Nanami Granger
Born in Tokyo. After college, I entered a major brokerage firm. I then worked as a management consultant in the US and Japan, and later as an executive in an artificial intelligence startup, after which I founded Eighty Days.
What places and activities do you specialize in?
"All over Japan, there are lots of hidden gems that cannot be found in most guide books or online. In terms of activities, my specialities are culture, art, gardens and festivals."
How did you get involved in travel?
"After creating a project to revitalize Japan’s countryside, I came up with the idea of connecting the inbound tourism market, which is booming in Japan, with remote areas that are overlooked by most travelers, to help stimulate economic activity in those areas and promote the exchange of culture and ideas."
Please share a unique travel experience you will never forget.
"Recently I had the chance to visit a place called Echizen, a town in which Japanese paper, called Washi, was originally invented, and which has over 1500 years of history. When I visited one of the paper making studios, the paper they were making was customizable paper for painters and artists. Each sheet was made by hand. The studio’s “guide” was an 80-year-old lady who has been working there for over 60 years and showed me a large studio which was almost like a maze, and introduced artisans in every corner of the studio. The paper that they were making was really beautiful. "