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.