This past week I’ve briefly visited the three most easterly national parks on the island of Hokkaido, Japan: Kushiro-Shitsugen, Akan Mashu, and Shiretoko. Kushiro-Shitsugen National Park Kushiro-Shitsugen is Japan’s largest wetland, famous for its Japanese red-head cranes. A JR (Japan Rail) line runs along the edge of the wetlands, with several stops. I decided to…… Continue reading Snapshots: Eastern Hokkaido National Parks
Author: Tom Wilson
After the Quake
September 20, 2018. The view from my seat on the turboprop from Central Hokkaido’s New Chitose Airport summed up my hesitancy to visit Japan’s northernmost island. Below, I could see hills pockmarked by landslides. In some places roads were blocked. I was witnessing effects of Hokkaido’s massive earthquake exactly two weeks earlier. In the early…… Continue reading After the Quake
Disaster Tourism
School bus, trapped in lava. Hawaii Big Island, April 2009. My partner and I hiked across lava. A map on our GPS guided us along the invisible lines of streets buried beneath us. A school bus, trapped by lava, reminded us this is a disaster site where homes had once stood. Disaster Tourism can be…… Continue reading Disaster Tourism
In the Event of an Earthquake…
I’ve just received a message from the the Air Terminal Hotel at Sapporo’s New Chitose Airport, the main airport for Hokkaido, Japan: “Because of (the) big earthquake on September 6, the hotel has been heavily damaged and we cannot accept any customers … at this moment.” I had been expecting the message, as there was…… Continue reading In the Event of an Earthquake…
A Man in a Machine
[wp_quiz id=”2535″] I spotted the machine pictured at the top of this post earlier this week. It looks a little cheaply built for a medical body scanner, but that was my first assumption. I’ve met medical imaging systems of many shapes and sizes in recent times. It’s not in the same league as this beauty…… Continue reading A Man in a Machine
Deluge at Father Hennepin Bluff Park
Less than a half mile from our home, across the Mississippi, there’s a small park I had never visited until last week. Steps make it inadvisable to cycle through the park, so I promised myself I would wait until a rainy day to walk through this park, Father Hennepin Bluff Park. Last Friday was that…… Continue reading Deluge at Father Hennepin Bluff Park
Frame Protruding from Back of Truck
[wp_quiz id=”2479″] I spotted this today when cycling across the Mississippi on the 3rd Avenue bridge, heading towards downtown Minneapolis. A horizontal frame was protruding from the back of a road construction truck. A rather agile cherry picker on another truck was conveying workers to the underside of the bridge. I cycled to connect with…… Continue reading Frame Protruding from Back of Truck
Mound with Spiral Path
Gold Medal Park fits a lot of personality into its compact 7.5 acres in the Minneapolis Mill District. We get to see it every day from our temporary home while our condo is being completed next door. The park, with a mound, with a spiral path, is now a permanent fixture in our lives. Soft…… Continue reading Mound with Spiral Path
Hearing Native Voices
Scaffold In May 2017, I stood behind a chain link fence that was covered with protest notices. “Shame on you””Take it down””There is no art in genocide””Not art, not a game, not experience, not your story, not your family” Behind the fence, in the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, workers were putting the finishing touches to a…… Continue reading Hearing Native Voices
Transit Apps for a Short Trip
We’re just back from a few days in Chicago. Smartphone apps made travel by train, plane, and bike a breeze. I was able to purchase all transit using my phone. AppExample Transit Use CasesMetro Transit–Buy tickets for light rail from home to MSP (Minneapolis airport).Fly Delta–Check in for flight.–Display boarding passes.–Display membership cards.–Check departure time.–Check…… Continue reading Transit Apps for a Short Trip