Travel is the home where you can return to your true self. The reason Kenji Kobashi continues to travel

A trip to Nepal was a turning point in Kobashi's life

Kobashi says that "the first turning point for me" was when he visited Nepal at the age of 26. At the time, he was still appearing as a popular actor in dramas and movies. Although it seemed like everything was going smoothly as an actor, he says that there was a small crack in his career.

"At the time, I was lying to myself to protect my future self, telling myself, 'I have to do this because I'm an actor,' or 'I can't go to places like this because I'm an actor.' When I imagined myself in my 30s like that, I got scared, wondering if even if I had a decent life and a position in the industry, that was really me.

At that time, I went camping in Okinawa with a senior creator. Under the starry sky, he talked about his ideas as they came to him, with a childlike look on his face. Six months later, he handed me the game and said, "I made a game out of what we talked about that time." I thought to myself, creators are amazing. They can give form to the inspiration they get from natural conversation." (Kenji Kobashi, same below)

Wanting to see a world unknown to himself and gain inspiration, Kobashi was unable to suppress this urge and went to Nepal alone. The reason he decided to go to Nepal was because "it appeared in a manga I read a long time ago," but it turned out to be an irreplaceable 10-day trip that would change the course of his life.

"Every day, I went trekking while watching the sunset and the starry sky. In the process, I felt like my preconceptions were gradually chipped away, and at the same time, all kinds of ideas came to me and I felt like I was hearing the voice of my heart.

One day, after coming down from the mountain, I happened to meet a young man my age who invited me to his house. He lives in a small house with his wife and daughter, and cheerfully told me, "I work hard, but I don't have enough money to send my children to school."

On the way home, when he gave me a ride on the back of his motorbike, I burst into tears. At the time, I didn't even know why I was crying, but thinking back, I think it was because I was feeling inferior and frustrated, realizing my own lack of human strength by sensing his. He was living desperately in the present to protect his family. I was neglecting the present to protect the future. I realized that's the difference."

After returning to Japan, he thought, "I can't continue like this," and worried for about a year, and finally took a break from acting. After that, his first destination was America.

A new me started after experiencing a festival in America

A 10-month language study abroad program. In order to seriously study English, Kobashi chose Boston, where there are relatively few Japanese people, as his study abroad destination. One of his goals was to drive across America, and when he reached his goal in Miami, he encountered the music festival "ULTRA MUSIC FESTIVAL."

"In Japan, when you say 'festival,' you think of a gathering of young people, but in America it's an event that connects people of all ages, genders, and countries through the common language of music. I was moved to discover that such a world exists, and it felt like the starting point of a new step.

From there, I started touring festivals all over the world, but at the time, I wasn't thinking about becoming a festival director. Rather than wanting to become someone, I just wanted to do something. I really wanted to see a variety of festivals."

He has been to many festivals, including the Total Solar Eclipse Festival in Turkey, Burning Man in Nevada, USA, and Tomorrowland in Belgium. This experience led him to join the launch of ULTRA KOREA in Korea. In 2014, he started ULTRA JAPAN as creative director. However, when ULTRA JAPAN became a successful event and grew bigger, he began to have doubts again.

Successful 36-year-old travels to India with just one backpack for three months

At the end of 2015, when Kobashi turned 36, he visited India. He had been to India twice before, but this time he was staying alone for three months. Kobashi, whose company was doing well and who had successfully held one big event after another, packed a sleeping bag and instant clam soup in his backpack and headed to India.

"I hid 200,000 yen in cash in various places on my person, deciding to live on this for three months, and managed to make ends meet. In India, my common sense doesn't apply. I'll tell boys on the street the way even though they don't know the way, and trains are often delayed for hours. There are many things that frustrate me.

At such a time, the thought suddenly occurred to me that perhaps my own common sense and preconceived ideas were causing me irritation. So I decided to conduct a thought experiment: what if I questioned my own common sense and tried to enjoy everything that was happening?

There was a time when the train didn't come for 10 hours, but instead of just waiting, I thought I'd go back to my hometown again, and I did. Then I came across India's biggest festival, which is held only once every four years. Instead of getting annoyed and stopping, I took the next step and was able to see the festival. I realized that the phenomena you encounter down the road can change depending on your awareness."

The most memorable place on his trip to India was the holy city of Varanasi. He witnessed life and death with his own eyes - people living on the Ganges River, swimming, crossing it in boats, and people being burned to death - and it made him think about life.

Inspired by a hotel in a remote area of nature

Kobashi has traveled at various times in this way, looking back on his life and discovering a new side of himself. The place he is most attached to right now is a hotel called "Nihi Sumba" on the Indonesian island of Sumba, where he stayed in January 2020.

Sumba Island is about an hour from Bali. From there, it takes another 90 minutes by car to reach Nihi Sumba. Despite being in such a remote area, it was chosen as the No. 1 Hotel in the World by the American travel magazine Travel+Leisure for two consecutive years in 2016 and 2017.

"The concept of this hotel is to coexist with the islanders. The islanders provide guests with experiences unique to the island, and the hotel uses a portion of its profits to help treat disease among the islanders and build schools. Money circulates smoothly on the island.

In addition, the theme was "Next Luxury," and it was not just high-class 20th century luxury, but the fact that the next luxury is an experience that happens by chance was also distinctive. For example, there is nothing there for 90 minutes from the airport to the hotel. Only nature. If you go in a normal wagon, you will fall asleep, but an open-air jeep comes to pick you up. This makes the journey an adventure.

Even to get to the spa inside the hotel, you have to trek for about two hours. After experiencing sudden changes in the weather and encountering animals, you arrive at the spa with a spectacular view. If 100 people go, they will each have 100 different experiences. I think spending time at a hotel like this can help restore your humanity. I would definitely like to go again."

For Kobashi, the hotel was not only a place for his own recovery, but also a treasure trove of ideas. He also plans to produce more of these kinds of places in the future.

"Because COVID-19 has made it difficult for me to travel abroad, I'm now turning my attention to Japan. Japan's nature is incredible! I'd love to create a place where people can feel rejuvenated, in other words, where they can get back to their normal selves."

Nihi Sumba

Goals can change, so be patient

Kobashi has visited countless countries for work and personal reasons, and usually spends about half of the year overseas. When asked where he would like to go in the future, he said, "It may be a cliche, but I would like to go to Machu Picchu in Peru." His desire to travel never ends.

"For me, traveling is a home where I can return to my true self. In our daily lives, we tend to adapt to others and be consumed by the conventional wisdom of the world, and we tend to think that this is who we are. But when I travel, especially when I travel alone, I no longer have the face of a father, a CEO, or a creative director. I completely lose consciousness of how I am perceived by others, and I feel like I can be my true self.

Also, I'm surrounded by strangers in a place where my common sense doesn't apply, so I use my five senses and intuition to get as much information as possible and avoid danger. I feel like I'm the real me when I do that. So, when I feel like something's not right with me lately, I try to go on a trip.

I believe that action is an alchemy that anyone can do. If you just think about it, you won't encounter things you never imagined or discover a new side of yourself. Traveling isn't just about going far away; the first step should be to try your own journey nearby. I think you'll be able to enjoy the true joy of traveling if you don't set a rigid schedule and have the flexibility to change your goal depending on what you encounter."

When you are lost, worried, and tend to withdraw into yourself, it is time to take the plunge and go on a trip. That first step can open a new door. Mr. Kobashi's experience seems to show the potential of travel.

*All uncredited photos provided by Kenji Kobashi

Kenji Kobashi

CEO/Creative Director, The Human Miracle Inc.

Born in Tokyo in 1979. He made his debut as an actor in 1988 and has appeared in many popular dramas, including the NHK morning drama series "Churasan." After taking a break from show business in 2007, he began producing films and events, inspired by his travels around the world, and has served as creative director for "ULTRA JAPAN" and general producer for "STAR ISLAND." His spectacular night sky show "CONTACT," which used 500 drones, won the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award for Excellence at the JACE Event Awards. He is also involved in producing the kids' park PuChu, and planning and managing global events and urban development.

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