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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 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 CollideThe cable car goes part-way up Mt. Asahidake in central Hokkaido. I took it to reduce my round-trip hike to the summit to 3½ hours. When I started out from the cable-car station, I could not see the summit, but I expected the sky to clear as the day warmed up. Sulfurous steam vents did…
Continue reading Mt. Asahidake: Shapes in the MistQuestion 1: Which button do I press to dispense hot water? A Japanese hotel room is an oasis from the complexity of navigating Japan. I can kick back, have a nice cup of tea, and calmly plan my next adventures. Or can I? Most Japanese hotel rooms have buttons you need to press to complete…
Continue reading Let’s Play “Which Button Do I Press?”Jigokudani (Hell Valley), Shikotsu-Toya National Park Between flights at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport I noticed a comment on my Beyond the Narrow Road to the Deep North blog post. The writer recommended a book, Ainu Folk Tales. The Ainu are the indigenous people of Hokkaido. Much of their culture is handed down verbally from generation to generation…
Continue reading Walking in the Company of Crows
Posted Beyond the Narrow Road to the Deep North.
My view for the next 12 hours, en route to Tokyo Haneda.
Tokyo's Haneda Airport, riding a mobile gymnasium. At least that's how my young nephews would see it.
Walked under a breakwater in Wakkanai, northern Hokkaido. In WWII it was used as a submarine repair facility.
Posted https://t.co/wEfJito91y A Place Where Two Seas Collide.
I saw these signs on my hike across Rishiri Island. I was glad I was wearing a hat, but there were no incidents.
Found magical places while hiking Rebun Island, northern Hokkaido.
On my hike today: Rishiri Island from Rebun Island.
Steam vented as I hiked to Hokkaido's highest point, Mt. Asahidake.
Posted Mt. Asahidake: Shapes in the Mist.
Hiked at 6,000 feet elevation in Daisetsusan National Park. Brief revelations as clouds repeatedly rose and fell.
Hiked through Fall tones on Mt. Asahidake, the first place leaves turn in Japan.
At the Sapporo Beer Museum. I'm grateful to be able to hold my beer in more ways than one, two months after surgery.
Hiked up Mt. Monbetsu in Shikotsu-Toya National Park. Got the best cell phone signal ever.
Walked through Jigokudani (Hell Valley), Shikotsu-Toya National Park.
Walked on a pedestrian path through a two kilometer tunnel to Lake Toya in Shikotsu-Toya National Park.
Explored Hakodate, and the Goryokaku Fort. It was the first European-style fort built in Japan.
Between flights at Tokyo's Narita Airport took a train to Narita-san Shinsho Temple, a large temple complex with lovely walking trails.
My view for the next 12 hours, NRT (Tokyo) to MSP.
Back home in Minneapolis, it's time to broaden our cuisine. How about a Hokkaido melon with mascarpone cheese Kit Kat?
Posted https://t.co/lPRjkLizFr Let's Play "Which Button Do I Press?"
Posted Walking in the Company of Crows.
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