The last time I went through the town of Itoigawa (population 47,102) I was on an express to Kanazawa. Since then, the Shinkansen (bullet train line) from Tokyo to Nagano was extended to Kanazawa, and the new section opened in 2015. This week I rode the bullet train 97 km from Nagano to Itoigawa, just…… Continue reading A Small-Town Bullet Train Station
Author: Tom Wilson
Temple Plumbing 2016
The Shikoku 88 Pilgrimage connects 88 temples over 750 miles on Japan’s Shikoku Island. It’s a circuit: temples 1 and 88 are 17 miles apart. It’s a journey: I’ve watched pilgrims making quite perfunctory stops at temples. This speaks to me. I walk to walk, not just to visit a sight like a waterfall or…… Continue reading Temple Plumbing 2016
Cycling Across the Seto Inland Sea
When I look across Japan’s Seto Inland Sea I see small islands, distant volcanic hills, ocean-going ships, sleek bridges, all sitting on a bright palette of blues and greens. The Inland Sea has energy: it connects three of Japan’s main islands (Honshu, Kyushu, and Shikoku), and the Pacific Ocean with the Sea of Japan. I’ve…… Continue reading Cycling Across the Seto Inland Sea
Travel Gear: Hiking Pants
As I was stretching, clambering, grappling over rocks in Kirishima National Park, I replayed in my head the most recent encounter with a fellow hiker. The woman had made the usual greeting, then a look of dissonance flashed across her face. I’d seen that look before when I’ve thoughtlessly put a shoe on tatami, or…… Continue reading Travel Gear: Hiking Pants
Hiking Above Clouds
When I pulled open the drapes this morning, I decided to drop my plan to go directly to Kagoshima City. Instead of yesterday’s unrelenting rain, sunshine was trying to penetrate mist. It was time for a bonus hike.I had less than 60 minutes to dress, pack, slow down enough to enjoy breakfast, then check out…… Continue reading Hiking Above Clouds
Finding Japan
The flight attendant showed me a handwritten note: “we will be landing [in Kagoshima] at 9:30 [a.m.].” I’m the only non-Japanese customer, and, by the look of it, just about everybody else on this 737 is flying for work. I like traveling with Japanese people because they are generally quiet, calm, and are considerate in…… Continue reading Finding Japan
Insufficient Reality
Every hotel room in Hawaii has a book or brochure pushing Hawaii as something to consume. Many first-time visitors are doomed to be unfulfilled by the activities they are seduced into buying.The experience depicted at the top of this post is dangerous and illegal: volcanic gases and Federal law get in the way. The real…… Continue reading Insufficient Reality
Lava: It’s Scientific Fun!
We walked on lava through fern forests down to two calderas. We rested on chunks of lava with steam rising around us.Our nephews (7 and 8) were in good spirits but they got a little bored towards the end. To distract I demonstrated how to make a whistle by clamping a grass leaf between the…… Continue reading Lava: It’s Scientific Fun!
Tough Jobs and a Lascivious Senior
I’m on the “wrong” side of Hawaii Big Island: often rainy, no posh resorts, no ocean sunsets, vulnerable to tsunamis. Rich. This morning I lay in bed watching the sun rise over the Pacific. A rising sun does not have the easy drama of an ocean sunset. But I can’t say a setting sun is…… Continue reading Tough Jobs and a Lascivious Senior
Long Hauls, Cheap Tix
Tomorrow, Monday, I get on a plane.I’ve been getting on a plane several Mondays in January and February. A plane to take me to work in Portland, Oregon.This Monday is no exception, except this time I’m flying on a one-way ticket. I’ll work for my client for the last time, then cross the Pacific to…… Continue reading Long Hauls, Cheap Tix