Microblog

Daily Microblog

Tokyo Hike

Nov 16, 2022

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.

Tenju-an Temple

Nov 15, 2022

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.

A Piece of the Past

Nov 15, 2022

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…

Teshima Art Island

Nov 14, 2022

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.)

Another Pilgrimage

Nov 13, 2022

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.

Shikoku Hike

Nov 12, 2022

Incorporated part of the Shikoku 88 (temples) pilgrimage and temples 80 and 81 into today’s hike.

Sand, Sea, Sky

Nov 11, 2022

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.

Instagram Bait

Nov 10, 2022

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.

Daisen-Oki National Park

Nov 9, 2022

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.

Joyful Kids

Nov 8, 2022

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.

Cycling Above the Sea

Nov 7, 2022

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.

Hotel Cycle

Nov 6, 2022

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.

Hiker’s Lunch

Nov 5, 2022

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).

Soaking Feet, Smoking Volcano

Nov 4, 2022

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.

Aso Kuju National Park

Nov 3, 2022

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.

Reclining Buddha

Nov 2, 2022

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.