Things Become Other Things: A Walking Memoir

Photographer Mod (Kissa by Kissa) delivers a gorgeous account of his 300-mile walk around Japan’s Kii peninsula in 2021. After writing several books about the art of long-distance walking, Mod resolved to traverse Kii during a Covid lockdown. Along the way, he tuned into changes the landscape had undergone, reflected on his move from America to Japan at 19, and unlocked buried memories of a childhood friend who died young. While passing through Ise Grand Shrine and a series of fishing villages, Mod discusses crumbling economies and extreme weather with locals who’ve lived in the region for decades. He eats and sometimes stays at kissas—small, family-run cafes and boarding houses—where the owners lament their dwindling business as Japan’s rural population declines. Throughout, Mod’s dedication to seeking out ippon-ura (roads less traveled) helps him achieve his goal of conducting “real-time observation of unfiltered life.” Punctuated with stunning black and white photographs of the villages and landscapes Mod encountered, this tender exploration of fragile ecosystems and vanishing ways of life will encourage readers to look more closely at their own surroundings. It’s a nourishing trek. Photos. Agent: David McCormick, McCormick Literary. (May)