When I walk alone, words start pouring out of my brain
“Oh, Craig-san! How’ve you been? Have you put on a little weight?”
As soon as we open the door, the mom of this tiny café pulls Craig in for a hug. He orders curry and an iced coffee, lights his one cigarette of the day, and quietly takes in the scene—the handwritten menu, an odd Western painting on the wall, the regulars lost in their smoke. He finishes his curry, makes his usual attempt to take her portrait, gets turned down as always, and heads out. This little ritual at kissaten Cyuram is just another day in the life of Craig Mod.
“Sort of like a real mom (women who run kissaten are called “Mama-san”s), isn’t she? She’s so shy! Won’t ever let me take her photo. But she’s lovely. I love kissatens like this because you get a glimpse of authentic life,” Craig exclaims, before being approached by a man asking for a photo, saying “Thank you for introducing Yamaguchi to the world!”
Craig first visited Yamaguchi in 2020 to walk the Hagi Ōkan, but found himself just as taken with the city itself. Compact and extremely walkable in scale, it seems untouched by overtourism. When he later recommended it in The New York Times’ list of 52 Places to Go, the news made waves across the city.
“If Tokyo and Kyoto are side A of a record,” Craig explains, “then Yamaguchi might be side B. But just like on any great album, side B has hidden classics. The Ichinosaka River is beautiful and seasonally scenic, and the Ruriko-ji Five-Story Pagoda is absolutely stunning. I’m a fan of the Taisho era, so it was a big factor to me that so many old buildings remain here. The blend of Japanese and Western architecture is a unique architectural quirk found, of course, only in Japan.”
Another appeal, he adds, is the low rent, which opens the doors for new ventures. One of his favorite spots, LOG COFFEE ROASTERS, was opened in 2019 by former engineer Naoki Takemoto. His science-minded approach can be tasted in his meticulous roasts. Each batch is based on data, resulting in a distinct cup of joe that you won’t find at a kissaten. Places like this reflect the depth and openness of Yamaguchi.
Craig writes about Japan—smoky coffee shops and nostalgic pizza toast and all—with the pen of a literary youth who might as well have grown up here. His travel essays carry the spirit of a new generation of On the Road.
What made his writing possible, he says, was walking. Not just along famous old highways like Nakasendō or Kumano Kodō, but even through center cities. On his journey through ten of Japan’s core regional cities, he set himself a rule: walk 50 kilometers over four days in each one.
“I’m not trying to put walking itself on a pedestal. It’s exhausting and tough,” he admits. “But there are things you just can’t experience unless you walk. Even a bicycle moves too fast sometimes, let alone a car. I want to be able to slip into narrow alleys, you know, say hello to people. If you travel like you’re trying to hit every road a city has to offer, you’ll come away with a much deeper understanding of a place.”
There are things you can only experience on foot. And for Craig, those become the very wellspring of his writing.
“When I walk alone, words start pouring from my brain. It’s like flipping a switch. I go into writer mode. You know how Japan’s great authors used to bunker down in studies or old inns to write? For me, walking outside is my version of that. In a way, walking itself is a kind of writing tool.”
YAMAGUCHI Guide
Churam (spelled Cyuram)
1-chōme-2-14 Ekidōri, Yamaguchi
TEL：083-923-6423
LOG COFFEE ROASTERS
4 Nakaichicho, Yamaguchi, 753-0086
TEL：083-902-1371
Craig Mod / Writer and Photographer
In 2024, Craig Mod selected Yamaguchi for the New York Times’ 52 Places to Go list. Often referred to as “the Kyoto of the West,” he describes Yamaguchi as a city with generous abundance, largely free from “tourism pollution.” His picks include the stunning Five-Story Pagoda of Ruriko-ji temple, the Yamaguchi Gion Festival, the hot spring village of Yuda Onsen, and quiet cafés tucked down narrow alleyways, not to mention the kindness of the locals and the chance to experience unfiltered life in Japan.
