I traveled the world for a year I am a reason to start a business with "traditional crafting"

It seems like a luxurious rhythm when it is around the world, but I did not want to end it with that. I firmly linked it to my career and wanted to travel back to Japan with a learned journey. This is the whole record of a 357-day trip that I was 25 years old when I decided to retire, circle around the world, and entrepreneurship.

Hello!World newspaperA special reporterKeihito Kiyais. My journey that began on March 17, 2013 is over and we are now back in Kobe's parents home. For my series this is the last round, I would like to look back on the 357-day trip with a digest.

It is the whole journey of the journey. Although I planned to go around the world around the east, as a result, Latin America and Asia were not the main lap.

On a larger mapRoute of travelShow

I was traveling with 60 L backpacks and 28 L subbacks in front and behind.


Although it is increasing or decreasing during the trip,Basic luggage like thiswas.


◆ Hara experiences can inspire himself
"I think that Hara experiences can motivate themselves and move people." However, rather than doing things before my eyes to Gum Shala, "I wanted to challenge △ △ because I had a ◯ ◯ experience" also met my values.

In my previous position I worked for two and a half years, I was not sure what to do for myself and for whom I am honest. "What I am thinking now is that I am working only for the president for the company now ... ..." I could not continue working any more. I think that the message "THIS IS YOUR LIFE" at Manifesto of HOLSTEE gave me a strong back pressure.

ByManifesto - HOLSTEE

In short, I wanted to find a business opportunity that I thought "I would like to do" according to my experience and from the bottom of my heart, I decided to go on a journey. It is a waste to end with a precious life, coma.

Nevertheless, I do not think that it will be found by merely traveling normally, and will take the style of traveling as a freelance writer while traveling.


The main subjects I covered were entrepreneurs, international cooperation agencies, NGOs, nonprofit organizations, etc. It seems that they were good at gathering activities by listening to the opinions of specialists who work in the front lines What was done. Furthermore, as opportunities to touch things other than your own interests and interests increased, it seemed that the values ​​were shaken each time.

By touching the passion of the front line, we thought about what kind of things we would like to try if we had something. It is no doubt that the activity as a freelance has expanded the possibilities of my travel many times.

However, as I was not experienced with writers, everything was fumbling, from deciding where to interview to writing articles. It was quite difficult to go forward while traveling in an unfamiliar environment abroad. When I was in the first place, I got more time to stay at the hotel, and I got the word "You are not a backpacker" many times even to travel companions who made it locally (lol)

◆ Famous in Central America
Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama (2013.3.18 - 7.22)

On a larger mapRoute of travelShow

The beginning of the trip starts from Mexico! It was a delicate feeling mixed with expectation and anxiety that I am going to be going now.


The taste of authentic tacos can not be forgotten now. Crispy baked meat, fresh vegetables, lime squeezed to avocado paste ...... Tacos could also eat in Central American countries, but there was nothing beyond Mexico.


At that time I could not understand Spanish at all, and it was a hard time to talk even with the interview with the brother of the stall ... ...


In a panic to Guatemala to study Spanish. Guatemala is famous for being able to study Spanish cheaply. Although it was only one month, I got a minimum language skill that can cover the six months later traveling in Latin America.


Even today in Guatemala you can see people who dressed in ethnic costumes. A gentle and shy personality was somewhat similar to the feeling of the Japanese.


Lake Semchengpei which was outstanding blue. The river stopped by limestone continued many steps, it looked like a rice terrace made naturally.


In Guatemala, online Spanish conversationSpanishmoofInterviewed Takuro Arimura and Kyohei YoshikawaI was allowed to.


The language school industry is flourishing in this country enough to be told that "When learning Spanish is in Guatemala". However, there are many parts that depend on sightseeing, and most of those who go to language schools in this country are travelers. Demand will increase in the tourist season, but it seems there was a situation where teachers were obliged to have a side job or become unemployed when the reverse seems to be quiet and in a quiet period. Spanishmo both studied Spanish in Guatemala once around the world and start the service from a personal feeling that "there is no way to repay Spanish teachers who took care of them" .

Although Mr. Arimura and Mr. Yoshikawa's passion and action power are immeasurable, "I feel that the feelings I put on Spanishmo are still hot enough to burn their body even now" It seems like they taught the origin of business from their backs I will. For someone, with someone. Because of such a strong feeling, you can involve the people around you and create big swells.

In retrospect, the year that I spent was a journey to find "feelings".

Tegucigalpa of infamous Honduras with the worst security was surprisingly ordinary when it actually visited. We need information to get on the net, TV, people, but you can feel that it is more important than anything to check with your own eyes as well.


Caribbean like paradise that does not resemble such Honduras.


On Utila,Click here for an article that got a diving license for cheap 25,000 yen.


Nicaragua could hardly stay due to visa relations. In 2013It is also selected as "a place to visit" in the travel feature of the New York Times, The government seems to be actively attracting tourists. One of the countries I want to visit again.


The name of a natural power is not Date, a dense forest of Costa Rica.


I also met a strange frog.


CoincidentallyI encountered a big animation event called "KAMEN (mask)Did.


Hatsune Miku is too cute!


Beyond our imagination, Japanese culture is accepted all over the world. There are also people who are interested in animation and manga and start studying Japanese. However, in most cases, Japan is simply being held with content, and people who have the initiative were locals, Chinese and Korean people. Even if I go to a Japanese restaurant or go to a place like an anime shop, I rarely see Japanese people, but I can remember even the fear in these situations ....

Perhaps there are only two reasons to speak of content, one is definitely the spread of digital data. Japanese animation and manga are translated immediately, and are up on the net. For the moment whether it is legal or not, the power of spreading digital data is overwhelming. Another thing is that Japanese people do not know about animation and manga deeply including history and social background in the first place. Because I do not know it, I am out of control, and unexpectedly I leave the control of the Japanese and the content goes alone. Although it is preferable to spread Japanese culture in various countries around the world, I felt that we should spread by Japanese hands as well.

Panama has boasted an economic growth rate of nearly 10% per annum since Panama Canal was completely returned from the United States in 1999. I did not say Manhattan, I felt the momentum of the country.


Construction which is being done in there.


The gigantic merchant ship passing through the Panama Canal was a word of excitement. I have forgotten thousands of tons or tens of thousands of tons, but every time the giant merchant vessel passes through the canal, Panama's bosom seems to get warmer.


◆ South America where hints have come to light
Ecuador · Colombia · Brazil (2013.7.22 ~ 11.3)

On a larger mapRoute of travelShow

South America starts from Equatorial Ecuador!


Interviewed Masahiro Tanabe, famous for "Tanabe Farm Banana"I was allowed to. If you were on a regular trip, visiting the banana plantation ... ... Well, first of all it would not have been.


Tanabe Farm's mission is to provide safe and safe food to the world. I am sticking to "banana made in natural form" and shipping it to Japan, but line up in Japan's supermarket is a uniformized banana with uniform color, shape and size. Of course there are individual differences in bananas, but those that are out of "uniform" seem to be often discarded at the stage before shipment (Tanabe plantations do not discard bananas but are effectively used as fertilizer) .

If you observe the banana that grew up naturally, you can see that the banana in the upper part of the stem is thick and long, while the lower one is thin and small. As human beings are different from each other, it makes me realize again that there are individual differences in bananas as well. For bananas, not only for bananas but for all kinds of foods seeking uniformity, like human beings saying, "Shoes only produce 26 cm, please do not make the size of the foot larger according to your shoes" is. Although the story may be different between food and human beings, it is the current situation that consumers are asking producers for such an unreasonable situation. It is undeniable that the strict eyes of consumers have pushed Japanese industry to the world top level, but the 20th century mass consumer society has finished. Eco is a keyword in the 21st century, but as consumers change as the times change, it seems that consumers have to change as well.

Three days after being advised Mr. Tanabe "Ecuador is worried because it is bad security," please be careful,I was stolen the iPhone with sub-back cut in the bus..


Bricks that seemed reddish look like Colombia.


Graffiti on the wall is a standard in Latin America no matter where you go to, but Colombia was completely in the area of ​​art.


To Brazil, descend the Amazon River and enter the country


I entered a tributary and caught a piranha!I was excited from the beginning with the adventure I did as a child when I was like this.


To Salvador, which was the stage of Michael Jackson 's "They Do not Care About Us" PV.


Iguazu Falls with waterfall width 4000 m across Brazil and Argentina. I was making a loud noise to know the awfulness of the amount of water even from afar.


Rio de Janeiro was fun but here we are struck by a knife brought to the robbery of a pair of people ...... a little bitter memories are left ... ....


Two disasters, burglary in Ecuador and robbery in Brazil, have come down but fortunately there was nothing to be exposed to the risk of injury or life. However, if you make one mistake ... .... I did not think that "I do not know what is in my life, I will do what I want to do" as much as I did. These accidents may be exceptional, but even if you are working the same. If it is in a good direction, I'm sorry for the life that has been swayed by others, and that it goes in the wrong direction. I can not live by myself, but I realized that it is important to have the initiative in my life.

The mega city of Southern Hemisphere, Sao Paulo was a huge city over the imagination.


With Sao Paulo's friends. I like this Latin nor death unbearably.


Just as I was looking for candidates for interview, my eyes stayed at a liquor store's article. It seems that he wants to spread sake in Sao Paulo where all Japanese-Americans live. Surprisingly, more than 80% of customers are non-Japanese, Japanese Americans and Japanese seems to be less interested in sake. Non Japanese Americans prefer sake, Japanese Americans and Japanese prefer beer, cocktails and wine. "The lawn next door is blue," but the shopkeeper seemed to be mourning why the Japanese would not buy sake. (Sake brewery ADEGA DE SAKE HomepageThan)

Although it is a coincidental article, "It seems that not only Japanese sake but also Japanese consumer society as a whole can be said that the next grass looks blue ...".

◆ Asia where you want to do
India, Singapore, Cambodia, Thailand (2013.11.15 - 2014.3.20)

On a larger mapRoute of travelShow

Temporary return home, the next place is India! While being massaged by the bustle of Asia, the days when I worry about what I want to do specifically starts. I took notes of what I was aware of and compared it with what I wanted to do. From this time on, the feeling of traveling has dwindled further (laugh)


Many of these intense people are India. Sometimes I wanted to run away occasionally (laugh)


Astonished Ellora cave temple created by digging a rock. It seems that this cave made by cutting a rocky mountain depth of 81 m, width 47 m, height 33 m, took 100 years to complete. It seemed that the accomplishment of humanity was right in front of us.


Hanpi spreading a fantastic scenery. The 5 meter rocks are rolling on the sides, but I do not know well how it got this way.


At Kanyakumari, the southernmost tip of India. People gathered prayers from early morning.


Marina Bay Sands in Singapore is cleanliness without complaint. When you next visit, you would like to eat gracefully on the rooftop terrace ... ....


I am proficient in ruins in Cambodia. The appearance that Angkor Wat reflected in the Holy Pond was a masterpiece.


Temple of Bae Yong temple with Kenshin Bodhisattva four-sided tower with strong presence. There are more than 50 square towers in all and expressions are subtly different from each other, so they do not get tired of watching it.


A ruins of ruins Bemelia ruins. It was famous for its ruins being preserved as it was at the time of discovery, but it seems that maintenance has progressed gradually as well. Those who want to ruin moe please as soon as possible!


Khao San Road, the sacred ground of backpackers in Bangkok, Thailand. Although it was a little calmer compared to a few years ago, the backpackers' lively vigor was still alive.


It was erected in accordance with the Bangkok capital of 1782, the most highly-rated royal temple in Thailand. Although it has passed 200 years or more, it is quite expensive to spend money on, so it is beautiful whenever you visit.


Some remnants of the capital blockade by the demonstrators are at some places.


Speaking of Bangkok Shemale Show! I went to the famous Calypso Cabaret.


What I became aware of during the past year was "I do not know too much about Japan." Even though my country became a hot topic, I did not quite get to that level as I put up my mind and expressed my opinions. For example, although it is an animation that is boiling popularity all over the world, I think that few people know the history background and development process in detail. It is a Japanese culture that should be proud of the world. The fact that what Japanese people do not know spreads in the world has certain dangers. It loses control and it is highly likely to be transmitted wrongly.

The same is true for things. It is a famous tale of the Japanese's foreign brand orientation, but is not it now that we must turn our eyes to the things of our country? I went out with a liquor store in Brazil, but if the next turf appears to be blue, I can not survive in the future global society. I think that what is important in the global society is not to go abroad but to be more like a human being in that country.

Finally I will return to Japan!


◆ Future things
In conclusion, I start a business in the field of traditional crafts. What has driven the growth of postwar Japanese growth is nothing but "manufacturing," and it is engraved deeply in our DNA. It is Japanese traditional crafting that has supported it for many years, but it seems to be particularly unfamiliar for us as a young generation.

The most important thing is that we, as Japanese people, are interested in Japanese "manufacturing," I think that we are in contact more everyday. Although concrete things are still in the concept stage, I will try various things while learning myself to enrich Japanese traditional crafts!


The journey and interview activity made me realize a lot of things. Thanks to all those who cheered for me, I am filled with gratitude. I will continue to challenge for a new stage from now on, but I hope you will watch warmly from now on.

Thank you for this year! It is!

Sentence / coverage: Keihito Kiya
http://kiyotani.com

Supervision: World newspaper
http://sekaishinbun.net