Support from a Friend

July 31, 1983, Sunday

Along with some runners from the Rankoshi Running Club, I started at 9:30am. The Rankoshi runners came with me for 2km, then I was on my own. I was heading for the town of Kutchan 32km away. Although it was cloudy and raining at times, I felt pretty good today. Maybe it was because of the relatively short distance.

The scenery was beautiful from Niseko to Kutchan. A friend from Tokyo, Mr. Kayano, had arrived yesterday in Kamimena, and he jumped in for the last 5km run into Kutchan with me. He has been a big help, giving me a lot of encouragement. Mr. Kayano, who works for Toyo Ink, was the 10th place finisher in the 1982 Guam Marathon. He loves running and the marathon in particular, even though his job does not allow him the time to train as much as he wants.

I am now down to about ten more days of running until I reach that finish line. It will feel so good to finish.

Note: The photo is from the August 2, 1983 Guam Tribune newspaper.

Deserted Forest Station?

July 30, 1983, Saturday

Got a relatively early start at 8:00am on a very cold and rainy day. I started by first walking the first kilometers to the outskirts of Oshamambe, then started running towards Kamimena. It was so cold out there, that I was wishing I had brought a long-sleeve shirt with me.

It was easy to get lost on the route today. I ended up going the wrong way and so I had to backtrack to Kuromatsunai. I am sure this added at least 4km to today's distance. I made it to Kamimena at last, but what the hell...it is just a tiny train station in the middle of the forest! No houses, no stores, no nothing! No way was I going to spend the night in the forest. I needed to get out of there fast and make my way to a real town.

I proceeded to make my way (fast, to avoid running in the dark) to Rankoshi to stay with Mr. Sasaki's cousin. Mr. Sasaki is the man I stayed with in Mori. The distance today was probably around 55km, including the extra distance from backtracking.

Mr. Sasaki's cousin told me a story about running into a bear in the near vicinity. Apparently, one night after drinking a good amount of sake, he was walking home alone on a deserted mountain path. When he turned a corner, he said he was face to face with a bear. He said he just froze for what seemed like an eternity (he says it was probably around 30 minutes) because he did not know if the bear had moved behind him and he was afraid to move. Eventually he gathered enough courage to haul ass all the way to his house.

I am not sure what I would do if I end up running into a bear. I don't think I can break out into a full sprint with my beat up legs.

Squid-rice in Oshamambe

July 29, 1983, Friday

Started running at 9:00am on a cold and foggy day. I did a lot of walking with running on the straight and narrow road towards the town of Oshamambe. It seemed like a totally straight and flight 31km route to this old Ainu town.

I met Mrs. Suzuki of the Hakodate Running Club on the road while I was running. She was driving over to Obihiro to watch a track & field meet with another family.

When I got into Oshamambe, I hung around the train station before going to the Murakami residence for the night. At the station, I bought some ika-meshi, one of the famous dishes of this town. It is seasoned squid filled with rice. Very delicious, although I am still not sure what nutritional value squid has. All I know is that it was very tasty.

The town of Oshamambe seems a bit depressed. It may be due to the weather, but Oshamambe looks like a lonely town. However, the young couple, the Murakamis, made me feel at home. While relaxing earlier in the evening, I watched a video tape of the Tokyo International Marathon that took place earlier this year. Toshihiko Seko had won that race in 2:08:38, a first win for him in Tokyo. I truly enjoyed the evening and felt so relaxed here with Mr. and Mrs. Murakami.

Note: For an interesting account about this area written by a foreigner in 1878, read Unbeaten Tracks in Japan by Isabella L. Bird.

Phone Home

July 28, 1983, Thursday

I left the town of Mori (named after the word for "forest" in Japanese) at 10:30am and started to do some easy running mixed with walking to the town of Yakumo, or Yakumocho. The total distance covered today was 32km on a cloudy and foggy day. It is cold in this area, especially at night and when you are close to the ocean.

My knee is hurting from yesterday's run. I must have been carried away from all the excitement. I need to rest the knee for a while and just do some gentle running and walking on these shorter distance days.

At 3:30pm, I reached the town of Yakumo and contacted Mr. Sahashi for a place to sleep. I spent a quiet evening with the Sahashi family. I called Guam today and spoke with Bill Thomasson, a close friend, and also with Cinde Whitman, president of the Guam Running Club. The call cheered me up quite a bit. I have been thinking about Guam a lot lately, and looking forward to being back home.

Northern Country

July 27, 1983, Wednesday

After meeting with the mayor at City Hall and talking with reporters, I started running at 9:45am. I couldn't believe it--they had the streetlights turned off and cops at the intersections so that I could run through! This was the first time it's happened, and I did not expect it at all. Of course, I would not expect any other place to do it, either. It was a bit too much with the police escort.

Members of the Hakodate Running Club were there to see me off after a very formal ceremony with many people watching. It was a bit embarrassing for me, but I must admit, it felt good to be treated like this after coming all the way to the northern island of Hokkaido.

A couple of Hakodate runners joined me for the first 20km of my 41km run today. I had lunch at the Onuma Country Club. The club is a very impressive one. I was told that they use it for cross-country skiing in the wintertime. I would love to come back here to do some cross-country skiing, something that I had done a bit of when going to school in Gunnison, Colorado.

It was fairly comfortable running in the cloudy and foggy conditions that lasted all day. I reached the town of Mori at 3:00pm and went to Mr. Sasaki's house to spend the night. I had a delicious steak dinner and drank lots of beer--Sapporo beer, of course.

Running on Water?

July 26, 1983, Tuesday

The morning was spent touring the city of Aomori. I rode the 12:15pm Seikan Ferry to the city of Hakodate past the Tsugaru Strait. It's been very cold due to the fact that it's been raining all day.

I tried to get some sleep on the ferry, but could not rest because of the loud kids running around the boat playing tag. I should not blame them--it's a great experience and a lot of fun for them to be on this ferry. They are probably on some sort of a school trip.

In case you are wondering--No, I did not run in place while the ferry was making its way to Hakodate!

I reached Hakodate at 4:30pm and was greeted by a gentleman and two ladies from the Hakodate Running Club. We all went to a historic building that was also a classy restaurant and ate a nice dinner. The Hakodate runners are great--the president is a doctor here and really seems to know his stuff about running and the body. I enjoyed talking with him. It was a fun evening, a good start for the next leg of my journey, this time, through the northern island of Hokkaido.

Last Honshu Run

July 25, 1983, Monday

It was a sunny and HOT day. I started running from the hotel at 9:30am. I should say running/walking because for the first 20km of today's 40km route, I was suffering from leg soreness and the intense heat. At about the halfway point, I met up with some Aomori runners and ran at a pretty good pace for the rest of the distance into Aomori city.

It was nice to see the ocean again while running and I was super happy, thinking that this was it for the island of Honshu! I made it through the largest island!

I reached the finish at 4:30pm and met the mayor at City Hall. Aomori is such a beautiful town. I'm sure the scenery here is quite different in the middle of winter, giving another view of the city's beauty.

The knee is really bothering me now and it seems to be getting worse every day. Will it hold up in Hokkaido?

Hard Rain

July 24, 1983, Sunday

I left the house at 10:30am in the heavy rain. In fact, it rained heavily all day. I made my way to Hirosaki station, 50km away. I saw on the news that the heavy rain has caused a lot of damage, especially in the town of Masuda where about 50 people died and about 100 people are still missing. Those landslides caused by the rain can do a lot of damage in these towns.

My knees are still bothering me, but I should be fine for the rest of Honshu. I hope the weather is nice tomorrow for my last day of running on the main island of Japan. The Hirosaki people treated me kindly. I got to tour the city with some of the Hirosaki runners and went to see the famous Hirosaki Castle.

Some interesting information about this city: There are numerous remains of cultural assets in Hirosaki, a town centered around Hirosaki Castle. The town is also known as Little Kyoto for its historic set up and the cultural atmosphere. After the Meiji era (1868 - 1912), the town developed as an agricultural district and became Japan's largest producer of apples. Plantation of the fruit is known to have started in 1875 when seeds of western apples introduced through a foreign teacher were planted and since then research brought forth improvement in quality. The prefecture's highest peak on Mt. Iwaki-san is on the west, the mountain ranges of Hakkoda-san are on the east, mountain ranges of Dewa-san are on the south, and Iwaki-gawa River's stream runs from north to south through Tsugaru Plains.

Tsunami Tragedy

July 23, 1983, Saturday

I started running at 9:00am this morning, but first visited the port where 36 people were washed out to sea by a tsunami last May. Amazing how such things can happen so quickly and without warning.

It was mostly cloudy, with some rain showers. Today I felt very tired and sore from the start, so I did more walking than usual to mix up the running. I told myself I'd better take it easy before I end up in the hospital again.

I ran into the town of Odate in the evening, and walked around in the rain to find a place to eat. After eating, I called Mr. Takeda of the Odate Running Club and was picked up to stay at his house. Later at night, I had dinner out in town with the running club and went back to Mr. Takeda's house to get some rest.

While everyone else was the drinking and eating, I kept saying to myself, "I've got to survive the next 2.5 weeks."

Attitude Adjustment

July 22, 1983, Friday

8:00am start. Cloudy day with no rain--perfect conditions for running. I ran the 62km to Noshiro fairly comfortably today.

Today I decided to work on changing my attitude. I am attempting to be more of a positive thinker and having more of a positive outlook during these runs. It seems to be working. I was feeling good today. Now I'm waving and smiling a lot more whenever I see people.

I reached Noshiro City Hall at 5:40pm, talked with news reporters there, then went to the Noshiro Kogyo High School to spend the night. The table tennis club is having their summer training camp here, so the team members are also staying overnight.

This is a much nicer place than I expected (the accommodations). In addition, the folks here are leaving me to do as I please.

Only 3 more days to go until I get to relax on the ship to the island of Hokkaido. That will be a nice break.

By the way, I am writing in ink now because I threw away the pencil to lighten my load. Yes, I am that conscious about the weight that I carry on my back.

Lonely Road

July 21, 1983, Thursday

Today is Liberation Day holiday back home on Guam. Again, just like the 4th of July, it's just another day here in Japan.

I started early at 6:30am today, while it was raining. I did not eat breakfast until 10:00am. I was feeling especially tired on the run today for some reason. Perhaps it was because of the lonely road I was on most of the way, with hardly any drive-ins or stores. During the run, I started to feel sick so I had to take a number of breaks.

Eventually, I made my way to the city of Akita. All I could think about today was to be alone and get some rest. The Youth Hostel that I stayed in last night had a bunch of noisy people that kept me up until past 2:00a.m.

Can it be that my mental condition at this point is deteriorating more than the physical?

Following Basho

July 20, 1983, Wednesday

Started at 6:30am on a cloudy and cold morning. I first thought I had the whole day to myself to run freely for the 60km to Kisakata. I was feeling good, running easily, until someone hopped out of a car all ready to run. This happened at around 7:00am.

At first I was a bit disappointed that I would not be running alone, but the feeling went away. This man, Mr. Tanaka, joining me today turned out to be a very kind, quiet runner who gave me my space as I ran my pace on the road. Unlike the other gung-ho runners, Mr. Tanaka respected my need for some quiet time while I put in my distance. He ran about 50km of the way with me, and at that point, I think he realized why I had preferred to run alone--He was not very talkative in the later parts of the 50km!

I ended up going a bit longer than intended today because we had passed the Youth Hostel by a couple of kilometers. Just 3 more weeks--I've got to make it through just 3 more weeks. I am going to try to enjoy these last remaining days of the run as much as possible.

By the way, I am now in Akita prefecture. The poet Bashō visited Kisakata as part of his 1689 travels in Honshu, and composed a famous waka about Kisakata's islands. However, an eruption of Mount Chōkai in 1804 caused the seabed to rise, and the islands are now surrounded by land, not water. There is a statue of Bashō at the Kanman Temple, which he visited.

Beautiful Yamagata Prefecture

July 19, 1983, Tuesday

I started the run alone today at 11:00am to cover the 45km to the town of Tsuruoka. It was another nice run along the coast on a partly cloudy day with no rain. Yamagata is such a beautiful prefecture. People here are really down-to-earth. At times, it is difficult for me to understand their dialect, though.

As I was running along the coastline, I met a young man who is walking from Soya Point in Wakkanai to Kagoshima (He's going "downhill"). The man pulled out news clipping of me from his wallet. He said he had been looking around for me. It was great meeting up with him...now I don't feel so lonely knowing that I have a fellow traveler covering the same distance. This man really has guts. He quit his regular job to take this journey. People don't do that so much in this country.

Mr. Abe of Tsuruoka met me along the way in his car and following me in his vehicle as we approached town. I noticed signs welcoming me were posted in various parts of the town, on Mr. Abe's car, and even in Mr. Kageyama's house! I feel really grateful for the effort these folks made to make me feel so welcome.

I'm staying at Mr. Kageyama's house for the night. Earlier this evening, I drank so much beer that I started to feel sick. I need to learn to control my input of beer!


Photo: Finishing at City Hall in Central Honshu.

Matsuo Basho's Inn

July 18, 1983, Monday

Before beginning my run, I met with the governor of Murakami. Started running at 9:30am under sunny/partly cloudy skies.

Today's run was an extremely beautiful one along the coastline to Nezugaseki. It was about a 50km run today. It was such a pleasant run today--I truly enjoyed it. Events after the run were quite interesting.

Mr. Ono, who showed me around after my arrival, helped me to check into an old, historic ryokan. The owner of the ryokan informed me that the famous Haiku poet, Matsuo Basho stayed in this same inn. I was a bit skeptical, because this must have been over 300 years ago, according to my calculations. The innkeeper came back with an old registry to prove that he had stayed. Really fascinating! I asked which room, but he did not have any idea. Still, it was a real thrill to know that I am staying in the very same inn as the poet who took the "deep and narrow road" through Japan. This is probably his most famous haiku: furuike ya / kawazu tobikomu / mizu no oto (the old pond / a frog jumps in-- / water's sound) [1686]
(See Photo: Matsuo Basho 1644-1694)

When I settled into my room, I sat down with Mr. Ono, had a few beers, and started to talk about various topics. As we sat talking and drinking, Mr. Ono started to cry. I was not sure what was up, but then he started to tell my why. He was recalling the time he was in New Guinea during World War II. He had some very pleasant memories of being in the islands, but what made him cry was the recalling of atrocities that were committed by the soldiers. I did not ask him to elaborate, but I could only imagine what was going through his mind. We continued talking and he seemed to feel much better by talking through his emotions.

Mr. Ono should come out to the islands once again to erase the bad memories and return with the good. I hope he can make it out to Guam someday.

Today I reached Yamagata Prefecture, another milestone indicating that progress is being made.

Bear Country?

July 17, 2006, Sunday

Another rainy day today. I started the run at 9:15am in the cold rain. I am prepared with my lightweight red poncho from Champion Products, that easily folds up into a pouch. Mr. Ito is running with me again today. I really respect this 66-year-old man who has experienced all kinds of running adventures. He's such a nice guy and fun to be with. He understands how tough it is putting in these long distances and is very sensitive to not disrupt my pace.

The legs are feeling much better, but I still need to monitor the pain in the knees. The knees can really put a stop to your running, especially when you are prone to the sharp pain that can come and go, like big needles being rammed into the knee joint.

When I reached Murakami and checked into a ryokan, I got a massage from a Murakami runner. The Niigata people are really helpful. This part of the country feels so different from being in the big city environment. The people really seem to be so much friendlier.

Today, I heard that bears appear every once in a while out of the mountains. In fact, this year, because of the lack of food in the mountains the bear sightings are more frequent. The other night, I watched a news clip on TV about the apparent sighting of a bear in the vicinity. The TV camera showed a pile of bear droppings, proof enough that it was not just a vision from a guy drunk on sake.

Cold Temps. in Niigata

July 16, 1983, Saturday

A cold rain was falling when I woke up this morning. Still, there was no choice but to head out for a 60km day. This may sound repetitive, but I'll say it again--My legs were sore and I didn't feel like running at all. I felt that way all day today.

I still ran most of the way though, but after lunch, I was really feeling it. Three runners from Niigata joined me from that point and accompanied me the rest of the way. The moral support was welcome and the guys were gentle on me. Gentle running is about all I can do now.

Being in the city of Niigata is interesting. It's a fairly good size and is famous for cold winters, with freezing winds blowing over from Siberia. There is an island off the coast (Sado) where prisoners were sent during the Edo period. The Tokugawa Shogunate also operated gold and silver mines on Sado Island. Refining of the gold and silver ores was also done there. Descriptions of the operation can be found in numerous picture scrolls (See Photo).

Only 9 more days until I leave the island of Honshu. I just can't wait to reach Hokkaido, or the land of Ezo as it was called in times past.

City of Fireworks

July 15, 1983, Friday

A cloudy day with some showers. I started the run at 8:00am for a manageable 35km to the town of Nagaoka. Two runners from the Nagaoka Running Club joined me today. No problem, they took it easy on me.

Today's distance was short (21+ miles is short? It's all relative, I guess). The legs are still hurting though. As you can see from the photo, I am now wearing a knee support.

A bit of history: On August 1, 1945, the city of Nagaoka experienced approximately 126 B-29 bombers bombing Nagaoka for one hour and 40 minutes, starting at 10:26 p.m. The air raid turned most of the city into a deluge of fire. It claimed about 1,460 lives, and nearly 60,000 people lost their homes.

In 1946, the city designated August 1 as a day to commemorate the rebirth of the city. In 1951, the day was chosen as Nagaoka’s Festival Day. On August 2 and 3, Japan’s largest scale fireworks show is held along the banks of the Shinano as a reminder of the people who lost their lives during the air raid.

To the people of Nagaoka, the city’s annual fireworks show is a symbol of peace and an expression of enthusiasm for Japan’s postwar reconstruction. Unfortunately, I won't be around to enjoy the fireworks with the citizens of Nagaoka. In fact, I'll still be continuing this run.

I'm trying not to think too far ahead about the future right now. No use asking myself, "Am I going to be able to walk if I make it to Hokkaido?" I need to take one day at a time. Things will work out.

Tunnels Again

July 14, 1983, Thursday

I had a late morning start today with a lot of distance to cover. I'm not sure how many kilometers I ran today, but I do know that it was over a fairly long distance. The guys here at Nyuzen informed me about the tunnels. No way you can run in these tunnels, according to them. They are way too long and are not built for pedestrians to pass through, they said.

They insisted to follow me in their vehicle, and believe me, I was glad. The Nyuzen Marathon Club guys were right--these tunnels were huge and long. They were filled with exhaust fumes. I know I would have been terrified to go through these monsters on my own. For just the terribly dangerous tunnels, the guys insisted I ride with them. I did not argue. No way...I want to live!

I reached Kashiwazaki in Niigata Prefecture in the late evening. I'm staying at the Youth Hostel here, which is crowded with Tsukuba University track athletes. They remind me of the time I ran for Sophia University in Tokyo when I was a freshman. The training camps with the team were so much fun. Train hard, eat, sleep, and do it again with the rest of the team.

This run is nothing like that experience, although the activity of running is the same. Nothing compares to this long journey, at least nothing that I have encountered so far in my lifetime.

The legs are still sore and I especially feel it in the knees and hip.

Note: Photo above was taken on the first day. Almost a distant memory by the time I reached Kashiwazaki.

English Teacher for the Day

July 13, 1983, Wednesday

I'm still in Nyuzen. According to historical town records, the present town center was an important hotel town in the 17th century and attracted merchants to come and open their shops here. It turned out to be an important hotel town for me, too.

For the first time in a while, I got to sleep in until late morning, then got a haircut. Not really sure who I was getting it cut for, but I figured it would be best not to look too scraggly. I don't want to scare away people who see me on the road. It's bad enough seeing a skinny, dark, sweaty, half-naked guy hyperventilating all over the place. Later in the day, I did a bit of jogging on the grass again at the Nyuzen High School track.

Today, I was an English teacher, speaking with the high school English-speaking Club. It was fun interacting with the students. I love being in the small towns where the schools just have a special atmosphere that encourages friendliness and support.

The legs are still sore, especially in the knees and the hip joints. Whatever the case is tomorrow, I need to start up on the route again. Tomorrow I will head out to Kashiwazaki, in Niigata Prefecture.

Sleeping in School

July 12, 1983, Tuesday

This morning, I went back to where I rode the bus yesterday and started a slow jog from about 10:00am. This shuffling went on for a couple of hours, and by noontime when I reached the town of Nyuzen, I called it quits. That was enough for the day.

I went to Nyuzen High School, where a Nyuzen Running Club member teaches. I asked for a quiet room and took a nap. Later in the afternoon, I did an easy jog on the grass to loosen up a bit and to see how my body was reacting to the running. Even after the nap, I was still sore and very tired. I definitely need more rest. I'd better listen to my body and just rest another day before resuming my run tomorrow.

Tonight I am staying at another Youth Hostel in Asahimachi. I'm thinking about the upcoming route. I heard that there are many tunnels, and with construction going on, it will be quite dangerous. I'd better be extra alert on the road.

Lay My Body Down

July 11, 1983, Monday

I woke up feeling sore all over. My entire body is aching--even my earlobes! I started at 8:00am from Takaoka station, but I didn't really feel like running a step. After about 5km of running, I just stopped. I walked a bit to keep moving. Then I started to feel so tired that I felt like I was just going to drop dead. I just wanted to lay down right there on the asphalt to get some rest.

At that point, I made a quick decision to go to Toyama to rest in a hotel. I rode a bus to the train station and found a place to relax a bit. The sound of cars, the smell of exhaust fumes, the act of running, all of a sudden, had become too much for me to handle. I just didn't care anymore about the distance I scheduled to put in today. I need to get some rest if I am to finish this run. No more running today.

Halfway through Honshu?

July 10, 1983, Sunday

I have just about one more month to go! It will be kind of nice to get back to a more normal routine. I miss wearing regular clothes. I miss music. I miss not being tired all the time.

It was another surprisingly cold day for summertime. I left Komatsu at 8:15am on a partly cloudy day. I had a long run ahead of me--over 70km of road. I was not enjoying the running today at all. It was just way too long! I am starting to think that approximately 50km is just about the right amount of distance to run now without wiping myself out. What a difference an additional 20+km can make.

Tonight I am staying in a Youth Hostel in the town of Takaoka, the second largest city in Toyama Prefecture. If you take a look on a map, you'll find Takaoka in the center of the Japanese archipelago along the Sea of Japan, at latitude 36 north and longitude 137 east (See Photo). It is almost on the same latitude as San Francisco, Beijing, and Athens.

When I was lightening the load of my backpack the other day, I had sent my Youth Hostel card along with my other "non-essentials." The lady at the Youth Hostel gave me a hard time about not having a card. After a while, the lady let me slide but she had to make sure that I received an ample dose of stress to add to my already depleted body and mind after running 70+km.

I had arrived at the Youth Hostel at 6:50pm today, the latest finish so far. This does not give me as much time as I want to do my post-run routine (washing, eating, writing, etc.) before going to bed. Every little bit of rest counts now. I can sense that the fatigue is starting to affect my patience and my mood.

Sukiyaki Again is Fine with Me

July 9, 1983, Saturday

There was a sprinkling of rain when I started running at 8:00am today. It's still cold, just like it was yesterday. The distance for today was 55km to the town of Komatsu.

I had a group of runners with me for about 30km of the run today, so I was able to run on my own for about half of the planned route. The runners took it easy on me, knowing that I am experiencing some fatigue after close to a month of high-volume running. (Yes, I did have to remind them.) By the way, I am now in Ishikawa Prefecture. Being on the big island of Honshu, it really is a morale-booster when you find that you’ve traveled from one prefecture to another. It really makes you feel like some progress is being made. So far, Honshu has felt like a never-ending piece of landmass. I will be so happy when I get to the northern end of Honshu and take the ferry to Hokkaido.

Tonight I'm staying at Mr. Ogawa's house. He has a couple of young daughters who swim for the Komatsu Swimming Club. They have some sort of an exchange program with Guam swimmers and had a number of swim meets here and on Guam. I was introduced to the swim team coach who will be on Guam in January for the next meet.

I had Sukiyaki again tonight, but I'm not complaining. It was very tasty. So was the beer.

Note: The photo shows me in a small town with a train station at a dead-end street. Many of my daily runs started and ended at train stations like this one which, in many places, are far removed from my main route.

Not the Tunnel of Love

July 8, 1983, Friday

I left Tsuruga Station at 8:00am this morning. It was raining and quite cold. Last night, I had thrown a number of things away from my backpack and had others sent back home so that I could run with a lightened load.

Unfortunately, today's run had me go through some hilly terrain. Wherever you have hills or mountains in Japan, you are bound to be going through some tunnels. These tunnels that I encountered today were dark and dangerous, just like the ones in Kyushu. (See Photo) They are also damp, with ice-cold water dripping down on you as you pass through some spots. All you hear is the dripping water and the echo of your footsteps, which sound like someone is running right behind you. Drip...Drip…Pitter-Patter, Pitter-Patter, Pitter-Patter…Drip… Drip… There is also the smell of earth, moss, and, sometimes, mold. You can almost smell your own fear.

When I was running through these tunnels in the isolated mountain road leading to Fukui, I started to freak out a bit. I remembered the ghost stories that people used to tell me when I was a child growing up in Japan. Like the one about the woman who was jilted by her lover and committed suicide by hanging at the entrance of tunnel located on an isolated road. While I was thinking about this, the sound of my own footsteps started to play with my imagination. I picked up the pace in the tunnels, and the echoing sound of "another runner" picked up the pace as well. I never thought I could be spooked like that in the middle of the day, but believe me, the hard-falling rain, isolated environment, the tunnels--they all contributed to establishing a sense of urgency for me to GET THE HELL OUT OF THE TUNNELS!!!

I reached the city of Fukui finally, and stopped in front of Fukui Station at just before 4:00pm. I met up with Mr. Sato of the Fukui Marathon Club. We went to a restaurant to eat some Sukiyaki before going to my hotel for the night. I was glad to finish running through the tunnels today and celebrating by drinking lots of beer.

Compact Camera Weighing Me Down?

July 7, 1983, Thursday

I left Obama Lodge a few minutes before 7:00am. Unfortunately, I had to cover ground that I had already gone over yesterday due to the fact that the town is a bit removed from my route. I wasted about 40 minutes getting back to where I left off.

It was another long day with 55km to cover under the hot sun to Tsuruga. Again, my back started hurting as soon as I began the run. Now I am serious about getting rid of a lot of things in the backpack, although I am already down to my bare necessities. Maybe the camera will go next? It really isn't that heavy. It's one of those compact Olympus XA cameras (see photo). I really like it and would hate to part with it.

For some reason, I felt terribly lonely on the road today. Ultrarunning is such a mind game. You just need to push on no matter what or how you are feeling. On a brighter note, I did meet a young Japanese man who is cycling from Kyoto to Wakkanai near the tail end of today's run. We exchanged some stories on what we had experienced so far. It is encouraging to meet people like him along the way, although I was a bit envious of his ability to eat up the long distances on the bicycle. Smart guy.

No Rest for the Weary

July 6, 1983, Wednesday

I was awake by 4:30am and left the inn at 6:00. I had a long 70km stretch of road to cover today to the town of Obama. My back hurts like hell! I've started to do more walking and I'm just tired of it. I would rather run the whole way if only my back felt better. It would be great to get rid of this backpack so that I can run unimpeded. Lately, I have been going through every single item in my backpack to see if I could dump it. Believe me, I have thrown a lot of stuff away already. I am so careful about adding to the weight of my pack that even the thought of throwing out my money ran through my mind.

The truth is even if I got rid of the backpack, it would still take a while for my back to feel normal again. With the walking, these distances are taking up too much time, leaving me less time to rest/relax after the day's journey. The routine after each run has been rush to the inn to eat, bathe, wash clothes, and make phone calls, etc. This feels like a low point of my trip. Bad back = Bad mood. If you have experienced major back pain before, you know what I'm talking about.

Now I am in Fukui Prefecture. The city of Obama prospered as a good natural harbor along the Sea of Japan since ancient times. It was an important port for international trade with Korea and China via the Sea of Japan. This made it one of the first Japanese cities to introduce the advanced culture of the continent. It was known to Nara and Kyoto as the closest port from the capital through the Saba Road (salted mackerel road).

The history is interesting. Learning about these new places helps to get my mind off the painful back. Am I going to make it all the way to the northern point of Hokkaido with my back feeling this way? I am starting to wonder.

Ringing in a New Day

July 5, 1983, Tuesday

I gathered up my belongings and prepared to walk the two boys to school before beginning my run. The priest gave me the privilege of hitting the big temple bell, a ritual that takes place at daybreak and at sundown. From the top of the mountain, the sound of the bell rings loud and clear, telling everyone in town that the day has begun, or that it is time to go home. "Gong!...Gong!...Gong!" I asked the boys to help me as we swung the wooden pole into the bell. It was quite exhilarating. I know I won't have much of an opportunity to do that again. Not unless I become a priest at a temple.

After we finished our bell duty, we said good-bye to the priest and headed down the road to school. The boys were relatively quiet, but very respectful. We talked about school, sports and the importance of finding out what it is that we enjoy doing. Before long, we reached the school. I shook hands with the boys and started my 60km run to Miyazu.

I encountered a little rain, but it was cloudy most of the day. I had my backpack with me all day again. When I reached the town of Mineyama, a passing motorist offered me a ride. I thanked the gentleman, but turned down the offer. Nice guy. It never ceases to amaze me how many kind people there are in this world. They show up when you least expect it.

My back and feet were hurting quite a bit on the run today, mainly from carrying my heavy pack. The feet I don't mind so much, but pain in the back is really hard to handle. I hope this is not going to lead to any serious injury.

Note: Although it is oftentimes difficult to identify the direct cause of lingering back pain, I believe that the back problems I encountered in later years stemmed from this 1983 experience. I had learned in 1999 to somewhat ease the discomfort by doing some yoga after each run, but 23 years later a similar pain still comes and goes.

One Special Night

July 4, 1983, Monday

It's Independence Day! No sign of that here--no fireworks, no barbecues, etc. It's just another hot, summer day in Japan. In fact, it's very HOT today! To top it all off, I had to carry my belongings all the way for the first time this time. Up until now, I had some crew members from the running clubs transporting my bag to designated points.

Today's route was 45km to the small town of Kumihama. I had to run through some dangerously dark and winding tunnels in the mountains and was almost killed on two occasions. It happens so often now that I don't get as spooked as I did earlier. I am just extra alert when I go through these tunnels so that I can get out of the way in a split second if required.

As I was running on a lonely stretch of mountain road leading to the town of Kumihama, I was offered a ride by two beautiful girls in a car. It was really tempting, but I had to turn them down. Believe me, it was a tough decision. The car slowed and the girls asked me a few questions, like "What are you doing?" and "Why?" I told them I was on my way to Kumihama, so they informed me they would see me there at a certain coffee shop. The run into town was on the downhill side of a mountain pass. I picked up the pace, but it wasn't entirely due to gravity. When I got into town, instead of going straight to City Hall, I went directly to the coffee shop where the two mighty fine girls were waiting.

The girls and I had a cold drink and we chatted for a while. They are fashion models, they said. I believed them. They also asked, "What are you doing later tonight? We are going to be free after 8:30pm." I told the girls that I was not sure where I was going to be staying tonight, but I can meet them at the coffee shop again at 8:30. They agreed, and we parted. I was not feeling so tired anymore.

I had to get to City Hall, so I started running again mainly to get myself sweaty again so that I would look like I just finished running into town. I met with the people at City Hall and they introduced me to the man who was to take me to the place where I will be staying. No hotel or ryokan rooms are available tonight, I was told. I got into the car with him, and we exchanged greetings. The man said to me, "Mr. Schumann, I am a Zen Buddhist priest. You will be staying at my Zen Buddhist temple tonight." What??? The one night when I am supposed to hook up with some mighty fine ladies, I am staying in a temple on top of a mountain? There is something wrong with this picture!

So here I am, in a 600-year-old Zen Buddhist temple. This is an interesting place. I am not tall (5'9"), but I have to duck to go into the rooms. People were much smaller when this place was built. The nails in the wooden beams are old. They are square and solidly planted in the wood. The room I am staying in is bare with just tatami mats and a futon mattress. When I lay down, I can hear some strange rustling noises from some kind of animals under the floor.

This is like staying in a museum. The priest heard that I am a history teacher and he knows I have a strong interest in history. He brought out a 1000-year-old scroll and showed it to me. Wow! You can just sense the history of this place. He also gave me a few coins that were found when they changed the wood flooring a number of years back. These coins are at least 200 years old. I will be sure to take good care of these. This place is very special and I am fortunate to be staying here. I'd really like to come back here to spend some more time in this temple. Maybe I can get in a summer of training here.

The priest pulled me aside later in the evening and told me about two children (boys) staying here with him. According to the priest, the father of these boys is a Yakuza and the mother has basically abandoned the kids because she is unable to support them. They are staying here at the temple and the priest and his wife are the kids' parents now. The older boy is a junior high school student and is a distance runner on the track team. The priest has asked me if I could walk the kids to school in the morning and talk with them about the sport of track and about life in general. Of course, that would be great. If there is any way I could help the kids, that would make me happy. With that, I said good night.

As I lay here on the bare tatami mat, I can't help but think how I would be spending the evening if, just this one night, I were staying in town. Someone must be watching over me.

Party Tonight

July 3, 1983, Sunday

It was a hot run all the way today. I left Sakyu to go to where I left off yesterday to cover the 60km to Kasumi. The route was very scenic along the coast, which was dotted with many beaches. Unfortunately, what seemed to be Bosozoku punks, or members of car/motorcycle gangs, broke up the pleasant running along the coast. These guys would zoom by with no regard for human life (other than their own) in their souped-up hot rods. All of these cars were decorated with a mighty fine looking chick sitting in the passenger seat. I must be doing something wrong...no mighty fine chick is going to want to be seen next to a skinny dude who uses his own legs for transportation, I guess.

Each time when I heard a car coming from around the bend, I scooted over to the extreme edge of the road to avoid becoming a hood ornament. Sure enough, a young punk trying to impress his chick with his “driving skills” manned every car that was speeding. Oh well, the girls must be imagining that they are riding with the late James Dean.

I was completely exhausted from being out in the sun all day and was ready for replacing my fluids. The Kasumi group put together a small gathering for me at dinnertime and I truly enjoyed their company. They kept it low-key to allow for a more relaxed, intimate atmosphere. What a wild and fun-loving bunch of people the Kasumi folks are! I had a lot of fun. The beer (Sapporo this time) was delicious. Maybe I had a few too many.

Maniac Driver

July 2, 1983, Saturday

Started running at 9:00am this morning. It was cloudy at the start, but the rain started falling in the early afternoon. It got to be very cold with the hard rain. I eventually made my way to Tottori Station, a distance of 50km today. The last few kilometers were with an 80-year-old runner from the Tottori Marathon Club. This I didn't mind--it was at a very slow pace.

I reached the train station at 2:30pm, but had to wait there until about 3:00pm. I was told that we had arrived too early and had to wait for a film crew so that they could film us finishing. The crew finally arrived and we conducted an interview in the rain. By this time, the rain was really coming down hard.

Mr. Ishimaru, of the Sakyu Running Club, then offered to give me a ride in his car to the inn in Sakyu where I will be staying overnight. Sakyu is one of the more scenic spots in Tottori Prefecture and is famous for its sand dunes (See Photo). These sand dunes are Japan's largest (about 16 kilometers long and about 2.4 kilometers from north to south). They were formed by the deposit of volcanic ash on the Sendai-gawa River blown roughly from winds coming from the Sea of Japan.

I thought I would never make it to Sakyu. Why? Let me tell you why? Mr. Ishimaru is a nice, elderly gentleman (75 years old), wears Coke bottle glasses and drives like a MANIAC!!! We were going so fast that the tires were not touching the rode--they were floating on the rainwater. Yes, hydroplaning. The driving rain made it very difficult to see and there were times when we were zooming down the road in the wrong lane! In fact, at one point, Mr. Ishimaru entered a one-way route and we were driving head on into traffic. Oh, I forgot to mention that Mr. Ishimaru's car is one of those lightweight super compact cars that can still gather up plenty of speed. There was no more "Long and Winding Road" playing in my head. It was more like "Stairway to Heaven." We were very fortunate that the other drivers were not driving as recklessly as Mr. Ishimaru was.

I finally made it to the Sakyu Inn, but my heart rate is still not back to normal.

Music in My Head

July 1, 1983, Friday

I woke up feeling good this morning after getting plenty of undisturbed rest last night. After meeting with the mayor, I started my run this morning at 9:30am on another very hot day with temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius. It was a scenic 50km route to the town of Yura with the ocean in view much of the way.

It's great running alone, allowing me to think about things and to let my mind wander, while at the same time monitoring my body. I found myself singing The Beatles' "The Long and Winding Road" in my head while I covered the black asphalt roads today. I've never been a big fan of The Beatles and I don't remember where I last heard that song. But it just kept playing over and over in my head--

"The long and winding road
That leads to your door
Will never disappear
I've seen that road before
It always leads me here
Lead me to your door..."

All I know is that this music playing in my head gives me the energy to continue with the running, almost like a gentle shove on my back to allow me to cruise along with less effort. It is a bit strange how this is affecting me. The song is just playing over and over like a broken record. I don't think the sun has gotten to my brain just yet, though.

I finished running by 2:30pm and met up with the mayor before checking into my ryokan. I'm staying in a bare-bones Japanese inn tonight. Nothing fancy, just tatami mats and a mattress. No problem, though. I'm still able to rest comfortably with nobody to bother me. This time, I again let the good folks of Yura know that I wanted a little quiet time on my own. I'm glad I did. The rest is so important. I can party every single night and end up in a hospital again, or finish with my mind and body still in decent shape to recover from this journey. I am realizing how much of a strain this is, not only on the body, but also on the mind.

Matsue and Lafacdio Hearn

June 30, 1983, Thursday

I was awakened before 5:00am this morning to what I thought was some kind of an emergency. After grabbing a hold of my BVDs that were already loose due to my skinny waist, I found out that some villagers had arrived and wanted to see me off before they headed to work. Yes, it's true that I needed more sleep, and in a way I did feel like an animal in a zoo. However, I also felt grateful that these folks came all the way to Mr. Mochida's house to wish me well. I rubbed the sleep out of my swollen eyes and thanked everyone for coming.

The run to the town of Yonago today was a long 70km leg. Another extended haul, with very little sleep this time. It rained for about an hour and a half from noontime. Right about that time, I had reached the town of Matsue. This is the town where Lafacdio Hearn (see photo) spent some time and was inspired to write so many of his books on Japan, including "In Ghostly Japan" (1899). Hearn (1850-1904) became a Japanese citizen and married a Japanese, taking the name Yakumo Koizumi. Matsue is a very scenic town, known for its Matsue Castle and the beautiful Lake Shinji.

The rest of the run into Yonago was a pleasant one, especially when running along Lake Shinji. This lake is the seventh largest lake in Japan, and is a combination of fresh-water and salt-water, depending on the tide. When I arrived in Yonago, I explained my desire for some time alone to catch up on some much-needed rest. The Yonago Running Club folks understand my situation and are leaving me alone this evening. I really appreciate their understanding.

Now I am in Tottori Prefecture. The name "Tottori" has an interesting history. During the Nara Era (8th century), there were many lakes and marshes in the area near what is today Tottori City. Many water birds lived here, and there were many "tottoribe"(people who catch birds (tori) for work). Hence, the name Tottori came to be used to describe this area.

Again, I am noticing the subtle changes in speech and customs as I make my way to the central part of Honshu. Now I can sense that I am getting somewhere, but I still have a long way to go.

For more information about Lafcadio Hearn, see http://www.trussel.com/f_hearn.htm.