Exploring the unlikely intersections of walking, photography and making
April 11, 2017 It rained all night. Waking up this morning, looking out over the forlorn landscape and watching more rain pelting down on the road we would follow, there seemed little hope for a pleasurable walk. We sat down for our Japanese breakfast in the dining room of Kobushi-no-sato, a feast designed to take... 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 →
With our planned excursions to sakura-viewing locales foiled, we needed to fill our second scheduled day in Kochi with other activities. It was a rain-filled day, so museum visits seemed appropriate. That morning, we headed off by commuter train to the nearby town of Ino, home of the Japanese Paper Museum. As far back... 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 →
Gail and I are back to the coastline as we leave Aki. But not before passing some Rube Goldberg contraption of a type that only the Japanese could conceive. Four yellow orbs are suspended from a shiny stainless steel trunk. On the hour, chirpy music emanates from the device and each of the orbs opens... Continue Reading →