Practiced slurping ramen at Zen Box Izakaya. Earlier today, Japan's Prime Minister announced his country will be open to independent tourists, starting October 11. Two weeks after that I get to use a ticket to Tokyo purchased optimistically in February.
Arrived Tokyo HND, late afternoon Thursday, off a thirteen-hour flight and a +14-hour time difference. Took rush hour trains to a downtown hotel and an early night. Japan only reopened to independent travelers two weeks ago, so I’m expecting to see few westerners on my travels.
Sendai, about 200 miles northeast of Tokyo, is my base for the next few days. From Sendai, rode a bullet train for 13 minutes, then rural trains to reach trails for some fall color hiking. The rural train line is in this photo.
Yodobashi electronics stores are often located next to main train stations. Each store is at least 215,000 sq ft; a typical Best Buy is just 38,000 sq ft. At Sendai’s store I set a goal to find something I didn’t realize I didn’t need, but left, overwhelmed.
Explored a mountainous area north of Sendai by train, local bus, and foot. In Kakunodate I was interviewed, via an interpreter, by a reporter for the local newspaper. American tourists are few and far between. Further down the road, almost walked into a professional photo shoot.
Took a ferry from Fukuoka to a rural island. Disposed of small change at a shrine: 15 coins worth 65 cents. In return, took an Omikuji, a fortune printed on a strip of paper. Mangled by Google Translate, it appeared to urge me to drown in color and alcohol, and be a little selfish. On the front of the box with a blue lid is a coin slot for the ¥100 donation, and a larger hole for reaching in and taking an Omikuji. Fortune cookies were possibly derived from this custom.
Visited Nanzo-in Temple, near Fukuoka. Here, the reclining Buddha, fully enlightened, enters Nirvana in death, released from cycles of rebirth. The bronze sculpture is 135 feet long. It was good to explore more human-scale temple features, and the lovely grounds on a hillside.
Hiked in Aso Kuju National Park with Mount Aso, Japan's largest active volcano, smoking in the distance. A few years ago, I walked up to close to the edge of Mount Aso's sulfurous crater. Today, it's off-limits. The whole area is set in a huge caldera, 75-miles in circumference.
After a day of walking, gratefully steeped my feet in the volcanic warmth of an unusually long (100 meters) footbath. Watched a plume rising above Sakurajima, a volcano that regularly rains ash on the city of Kagoshima.
Today’s picnic lunch, hiking an OLLE Course. Onigiri: rice, filled with pickled mustard greens, wrapped in nori (seaweed). Egg sandwich, tuna sandwich. Caramel custard. Pocari Sweat. Less than US$5 from one of Japan’s more than 50,000 wonderful konbini (convenience stores).
Checked into Hotel Cycle (yet again, third time), Onomichi, in a repurposed warehouse on a wharf. You can cycle right up to the front desk, then leave your bike on a rack outside your room. To mitigate bicycle separation anxiety, you can hang your bike on a wall rack in your room. I’ll rent tomorrow.
Cycled above the Seto Inland Sea on bridges and islands. In 2016 I did the whole Shimanami Kaido, 45 miles between two of Japan’s four main islands, Shikoku and Honshu on a creaky bicycle. These days, I take a scheduled bus or boat then cycle about half that, and can sit down comfortably afterwards.
Rapid footsteps and giggling behind me. Schoolgirl, now in front of me, directs me back towards a table. Shrieks of delight when I turn and walk to the table. To much applause and giggles, I buy a packet of cookies. Three teachers simultaneously take photos. Lots of goodbyes.
I’m staying in Matsue on the northwest coast of Honshu. My project today was to hike trails on Mount Daisen in Daisen-Oki National Park. A train and a bus got me from Matsue to trailheads. Lots of steep climbs, magnificent fall colors, and occasional ancient temples and shrines.
Couldn't resist including this rural Shinto shrine in today's journey. Three or four times an hour a train crosses the shrine's approach path, between the torii gates, like a scene from an anime movie.
Broke the journey from Matsue to Okayama to visit San’inkaigan National Park to walk on massive sand dunes beside the Sea of Japan. Okayama Station was bustling, a contrast to my last few days. An elevator took me to the welcome solitude of a hotel room high above the station.
Incorporated part of the Shikoku 88 (temples) pilgrimage and temples 80 and 81 into today's hike.
It was the one rainy day on this trip, so went to Osaka to ride transit, duck into buildings, and experience Tadao Ando’s architecture. Felt like a groupie, standing outside his office, touching the signature Ando concrete. The security sticker probably deters theft of the nameplate.
Walked across Teshima, one of the "art islands" in the Seto Inland Sea, looking for art installations. At one point, sat on the floor in a vast concrete inside space while little rivulets of water slowly formed around me, only to "find" tiny drain holes. (Photography wasn't allowed.)
Dwight’s uncle was posted to Kyoto at the end of WW2. Today, I walked around his old stomping ground trying to reconcile some of his photos with today’s Kyoto. When I matched this 1946 photo I must’ve reacted: people started to gather around me and were excited to see the old photo. More…
Kyoto is over-loved like so many A-list places. For this reason I’ve avoided the city for over ten years. Today I visited for a few hours, took the subway to places that have escaped top-ten lists.
Took the train to Asakusa, Tokyo, walked back until I ran out of time. Along the way it was my kind of urban hike: huge temple; buildings not intended to last (that's OK); the only Le Corbusier building in east Asia (went in); stark transit infrastructure (love it); and the gardens of the Imperial Palace.
On board United 882, Tokyo HND to Chicago ORD, in the good hands of father and daughter.
Walked past a construction site, which got me thinking about Azuma House in a working class suburb of Osaka. I’d made a point of standing in front of that home last week: it raises questions; with answers I warm to it. “Like” or “Dislike” are not enough.