Category: Asia

Micropost

I saw these signs on my hike across Rishiri Island. I was glad I was wearing a hat, but there were no incidents.

A Place Where Two Seas Collide

  Getting to Rishiri Island via Wakkanai  (northern Hokkaido) from Minneapolis is straightforward, with a few perturbations. A place where the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk collide is bound to have perturbations. An agent at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport warned me the flight to Wakkanai might have to turn back. I was sure…… Continue reading A Place Where Two Seas Collide

Beyond the Narrow Road to the Deep North

I’m drawn to places at the end of train lines. Today, my backpack and I head to Wakkanai in the north of Hokkaido. It’s as far north as you can go without entering Russia. Until about 150 years ago, Hokkaido was almost completely wilderness. The indigenous Ainu were able to live somewhat traditional lives while under…… Continue reading Beyond the Narrow Road to the Deep North

Fictional Hokkaido

I was on a train, traveling through darkness. The elderly woman next to me asked if it would be OK if we chatted. She was on her way to her home on Shikoku having stayed with friends on Honshu. I was returning to my base after cycling on bridges and islands across Japan’s Inland Sea.…… Continue reading Fictional Hokkaido