John Rucynski returns for his third appearance on the Deep in Japan Podcast, and this time we hit the trail—literally. In this lighthearted yet insightful episode, we follow John through his many adventures hiking across Japan, including the ancient Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route, an unexpected encounter with a wild boar (spoiler: he got gored by the boar), and a cross-country bike ride for charity.

Along the way, we reflect on omotenashi (Japanese hospitality), the cultural and spiritual dimensions of pilgrimage, and what to consider when planning your own multi-day hike or long-distance ride. Pro tip: take care of your rear end—it might lock up on you.

We also dive into Craig Mod’s new book, Things Become Other Things, and his reflections on walking and transformation in Japan, as discussed in his recent appearance on the Rich Roll Podcast.

Featured links from John:

• ⛩️ Kumano Kodo articles:
  • ⁦🔗 All About Japan 1
  • ⁦🔗 All About Japan 2
  • ⁦🔗 All About Japan 3
• 🚴‍♂️ Cycling Across Japan for Japan (Pecha Kucha + blog):
  • ⁦🔗 Pecha Kucha Presentation
  • ⁦🔗 Disaster Relief Ride Blog
• 📚 A Passion for Japan:
  • ⁦🔗 Book Page
•  🎤 John on the TEDx Stage:
  • ⁦🔗 The Secret to Feeling at Home in Japan | TEDxOkayama University
• 📘 Textbook resource:
  • ⁦🔗 Cengage Listening & Video

Mentioned in this episode:

• 🥾 Craig Mod on Rich Roll
• 📖 Things Become Other Things by Craig Mod

🎧 Outro Music:

• 🎵 Mountains in the Mist – Phish
• 🎵 Mountains in the Midst – Deep in Japan (Suno)

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