Microblog

Completed my temple and shrine quota for this trip with a visit to Kamakura, Japan’s capital from 1185 to 1333. On a hike along a fine trail in the hills above the city, I stumbled upon this tiny cave shrine. The few other hikers I encountered, nearly all Japanese and mostly older than me, seemed unfazed by the trail’s more technical sections.

In Yokohama, I explored a hillside area that served as the foreigners’ section when Japan opened to the world in the 1850s. The Europeans and Americans who settled here played a vital role in Japan’s modernization. The Foreign General Cemetery offers a glimpse into these lives, like this Scottish islander who became an officer with the NYK Line (Nippon Yusen Kaisha, founded 1885).

Monday. Travelled by bullet train from Kanazawa to Tokyo, then transferred to a local train for Yokohama (part of Greater Tokyo), my final stop on this trip. On Wednesday it will be a 20-minute ride on the Keikyu Line to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport international terminal.

Cycled the Hakusan-Tedori River Route, a rail trail near Kanazawa where I’m staying. In this photo I’d been cycling towards the Northern Japan Alps for a couple hours; rice paddies flank the trail. I hadn’t realized there was a gradual incline most of the way, so the return trip was faster.

Today I was a full-throttle tourist. There’s so much to see in Kanazawa, so many stories. It’s amazing that this major city escaped WW2 bombings. As a result, Edo-period (pre-1868) streets like this one still stand, making them national treasures.

I’m now in Kanazawa (blue dot) which will be my base for the next three days. Authorities are begging tourists to return after the January 1, 2024 earthquake devastated areas in the peninsula north of Kanazawa. Today I traveled 144 miles from Osaka via two bullet trains and four local trains. Along the way, I paused for a hike.

Rode on a new section of the Hokuriku Shinkansen line that opened two weeks ago between Tsuruga and Kanazawa. When completed, this line will offer an alternative bullet train route between Tokyo and Osaka.

“But it will be so much prettier when the cherry blossoms bloom any day now.” That’s the thinking I was planning on when I caught a bullet train to Himeji. This early 1600’s structure has escaped widespread destruction of castles in the 1870’s, WW2 bombing, and earthquakes. Despite being Japan’s most visited castle, there were no lines early this morning.

I’m now in Osaka, about 400 miles from Hakata (Fukuoka) where I was this morning. Along the way I broke the journey in Mihara where I put my backpack in a locker and walked five minutes to a ferry terminal on the Seto Inland Sea. I spent much of the day hiking on Ikuchijima and Takaneshima Islands (connected by a bridge).

Making the most of a sunny day, I hopped on a ferry to Ikuchijima, an island in the Seto Inland Sea, planning to rent a bike. However, the only option available was an electric one, so I opted for a hike instead. The sight of submerged rails, likely for a boat launch, evoked the wonderful train scene from the anime Spirited Away.

Google Maps helped me escape a grey drippy day via a steaming bowl of Hakata Ramen. Posted When Google Maps Knows Ramen.

Encircling the room, on the upper part of the wall, a grim cityscape frieze consists of 140,000 tiles to represent each individual who died. A water basin in the center commemorates those who died begging for water.

Monday. On a bullet train from Hakata (Fukuoka) to Hiroshima (red pin) for the day. 66 minutes for the 180-mile distance, including a stop. Trains depart Hakata for Hiroshima every 7-8 minutes.

On board a bullet train to Hakata (Fukuoka). Indeed the rain bucketed down all day in Kagoshima, but I was able to visit the Meiji Museum and get my ears lowered. Also popped into MontBell, one of my favorite outdoors stores, to replace my folding/disintegrating daypack. Finally, I enjoyed a coffee and sandwich in a cafe in a lovely public library.

Moving to Fukuoka today (Sunday) for 3 nights. Since it’s raining, a big city makes sense. En route, stopping in Kagoshima for a few hours to visit the Meiji Restoration Museum and get a haircut at Hot Pepper Beauty (3rd time).

It’s Saturday. Sometimes I like to figure out what locals do at weekends, so, I hopped on a train to the seaside. Familiar sights greeted me: a beach, children exploring tidal rock pools, surfers, a pleasant beachfront esplanade, and ready availability of ice cream. Less familiar was a shrine located on an island, reached by a footbridge.