Q&A with Lucas at Papersky magazine
製作給日常生活的機上雜誌
與《Papersky》總編輯Lucas Badtke-Berkow的訪問
在去年的好家在台灣活動，我們認識來自日本的Papersky magazine團隊，短短幾天內感受到他們對於雜誌、旅行、與人交換生活經驗的熱情，也透過他們製作的第49期台灣特輯，欣賞了他們理解台灣的方 式，我們花了一些時間討論合作方案，最近這本雜誌與其相關商品終於在朋丁上架了，我們與創辦人Lucas Badtke-Berkow做了簡短訪問，有空也來朋丁翻翻雜誌吧！
For Q&A in English, please scroll down.
-
Pon Ding: 請你為我們大致介紹一下《Papersky》。
Lucas: 《Papersky》是一本「製作給日常生活的機上雜誌」。 從家的舒適感出發，《Papersky》像是一本通往世界的地圖，帶領讀者開啟一趟激發想像力和提高覺知的旅程。 它像是是一個攜帶式的任意門，可以帶著你到新的地方，讓讀者像身歷其境般探索這世界。 這本雜誌充滿了獨特的故事和令人驚艷的攝影作品，以及關於景點的實用資訊。
Pon Ding: 是什麼原因讓你決定做出版？你如何以你們的方式定義旅遊雜誌？
Lucas: 我只知道怎麼做出版和製作雜誌。 我從小學就開始持續製作，國中的時候，我擔任主編的學校刊物在加州的得到許多獎項（最佳校園刊物）。 從那時候起，我決定專注於創造媒體。 我在1996年創立了Knee High Media，我們的第一本出版物是一本關於日本的雙語（日語和英語）文化雜誌，名為《Tokion》（1996）。 之後，我們出版了兒童雜誌《Mammoth》 （2000），接下來便創立了旅行雜誌《Papersky》（2002）。
我們也為Papersky發起一系列相關的自行車活動 ––「Tour de Nippon」，到日本的各個鄉鎮去騎腳踏車，以及為我們的兒童雜誌每年舉辦一次名為「Mammoth Pow-Wow」的露營和音樂節。
我們創作旅行雜誌的方式是讓雜誌走入生活。 讀者會聞到那地方的氣味，看到當地的美並能感受到被採訪的當地人的心情。在閱讀我們每期的地方主題後，他們會感覺到彷彿他們已經去了那些地方。
我們更提供讀者有關該地方的資訊，當他們想去該地旅行，他們會得到當地相關旅遊知識和工具，可以完成一趟跟我們一樣的旅程。 對我們來說，「激勵」我們的讀者是非常重要的。 當他們受到啟發，他們會感到正面，並對其他文化產生開放的心態，同時回頭去欣賞自己的文化。
Pon Ding: 你在日本住了超過20年，20年前為什麼你會決定留在日本呢？身為一位外國人，可以分享一下你是如何探索日本的嗎？
Lucas: 我是在1993年從大學畢業的隔天來到日本，當時我只帶著一個小背包和三百美金。那時我並沒有想留下來生活或工作的打算，只是想要去旅行，而日本就是我第一個想到的地方。大學時代，我一直受到日本雜誌和流行影響啟發，常常去舊金山的紀伊國屋書店看日本雜誌、書籍。後來我選擇留在日本是因為這個國家很動人，食物驚人美味，而且無論何時何地走在路上都覺得很安全，還有日本人和日本精神都很親切。
我認為探索日本的最好方法是前往鄉村地區。 例如位於京都府日本海側的伊根或是位於香川縣的一個大島 ––– 小豆島。 北海道、青森、秋田和岩手等地的北日本也都非常美麗，可以在這些地方了解日本古文化，例如Jomon（縄文）和Ainu（愛努）人。當然，我也喜歡騎自行車和徒步旅行 ，所以我建議以騎車和散步的方式走kaido（舊道路）。 我走過的第一條老路是the Old Tōkaidō road東海道（1600年代初），這是日本第一條在江戶時代建成從東京到京都的大路。
Pon Ding: 你如何決定每一期國家/城市的主題？每期的內容中，你是如何選擇要和誰見面、要去哪裡？是在旅程前就決定好的還是旅程中決定的呢？
Lucas: 在每一期中，我們會先選一個主要的目的地去進行專題製作。我們挑選我們認為在某個時間點會為人帶來啟發的地方。 每個地方都有自己的文化，可以教我們如何以更好的方式生活，所以我們選擇一個地方，並試圖透過介紹該地方文化，來激發讀者的種種靈感和想像。 在我們到達目的地之前，我們會先試著拜訪來自該地的人們。 我們也會做大量的研究，並與生活在當地的人以大量的電子信件聯絡。 經過這些交流，我們開始了解一個地方，並開始勾劃我們想說的故事和想呈現的地方樣貌。 當然，一旦我們到達目的地，我們的世界便再次地擴展，我們也會更新我們的規劃以接收新的資訊。 短言之，我們很努力地做好事前準備，同時我們也保持開放的心態，接納新的想法。
Pon Ding: 可以跟我們分享你在台灣最印象深刻的旅行經驗嗎？
Lucas:在台灣，我去過台北、北投、宜蘭、台南、高雄和台東，我愛這些地方。 當然還有台灣的夜市！台灣各地的食物都很厲害，特別是早餐的菜包和一整天喝的茶！ 我真的很喜歡在宜蘭騎自行車經過茶田、稻田、海和天然泉的經驗。 當然，還有台東是非常美麗和可以放鬆享受的地方，居住在當地的原住民給我相當不一樣的印象。 下次我來台灣的話，希望去台灣山區徒步旅行。
Pon Ding: 你大約在三年前開始以品牌方式製作並發行以Papersky為名的物件，現在已經發展出很不錯的系列商品，可以分享一下這整個過程嗎？
Lucas: Papersky商店是一個旅行商店，由Papersky雜誌進行選物和編輯，我們選擇來自日本或世界各地的物品，它們共同的特色是：輕便、設計簡單 、質感精良。我們依照自身的旅行經驗來開發讓旅行更美好、舒適並且使用上讓心情更加愉悅的商品。 我們也跟許多在雜誌中合作過的單位和旅途中認識的工藝職人共創品項。 日本人非常注重細節，而且會以創新的方式結合新舊技術，我們採取這樣的精神，來創造一些很棒的旅行用品。
An In-Flight Magazine Made for the Ground
Interview with Papersky chief editor Lucas Badtke-Berkow
Pon Ding: Can you introduce us briefly what PAPERSKY is all about?
Lucas: Papersky is an “In-Flight Magazine Made for the Ground”. From the comfort of ones home, Papersky acts as a map to the world- taking the reader on a journey that will stir the imagination and raise consciousness. The magazine is a portable, personal door to new worlds, allowing the reader to explore these worlds as if really there. The magazine is filled with unique stories and stunning photography as well as pact with practical information for visiting each location.
Pon Ding: What made you decide to start doing publishing? And how do you define travel magazine today in your approach?
Lucas: Publishing and making magazines is all I know how to do. I’ve been doing it since elementary school. In middle school my school paper, that I was editor in chief of, won many awards in the state of California for best school media. Since that time I’ve decided to focus on creating media. I started our company Knee High Media in 1996. Our first publication was a bi-lingual (Japanese & English) culture magazine about Japan called Tokion (1996); after that we published our kids magazine Mammoth (2000) and then travel magazine Papersky (2002). We also create a series of bicycle events around Papersky featuring various locations in rural Japan called the Tour de Nippon and for our kids magazine we put on a yearly camp & music festival called Mammoth Pow-Wow.
Our approach to creating a travel magazine is to make the magazine come to life. The reader should smell the smells of the location, see the beauty of the place, and feel the hearts of the people that live in the location we are covering. After they have read our feature story on our featured location for each issue
They should feel as if they have travelled to that location We then support the reader with ‘real’ information about the place so that if they do want to make the trip they will have the knowledge and tools necessary to make the same trip we did. It’s very important for us to ‘inspire’ our readers. If they are inspired they will feel positive and have an open mind about other cultures as well as an appreciation for their own culture.
Pon Ding: You have been living in Japan for more than 20 years. Why did you choose to stay in Japan 20 years ago? As a foreigner, can you share with us how you explore Japan?
Lucas: I came to Japan in 1993, the day after I graduated from University with only a very small backpack and about $300. I had no intention to live or work in Japan I just wanted to visit and it was the first place that popped into my mind. I had been inspired by Japanese magazines and fashion all throughout college and would frequently visit Kinokuniya bookstore in San Francisco to check out Japanese magazines and books. I ended up staying because the country is beautiful, the food is incredible, you can walk anywhere at anytime and feel safe everywhere, and the people and Japanese spirit is so kind.
I think the best way to explore Japan is to travel to its rural locations. Places like Ine in Seaside Kyoto or Shodoshima a big island of Kagawa prefecture. And Northern Japan with locations like Hokkaido, Aomori, Akita and Iwate are all very beautiful and one can learn about Japanese ancient culture such as the Jomon and Ainu people. Of course I also like to bike and hike –– so I would suggest riding and walking the many kaido (old roads) of Japan. The first old road I walked was the Old Tōkaidō road (early 1600’s), one of Japan’s first large roads created during the Edo time that runs form Tokyo to Kyoto.
Pon Ding: How do you decide the country/city of each issue? For the contents of each issue, how do you plan whom to meet and where to go before your trip? Or you would decide it during the trip?
Lucas: For each issue of Papersky we choose one main destination to feature. We choose the location based on what we think will be inspiring for people at a certain time. Every location has culture that can teach us how to live our life in a better way so we try to choose a location and then inspire people by showing the culture of that location. Before we travel to the destination we try to meet people from that destination living in Japan. We also do lots of research and we exchange many emails with people living in the featured location as well. After a while we become a bit knowledgeable about the place and being to shape the stories we want to tell and destinations that we want to show. Then of course once we arrive our world is once again expanded and we try to update our planning to fit the fresh information we get once we arrive at the destination. In short we try to be very prepared; but we are also prepared to keep an open mind and take in new ideas as they doors literally open while we are traveling.
Pon Ding: Can you tell us your most impressive travel experience in Taiwan?
Lucas: In Taiwan I have traveled a bit: Taipei, Beitou,, Yilan, Tainan, Kaohsiung and Taitung. I have loved all of these locations. Of course the night markets are amazing! and the food of Taiwan is amazing everywhere especially vegetable buns in the morning and tea all day! I really enjoyed riding bicycles around Yilan with the many tea fields, rice fields as well as the sea and natural springs. And of course Taitun was very beautiful and relaxing and the many indigenous people in the area was also very refreshing. Next time I visit I hope to do a bit of hiking in the mountains of Taiwan.
Pon Ding: You started making products under PAPERSKY name about 3 years ago. And it has form a nice collection now. Can you share the process of making it?
Lucas: The Papersky Store is a travel shop, edited by Papersky magazine, featuring: light, compact, simply designed, inspiring and well made stuff from Japan and the world. We create items based on our travels and what we feel will help us travel better, more comfortably and in better spirits. We also make many of the Papersky collaboration items with companies we work with in the magazine as well as with crafts people who we have met on our travels. Japanese people pay very special attention to details as well as using old and new technologies in innovative ways. We take this spirit and apply it to creating some amazing ‘travel tools’.
