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.
Category: Asia
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.
May Day in Yokohama
This year I get two May Days. Today, Thursday May 1 in Yokohama, port workers were having a peaceful May Day march as I walked along the waterfront this morning. After an overnight flight, it will still be Thursday May 1, this time in Chicago.