Life = travel. Naoyuki Honda, a businessman who has traveled to 60 countries, shares the secret to success

The reason for traveling is curiosity. It allows you to accumulate new information.

OnTrip JAL Editorial Department (hereinafter, JAL): I heard that you have visited more than 60 countries and more than 200 cities. What is the reason behind your travels?

Naoyuki Honda (hereinafter Honda): I think it's curiosity. Simply put, I want to see the unknown world. Considering that there are more than 200 countries in the world, 60 countries is still a long way to go. I've been making a list of countries and cities I want to visit, and it's always growing. I feel like I'll die if I don't travel (laughs).

JAL: Which country and city would you most like to visit right now?

Honda: Israel. I'm interested in Israel because it's a special region that is the holy land of three major religions. Also, there are a lot of start-up companies popping up there now, which is very interesting.

JAL: The pursuit of intellectual curiosity may be a fundamental desire that humans have. In your case, what awaits you beyond the joy of learning new things through travel?

Honda: I think traveling is about becoming creative. You see unknown things on your travels and take in new things. However, just because you take in new things doesn't mean that they will connect to something right away. They gradually build up inside you, and one day, they suddenly connect to new ideas or add value to your way of thinking about work and life.

After the trip, write down notes. What's important is not what you saw or where you went, but what you felt.

JAL: Everyone wants to make the things they take in through travel into their own flesh and blood and output them well. However, it is often the case that they forget what they felt. How can we output like Mr. Honda? Please tell us your methodology.

Honda: Well, I forget things too (laughs). That's why I always make sure to take notes on what I feel when I travel. It all started with an interview with Massimo Bottura, the owner and chef of Osteria Francescana, a three-star Michelin restaurant in Modena, Italy. He says he gets inspiration for his dishes from his travels, and he told me, "If you don't take notes after you travel, you'll lose the reason for traveling."

Since then, on the flight back home, I take notes on my iPhone about my impressions of the trip, things I found interesting, ways of thinking, and methods. What's important is not what you saw or where you went, but what you felt. I think it's good to just tag your impressions on the photos.

JAL: For you, the flight back home is a time to review. So how do you spend your time on the flight out?

Honda: On the flight there, I set my watch to the local time and act according to that time. If it's late at night in the local area, I sleep, and if it's daytime, I stay awake. This helps me avoid jet lag.

One of the main purposes of traveling is to "eat." It's an opportunity to get to know the region and its people better.

JAL: How do you spend your time when you're traveling? If you have your own way of traveling, please tell us.

Honda: For me, one of the main reasons for traveling is to eat. I don't really want to go to a city that doesn't have anything delicious to begin with.

JAL: Is there any country that left a particularly strong impression on you in terms of food?

Honda: I like Spain. Some of the cities are Barcelona in the Catalonia region, and San Sebastian and Bilbao in the Basque Country. I've been to the Basque Country in particular about eight times.

Honda: One of the reasons I like to eat out when I travel is that I can get to know the region and people better through food. For example, people in the Basque Country are very serious. There are many bars in San Sebastian where you can enjoy wine with small dishes, and when you pay at the bar, you declare what you've ordered. The small stores are packed with people, and people are drinking and eating while standing, so if you wanted to dine and run away, you could. But that never happens, and the restaurants don't rip you off.

JAL: San Sebastian is said to have the most Michelin-starred restaurants per capita in the city, and is also described as a city of fine cuisine.

Honda: In my case, I've been to all the three-star restaurants in the Basque Country because they're surprising and interesting, but I haven't been back. The flavors are often experimental, so they're a little different from traditional "delicious". Even if you don't care about Michelin, there are many casual restaurants that are highly acclaimed worldwide and make you want to visit them again and again, such as my favorite restaurant in the world, "Etxebarri" in the Basque Mountains, "Elkano" in the Basque Sea, "Ibai" for Basque cuisine, and "Casa Julien" for chuleta (bone-in steak). I go to a lot of places, so I eat six meals a day when I'm traveling (laughs).

JAL: It's nice to visit famous restaurants, but one of the joys of traveling is finding delicious restaurants in the city. However, if you're not used to traveling, it seems like it's difficult to find famous restaurants without a guidebook. Could you tell us your techniques?

Honda: First of all, don't rely on your hunch that "it looks delicious somehow." I always ask local chefs. The first place I visit is a restaurant that I've researched beforehand, and if the restaurant is delicious, I ask the chef, "Do you know any good restaurants?" Everyone has their own taste preferences, but if the chef who makes food that you think is delicious recommends something, you can trust him. On the other hand, I don't often ask hotel concierges. They will introduce you to good restaurants, but they only introduce safe and secure restaurants that everyone will agree with. Once you get used to traveling, it may be a little disappointing.