Jigokudani (Hell Valley), Shikotsu-Toya National Park Between flights at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport I noticed a comment on my Beyond the Narrow Road to the Deep North blog post. The writer recommended a book, Ainu Folk Tales. The Ainu are the indigenous people of Hokkaido. Much of their culture is handed down verbally from generation to generation… Continue reading Walking in the Company of Crows
Month: September 2016
Let’s Play “Which Button Do I Press?”
Question 1: Which button do I press to dispense hot water? A Japanese hotel room is an oasis from the complexity of navigating Japan. I can kick back, have a nice cup of tea, and calmly plan my next adventures. Or can I? Most Japanese hotel rooms have buttons you need to press to complete… Continue reading Let’s Play “Which Button Do I Press?”
Mt. Asahidake: Shapes in the Mist
The cable car goes part-way up Mt. Asahidake in central Hokkaido. I took it to reduce my round-trip hike to the summit to 3½ hours. When I started out from the cable-car station, I could not see the summit, but I expected the sky to clear as the day warmed up. Sulfurous steam vents did… Continue reading Mt. Asahidake: Shapes in the Mist
A Place Where Two Seas Collide
Getting to Rishiri Island via Wakkanai (northern Hokkaido) from Minneapolis is straightforward, with a few perturbations. A place where the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk collide is bound to have perturbations. An agent at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport warned me the flight to Wakkanai might have to turn back. I was sure… Continue reading A Place Where Two Seas Collide
Beyond the Narrow Road to the Deep North
I’m drawn to places at the end of train lines. Today, my backpack and I head to Wakkanai in the north of Hokkaido. It’s as far north as you can go without entering Russia. Until about 150 years ago, Hokkaido was almost completely wilderness. The indigenous Ainu were able to live somewhat traditional lives while under… Continue reading Beyond the Narrow Road to the Deep North