October 30, 2017. Gail and I fly to Matsuyama on Shikoku.
Walking The Henro: Matsuyama
It's about two in the morning on October 27, 2017. Once again, Gail and I are on our way back to Japan. Back to Shikoku. Back to the Henro 88 temple pilgrimage. Our plan is to complete the last third of the Henro-michi, visiting the final 44 temples along the route before returning to the... Continue Reading →
Tokyo…and beyond!
It’s May 4, 2017. Our last day in Japan. The end of our too brief two-day visit to Tokyo. Tonight we head to Narita Airport on our way back to Winnipeg. But Gail and I are not yet done with Japan. In just one week from writing this blog post, October 27, we will be... Continue Reading →
Hiroshima: The Oleander Blooms
We are here, in Hiroshima, because of a solitary speck of time in the history of our world. It was 8:15 on the morning of Monday, August 6, 1945. The Little Boy atomic bomb exploded. 70,000 died immediately. Within three hours, a firestorm cloud would rage overhead, with an estimated energy 1000 times more than... Continue Reading →
Miyajima: Island of the Gods
The gods may be in hiding this week. It’s a brief train and ferry ride from downtown Hiroshima to the small island of Itsukushima, more popularly known as Miyajima or, perhaps, Miyashima. And popular it is. The ten-minute ferry ride is jam-packed with tourists, Westerners like us but primarily Japanese nationals. As we pour off... Continue Reading →
Fukuoka: Robot Days and Ramen Nights
Fukuoka is anything but historic. Yes, the area was invaded by the Mongols in 1274. Yes, there are the ruins of the 1603 Fukuoka Castle. And, true enough, we are staying in the very traditional Ryokan Kashima Honkan, a delightfully creaky old building. But this is a back story quickly lost among the sleek towers... Continue Reading →
Another Day in Nagasaki
Our cruise ship slowly makes its way through Nagasaki harbour. Under the delicate spans of a cable-stayed bridge. Past Mitsubishi dry docks, busily fitting a new cruise ship. Past Catholic churches, their bright white walls and spires set against the dark greens of steep forested slopes. And onto the open sea. We navigate around numerous... Continue Reading →
A Day In Nagasaki
It is fair to say that most people recognize Nagasaki as the site of one of only two nuclear bombs ever dropped on a civilian population. As significant as that event was, as relevant as it may be today given the nuclear threat posed by North Korea, I will leave that for my next post.... Continue Reading →
A Day in Beppu
It’s about 6:30 in the morning as we wearily board the ferry that will transport us from Yawatahama Port on the island of Shikoku to Beppu on the island of Kyushu. Three hours to contemplate the walking journey we are leaving behind. Three hours to plan for our upcoming city tours: Beppu, Nagasaki, Fukuoka, Hiroshima... Continue Reading →
Shikoku: Last Steps
April 22, 2017 Today's walk will be bittersweet. An easy 20 kilometers from now we will reach Ōzu, the endpoint of our springtime walk along the Henro-michi. After a good Japanese-style breakfast, Gail and I set off from Matsu-ya, our business hotel in Unomachi. Budget-conscious Simon has foregone the expense of a hotel meal and... Continue Reading →