Journal Archive
41 entries, 51 prefectures, one long road. 旅の記録
There Really Are Mountains Everywhere
Eighty-nine kilometres from Murakami to Tsuruoka, and into Yamagata at last. Four guys at an onsen were amazed by my tour, and that night the police questioned me at my tent, though we ended up chatting about anime and cooking.
The Chance of Not Doing It Was Zero
Ninety kilometres from Tsuruoka to Yurihonjō, ridden as an experiment in intervals. I saw the kasafuku hangings at Sannō Club in Sakata and finished by ploughing through a swarm of insects. With an "it'll work out" mindset, any difficulty can be solved.
Even If I Met the Buddha and We Shared an Oyakodon
Forty yawning kilometres to Akita. I met Tsukuneru-san, who's cycling around all of Japan, and thought about different ways of touring. I also wrote about why I blog instead of making videos, and how I started Japanese and a diary during Covid.
How Lucky to Be Born Into Such a Wonderful World
Hokusai Manga blew me away at the Akita Museum of Art, and from the observation deck at Kubota Castle I looked out and thought about how vast the world is. I finished with a deeply satisfying Hinai chicken oyakodon.
I Thought I'd Ridden Into Kafka on the Shore
Akita to Ōdate: 112 km, my longest day yet. I tried riding in a state of total focus and finally got the hang of long distances, nearly died in a sauna, and passed through Futatsui, a town as eerie and strange as a Murakami novel.
I Finally Made It to Aomori!
A stop in Hirosaki, a ride through forested mountains, and at midnight I finally reached Aomori. I've come a long way from the day in Fukuoka when I couldn't even ride the bike. Tonight, no tent: I slept in a park pavilion by the harbour.
A Broken Bike and Kickboxing in Aomori
Ten kilometres out of Aomori, the bike broke again. I made my way back at a loss, still anxious, and ended up at a kickboxing gym. My first sparring in a year felt incredible.
Thoughts in Sendai
Looking out over the night view from a 30th-floor observation deck in Sendai, I thought about how small my problems are and how grateful I am to my family. The things I don't usually say out loud to my parents and my sister.