditates on place, loss, and grief. This is a great place to start if you’re interested in long walks as an act of meditation. I’d also recommend Craig’s amazing blog, which has a lot of great information, ranging from the practical to the fun.
