Exploring the unlikely intersections of walking, photography and making
April 14, 2017 We leave Kaiyu Inn rather late, tempted by pancakes, waylaid by conversation. But this is a beautiful, sun-filled day that inspires a lazy attitude to our pilgrim mission. Within minutes we pass alongside the sweeping white sands of Ōki No Hama Beach. Behind us, the pristine white mass of Kaiyu Inn hangs... Continue Reading →
April 12, 2017 We call them rest days and today is one of those days. Here in the quiet, small city of Nakamura, we plan to do nothing more than see a few sights and, of course, eat. Nakamura is the perfect place to take a holiday from our daily walking ritual. It’s a small... Continue Reading →
April 10, 2017 We are reluctant to leave the luxurious digs of Kuroshio Honsen. After all, here we are enjoying our Japanese breakfast and, just outside our table-side window, rain pours down over scenic Kure Bay, reducing it to a sorry display of blue-greys. But there are 28 kilometres to cover and we know there’s... Continue Reading →
April 9, 2017 Today’s walk starts with great promise. After a fine Japanese breakfast, our obliging hostess at Minshuku Micchan loads us into her diminutive car and drives us up the steep winding road to its junction with Highway 47. We don our backpacks and say our goodbyes in a halting mishmash of English, Japanese... Continue Reading →
April 8, 2017 It would be a hard day. We knew this before setting off from Haruna Spa. Comfortable beds, refreshing hot baths, filling meals are all fine reasons to spend the night here. But it is off the henro path and, at the outset, adds two kilometres to this day’s trek. We had originally... Continue Reading →
April 7, 2017 Kochi was hard to leave behind on this wet, dreary day as we make our way past Temple 31 - Chikurinji - on our way out of town. Just two days ago, we climbed treed slopes to this temple under a blazing sun. Today, the restaurant and overlook at its crest are... Continue Reading →
It’s been some time since my last post from Japan. Much has happened since then. Gail and I successfully completed our planned walk across Shikoku, as well as a tour by train to various Japan cities: Beppu, Nagasaki, Fukuoka, Hiroshima and Tokyo. And now we’re back in Winnipeg. While we were enjoying our long days... Continue Reading →
The whims of nature threw a huge curve ball in the direction of my careful planning. I had plotted our entire trip around Japan's cherry blossom season. I had studied past years' reports for the best time to see the sakura in full bloom. Flights were arranged so we would arrive here, in Kochi,... Continue Reading →
Today's leisurely walk would take us to through the agricultural heartland of Kochi Prefecture. We were on our way to Kochi City for two day's rest in one of Shikoku's larger urban centers. Along the way, we will visit three more temples on the Henro-michi. First comes Dianichiji, Temple 28, a modest complex brought... Continue Reading →
Misono, our frenetic host, was out the door before her guests had finished breakfast. She had a community volunteer flower-planting party to command. Minshuku Misono was part of the recently-established network of HenroHouse lodgings dotting the 88-temple Henro route. It's a convenient way to book rooms in advance, using the HenroHouse English-friendly website. I hope it... Continue Reading →