A train, a bus, and one of these ferries took us to Oshima, the island in the distance in the Sea of Japan. Hiked to the highest peak, then improvised the rest of the hike after discovering the path had been blocked by a landslide.
Category: East Asia
Hiking the new Shingu–Tachibana OLLE Course
Our flight from Tokyo landed us in Fukuoka by 9:30 AM, with a great view of Mt. Fuji along the way. Hiked a new Kyushu OLLE course, opened in October, following blue and red trail markers. Having hiked most of the OLLE trails over the years, I appreciated the new path, even if our hike didn’t always follow the intended route. The day included a local train from Fukuoka, a ride on a community bus (about US$0.65), views of the Sea of Japan, ancient shrines, and bamboo groves.
Mt. Fuji, en route from Tokyo to Fukuoka
Fuji-san made an appearance as we climbed out of Tokyo en route to Fukuoka today.
Tokyo Haneda layover
A draft Asahi feels so good after the long flight from Minneapolis. It’s Saturday night at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, 15 hours ahead of Central Time. We’re staying at an in-terminal hotel tonight, flying to Fukuoka in the morning.
Spur-of-the-moment trip
Just 48 hours ago we hadn’t decided if we’d go to Japan. Then, after medical appointments for Dwight and me, with no follow-ups in the next couple weeks, we said “why not?” So, here we are, about to board a Minneapolis MSP to Tokyo HND flight. From Tokyo, we’ll fly to Fukuoka on Kyushu (the most southerly of Japan’s four main islands) then take a convoluted route riding the rails back toward Tokyo.
Japan 2025 #2
More journeys ≫
Guilty pleasures
I was in the neighborhood of our nearest Asian supermarket, so I popped in for some Japanese guilty pleasures: dark chocolate and orange Kit Kats, curry cubes (great for transforming leftover veggies into a tasty lunch), and a rice cracker mix. At the exit, the claw cranes, ubiquitous in Japan, were thoughtfully arranged so that even the youngest could experience disappointment.
Temple plumbing 2025: the tradition continues
I’ve often posted about the Shikoku 88 pilgrimage, a 700-mile circular route around Shikoku, one of Japan’s main islands. Over the years, I’ve hiked to 31 of its 88 temples, some multiple times. Today I continued my tradition of posting one photo of a purification station from each temple I visited this year. Click through for the post.
Temple plumbing 2025
I’ve often posted about the Shikoku 88 pilgrimage, a 700-mile circular route around Shikoku, one of Japan’s main islands. Over the years, I’ve hiked to 31 of its 88 temples, some multiple times. This year, I visited temples 71 through 75 for the first time.
An artist making Japan great again
After a late night arrival home I took it easy today by finishing a biography of the Japanese artist Foujita. In the 1930s he embraced the influence of the fascist regime and later became Japan’s top official war artist during the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Pacific War. Postwar there was an almost immediate backlash from fellow artists and the public against his propagandist work.