Masahiro Shimizu (Travel Therapist)
Updated: Mar 9, 2022
— Live your life the way you adore —
One of the ideal ways of working in the modern era is making 'affection' as a job. But how is that possible to achieve? Before one starts fancying something, one always has to become curious about it first. 'Working is defined as the act of expanding one's curiosity and finding out what one is satisfied by', Mr. Shimizu said.
Mr Shimizu, who was born in Hyogo Prefecture in 1960, has visited Japan and overseas remote and unexplored areas since he was a student. After graduating from university, he worked in a travel agency. At the age of 35, he left the travel agency and started working as a freelancer. After that he became an acupuncturist at the age of 38 and got his qualification as a mountain guide when he was 42. Meanwhile, he also works as a travel journalist and a part-time speaker in Hiroshima Shudo University.
In this article, Mr. Shimizu, who is constantly trying new things and continuing to seek his gratifying value of life, was interviewed regarding his work and his life.
Authors：Hedy WAN, Ayaka HENMI, Nanari
January 2022
Mr. Shimizu's Occupations
ーWhat is your current occupation?
Regarding my occupation, I've been thinking that I don't want to settle with a certain job, so, I am currently doing various things. Above all, what I am doing now is called 'travel therapy'. Meanwhile, I am working as a mountain guide because I like mountain climbing and hiking. In the meantime, I am an acupuncturist too. Therefore, I could say I am enjoying my life while doing different kinds of things.
"I do not want to stick with one job only——"
What is a 'Travel therapist'?
ーWhat does 'travel therapy' mean?
Recently, both domestically and internationally, there are many people who are facing miscellaneous mental issues. My personal idea about 'travel therapy' is taking these people to places in Japan or overseas and having them stay there. Travel therapy is a journey to nature or a sacred place that exceeds human knowledge.
ーWhy did you decide to become a travel therapist?
I wanted to travel overseas when I was a university student, so I took a gap year. I got to meet a diversity of people when I travelled alone. Back then, I encountered something that is completely different to Japanese culture and had a culture shock. That's why I became interested in the diverse variety of values that exist in the world we live in. In addition, I started to think about travelling to different countries in order to discover more about this world. Therefore, I worked at a travel agency for 12 years to improve my specialty. And I became a freelancer when I was 35.
清水さんのトラベルセラピーに関する著書
Time as a University student
At the Northern Alps (a.k.a. Hida Mountains)
ーWhat inspired you to go abroad?
My brother, who majored in archaeology at university, went to Korea to conduct a field survey. While listening to his stories, I thought even though people nowadays have different cultures in different areas, we might have something in common. The idea inspired me to think about visiting foreign areas. I wanted to put myself in an environment where I cannot share Japanese values.
Meeting Dalai Lama in person
ーWe read some articles about you and one of them said that meeting the Dalai Lama in person was a turning point in your life. Do you still consider such an event as a turning point in your life right now?
In 1980, Mr. Dalai Lama visited Japan and gave a lecture in Kyoto. I went to the lecture, but I could not see Mr. Dalai Lama's face because there were so many people. So I tried to negotiate to meet the Dalai Lama directly, and succeeded in having a chance to talk with the Dalai Lama for one and half hours. I was so surprised when I met the Dalai Lama in person. He was so peaceful even though his hometown was controlled by foreign powers and he was not sure about when he could go back to his hometown. I guessed that the secret might be related to Tibetan Buddhism and I got interested in the religion. Therefore, I'd say, meeting with the Dalai Lama was a life changing event.
As a Mountain Guide
ーNow we would like to ask about your work as a Mountain guide. Could you tell me about the licence you have?
It is a licence called "Mountain Guide" which is authorised by the Japan Mountain Guide Association. It is an official organisation and is qualified by the Ministry of environment. The licence I got is "Mountain Guide Stage 2." I took it about 20 years ago from now.
——I see. What made you want to get a licence?
I have liked hiking since I was a high school student, so I joined the Wandervogel club. I also joined a climbing club once I entered university, and I climbed different mountains around Japan. The travel agency where I worked included remote mountain areas as well as unexplored regions in their travel destinations. Thus, I have always been involved in climbing or trekking in some way.
Becoming a travel journalist
ーYou are also a travel journalist. Did you decide to become a travel journalist for yourself?
Originally, I majored in journalism at the Faculty of Literature when I was in university. So the profession I wanted to pursue, when I was a college student, was a newspaper reporter. Because of that, I always wanted to write articles. Since I was a university student, I recorded various things that had come to mind whenever I went to a foreign country. After becoming a freelancer, I was asked by a local newspaper publisher to write such a travel journal in the newspaper.
This is a copy of a travel journal series published by the local newspaper.
As an Acupuncturist
ーWhy did you get the licence for acupuncture?
When I went there, there was almost no modern medicine or advanced medicine. As I was exposed to those, I came to be interested in traditional medicines. Not only do I want to know about such traditional medicines, I gradually came to think that I want to acquire it as one of my skills. "acupuncture" is a very oriental or an applicative way of thinking, and its view of the universe is profound. I went to get the licence because I was impressed by these aspects of acupuncture.
He served as an acupuncturist (in a medical volunteering activity) in Nepal
ーIs the knowledge you gained when you got the licence helpful for your other jobs?
Yes, it is. In the idea of oriental medicine like acupuncture, one's body is considered as a small universe. If something that circulates the universe collapses, then one becomes ill. Returning to the story of travel therapy, people often travel to sanctuaries so they can clear their minds (leaving their doubts and worries from daily lives) and come back to their usual. In a nutshell, travel therapy is like having an acupuncture when one gets into the sanctuary (in order to fix any distortion in one's body). So, I feel like the act of healing any distortion of the universe, the human body, by acupuncture is the same as the act of fixing psychological problems by taking people to the sanctuary or great nature like the Himalayas.
Working as a Freelancer
ーFreelance has become popular among people these days. However, we assume that it wasn't popular when you became a freelancer. Weren't you worried about becoming a freelancer at that time?
Around the time when I left the organisation, being a freelancer was perceived negatively rather than positively. In that sense, one can be anxious about it if one wants to. But, that thought can be changed depending on how I think. (As for becoming a freelancer,) if I only focus on the point that I do not have a stable income, I'm full of anxiety. On the other hand, I can continue doing this job if I find it interesting, right?
The Rewarding Moment of Mr. Shimizu's Working Life
ーWhen do you feel rewarded while you are working?
When I took my Japanese clients to the Himalayas, my clients and I climbed up on the lodge together and watched the Himalayas sinking in the crimson sunrise without saying a word. It's a once in a lifetime view of great nature, very dramatic, you know. Some of my clients were shedding tears. Later, my clients looked at me and said, "It was wonderful." Some even said that "My view of life has changed." I felt really rewarded when I heard those words from them.
Life is like piling up puzzle pieces
I believe life is like piling up pieces of a puzzle one by one. In the beginning, we don't know what pattern the puzzles have, not until we have racked them up. That is life. As we reach a certain age, those pieces of the puzzle, or various values we have, will accumulate while we experience lots of things in life. Then, by the age of 40 to 50, there is still some empty space on the puzzle of life , though I think we can barely see the puzzle's pattern when piling its pieces one by one. I believe that is what people have as their view of life. The piled puzzle pieces may collapse when we see the breathtaking sunrise in Himalaya. In other words, my puzzle, values, even the view of life are demolished and rebuilt again. To scrap (the puzzle) once (directing one to re-think and rebuild their view of life) is my purpose of the travel therapy.
The Most Important Thing for His Work
ーWhat do you cherish the most when it comes to working?
After all, I think it's the scrapping and rebuilding, you know. I am afraid that some of the thoughts in my mind will be entrenched someday. Like the puzzle I talked about, I never want to put the last piece on the pile. There is still an empty piece of the puzzle which means that I will seek it somewhere even after I have passed away, right?
"I want to keep seeking the last piece of the puzzle at any age…"
ーWhat can I say, your attitude or curiosity… I think it's wonderful that you are always looking for something in your life.
I believe it is "curiosity." There is a word "sei-shun* (青春 blue spring)" in Japanese. I think we are in sei-shun if we keep having our curiosity. I even think that people without curiosity are not truly enjoying their sei-shun whether they are sixteen years old or not.
ーAre you having your "sei-shun" right now?
Yes, I am in the middle of it.
*Sei-shun (青春 blue spring): This term suggests a certain amount of nostalgia and fondness, describing 'springtime of youth' as a time filled with happiness, hope, and even intense feelings that one might experience as a teenager (about 12-23).
What does "working" mean to Mr. Shimizu?
——What does "working" mean to you?
I think it is to satisfy myself (with my life); Working is to find out "who I am" rather than to "earn money." As I mentioned before, I think the act of piling up puzzle pieces means that I am finding (what I think) the best way to assemble them. If I wasn't satisfied with my approach while I'm putting those pieces together, I will scrap and rebuild it. In other words, I will try something new or another job. I believe "working" means building puzzles, or the process to find out how I can be satisfied with my life.
About the authors
Hedy WAN  | I learnt a lot from hearing Mr. Shimizu's experience during the interview, and now I understand why he can work according to his own interests instead of being restricted to a certain job. Mr. Shimizu can be satisfied with his life because he always keeps being curious and is willing to try various things. What impressed me most from the interview is how one's way of thinking and values can change one's life, which is, if one always tries something new regardless of one's age, one can find the satisfying way of one's life. Therefore, I would like to find my own life despite the perceptions of the society, just like how Mr. Shimizu has started working as a freelancer. |
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Ayaka HEMMI  | What does "working" mean to you? Mr. Shimizu said, "I think it is to satisfy myself (with my life); Working is to find out who I am rather than to earn money." Recently, I watched advertisements on YouTube whose concept is "making a living by doing what you love". Yet, I thought that the number of people who can do that is very limited before interviewing Mr.Shimizu. However, through listening to his story, I noticed that if we keep our curiosity alive and don't give up trying to find what we can be satisfied with, we can make our living by doing what we love. Therefore, to live a life that I can be satisfied with and to make my living by doing what I love, I would like to keep my curiosity alive and try without being afraid of failure. |
Nanari  | Mr. Shimizu's way of working is exactly what I idealize: do not fit the mould, but doing what you love as a job. In the two hours of the interview, Mr. Shimizu talked about many things, but one thing that left a deep impression on me was when he compared one's view of life to a puzzle. As he said, "I want to keep seeking the last piece of the puzzle at any age", I think his attitude of always seeking something without losing his curiosity is something that we should learn from him. I would like to remain interested in various things, and scrap and rebuild the puzzle (of my life) until I am satisfied with them, so that I can spend the blue spring (= the most fulfilling moment) of my life like Mr. Shimizu. |
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