I walked across Japan and slept in a tent

I started in Tokyo and began walking towards Kawasaki, where I encountered relentless rain, and Yokohama, where I made an unlikely friend.

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JAPAN BY FOOT
Chapter 1: Song of Storms

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“Japan by Foot” is a 9 part series by Jozef K. Richards documenting his 2019 walk from Tokyo, Japan to the island of Shikoku. In Chapter 1, Jozef starts at Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo and walks to the Maruko Bridge in Kawasaki, camping under the bridge, then Mitsuzawa Park, setting up a tent to sleep in, and Yamashita Park in Yokohama. Before leaving, he visits the Studio Ghibli museum, remembering the films of Hayao Miyazaki, and views wildlife in Tokyo, like the grey heron and little egret. He visits Dominos, Royal Host, and the Red Brick Warehouse after passing Cosmo World.

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Comencé en Tokio y comencé a caminar hacia Kawasaki, donde encontré una lluvia implacable, y Yokohama, donde hice un amigo inesperado.

Estás viendo:
JAPÓN A PIE
Capítulo 1: Canción de las tormentas

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“Japón a pie” es una serie de 9 partes de Jozef K. Richards que documenta su caminata en 2019 desde Tokio, Japón, hasta la isla de Shikoku. En el Capítulo 1, Jozef comienza en el cruce de Shibuya en Tokio y camina hasta el puente Maruko en Kawasaki, acampando debajo del puente, luego al parque Mitsuzawa, instalando una tienda de campaña para dormir, y al parque Yamashita en Yokohama. Antes de salir, visita el museo Studio Ghibli, recuerda las películas de Hayao Miyazaki y observa la vida silvestre en Tokio, como la garza real y la garceta común. Visita Dominos, Royal Host y Red Brick Warehouse después de pasar por Cosmo World.

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@jozefkrichards @kintoumedia

Alright, it is quarter to five in the morning. The sun is up in the land of the rising sun. I did want to get the sunrise, but… Clearly, it is extremely early. Um, also, it’s raining, and… Uh… I think I’m just gonna wait ’til I stop hearing so much rain, and then…

Which could, that could be right now. I don’t know. It was the best of toilets, it was the worst of toilets. It was soon to be my thirtieth birthday, it was soon to be thirty years passed me by.

It was less than three hundred and twenty-five dollars to fly to Tokyo from San Francisco and that was good enough for me. Getting around Japan once I got there, however, was a bit less budget-friendly. But I heard about a guy around my age walking across Antarctica while dragging a sled

So I figured I could walk across Japan wearing a backpack. I had my sights set on the island of Shikoku and my friend, Mayu, was there to help me prepare and show me around Tokyo. I was excited to visit the Studio Ghibli museum.

The films of Hayao Miyazaki have been among my greatest inspirations as a creative. Japan is world famous for its creativity, very familiar even to my nephews at home. – Games! – Whoa. Ooh, Pikachu. I see Pikachu. – Bowser! – Bowser! – Nintendo Switch games. – Kirby Star Allies!

– I wanna win Squirtle! – I wanna win Squirtle! But I was after things less familiar. What’s that? That’s a grey heron. Heron! And a little egret. Egret? What are egrets? – The smaller one, right there. – Oh! He says, “I wanna go away from that.” Ducks. – Jellyfish! – Jellyfish!

– And a night heron. – A night heron? Is it sleep at day? He hunts when it’s night and snatches up fish like a pair of chopsticks. I’m hungry. My friend of twelve years at the time, Sam, also lives in Tokyo. He lives in Tokyo? He helped me out a lot too.

It’s reckless, but when you pitch tents in, like, urban areas, like, you know? What? What happens? Oh, and apparently my medium size shirt is extra large in Japan. What? So what do you think your size would be? Maybe I would be… a medium.

So, having secured everything I needed, you know what I did next. And then… and then you drive home? Well, no. Then, I started walking across Japan. What? You started walking across Japan?

My friend, Sam, saw me off, and I headed out to begin my walk at the busiest pedestrian crossing in the world, Shibuya, in the biggest city in the world, Tokyo. Maybe this big? Actually, it’s even bigger than that. Big enough to have its own Mario Kart race.

Oh, I just saw it. I just saw it. I just saw it. But I had a different race to contend with because I was going to be camping along the entire way and the forecast projected storms. We’re trying to make it to Kawasaki tonight.

Hoping I can get there before dark, and before rain. Pretty much just keep going in the same direction and I’ll get there. Seems like I’m within two or so miles of my destination. Imprecisely, but I don’t have a… have an exact place that I’m gonna sleep. I made it to Kawasaki.

And this is pretty much my destination here. I’m making my way back to the park that was under the bridge. And the rain has officially begun. We got a little lucky here. The rain has died down. Moving towards the bridge right now.

Looks like we’re going to have a little bit of clear weather to set up the tent. Get ready for the rain. Alright, so, it’s just about 7 now. Been up for about two hours and this rain is only getting worse. The other side of this underpass is flooding. I think from the trains.

Um, I brought my tent under here to try to dry it out in the wind. Um, it’s only gonna get so dry. There’s a lot of moisture in the air. Um, my hands really can’t get dry. Yeah, this morning has not been good. Um…

It’s good for the ducks, I guess. They seem to be having a good time. And the crows, or ravens. Got a lot of respect for these river people I see encamped along here. Yeah, I don’t know how the hell they… do this.

But they obviously know, don’t camp under the bridge because it floods. But I, again, I was not under the bridge. I was on the side of it. My spot is actually still dry. I would have been better off just staying in my tent. This would have been the day to sleep in.

You know, it’s just me and, uh… Me and h1n. My little red-eyed troll. And, uh… Just the two of us. We can make it if we try. So, I think what we’re gonna try to do is pack our things up if we can get it reasonably dry.

And, uh, if the rain will just let up, just a little bit for us to get out of here. It is not getting any better over here. It is flooding significantly. Pretty sure I’m gonna have to, uh, wade through some water to even get to the road, so…

What have I done to myself? Well, it said that it wasn’t gonna rain. It also says that it’s not raining. It’s definitely raining. Um… Well, actually, I guess it’s more like, uh… Misting. It’s misting. Yeah. I’m gettin’ wet though. That’s for sure. Anyway, I’m glad to be here.

And I’m soaking it all in… And literally soaking it all in. I feel good other than my shoulders which burn with the flames of eternal Hell from this 32 pound backpack. But, uh, otherwise I’m feeling great. Other than that I’m wet. But otherwise I’m feeling great. And, uh… And I’m hungry actually.

And tired. Um, but this isn’t about complaining. This is about having a big, toothy grin. Just like that sign right there. Couldn’t have timed it better. So, I was on the other side of the road, but then I saw a picture of a sandwich.

So, I stopped at this place called Royal Host, which is like the Japanese Denny’s or something. Even though they also have Denny’s. But, now I have to walk across this giant bridge and climb it when I could have just kept going the way I was going.

So, I gave myself a lot of extra work and I don’t think the calories in that sandwich equal the calories I’m burning on this bridge. Anyway. It was a nice little break. And, uh, it was really interesting because I’m sitting there, eating my sandwich.

And there I see across the room is another foreign woman. Also eating alone like me. Very… serendipitous. So, you know… I see her. She sees me. And then I just left because this isn’t a fucking movie, alright? I got shit to do. I don’t care. I don’t care about that. Alright?

Who do you think I am? Hugh Grant? No. I’m better than that. Royal Host. Yeah, good sandwich but very small portion. I feel like I’m eating off of a kid’s menu. I’m like, uh, Gulliver’s Travels or something. Or, uh… Or… Or, uh… Yeah, I’m gonna go with Gulliver’s Travels.

Nobody’s tied me up, yet. Stay tuned, Episode 12. Hopefully not. Okay. It’s starting to get dark. We’re definitely going to arrive at this place after dark. I’m gonna blame it on the rain. Oh, more steps… C’mon, man. Uh, I’m gonna blame it on the rain… Let’s keep going.

There are so many goddamn stairs in this part of the city. Is it rain? Is it sweat? Nobody knows. So, I only have about one mile to go. This rain… drizzle… mist… has just not let up at all. I’m very wet. Glad I have the rain cover on my pack. Good Lord.

This is a very hilly area also. This is a tough one. Um… It’s definitely, uh, putting in perspective the rainy days to come, and the mountainous days to come. Um… And the days where we’re covering even more miles than this. Uh… We got a challenge ahead of us for sure. Uh…

But we’re pulling through. Yeah. This is a trying night though. I’ll tell you that. But we’re almost there. Just as I’ve arrived to Mitsuzawa Park in Yokohama, uh, the rain finally, finally seems to have let up. Um… This is what I thought it would be, a mixed athletic park.

There is a stadium that is locked, but everything else seems to be more or less open. There are still some joggers here at this time. And some guys playing tennis. So, we’ve got open bathrooms and then there’s, like, this open courtyard, um, with some paths…

Um, with bushes that are about as tall as my tent. So, I think that’s gonna be our best spot. We made it. Son of a bitch. Alright, we’re in the tent. Everything’s good. The rain is done. I ate a raspberry cheesecake ice cream cone out of a vending machine. I’m feeling okay now.

We’re by a hospital if anything goes wrong. And we’ll be back at it tomorrow. What a difference the next morning can make. It’s a nice, sunny morning. Cool air. About 60 degrees. I hear “Country Roads,” by John Denver, playing from a distant speaker. People are jogging and walking slowly around.

With old people doing sword-related exercises. And you can see where the tent has been set up. Just kinda this little spot amid a bunch of bushes. So, I think we did pretty well last night. Did get a little cold, but nothing too bad. That thermal pad underneath really, really helps.

I’d say that is one of the most essential items I have. Okay, we’re gonna break this down, look for some coffee and breakfast. Let’s get started. So I’ve been waiting to find one of these since I started walking.

They’re apparently not that common, but some of the vending machines have beverages that are hot instead of cold. Such as this coffee. So, it comes out hot. It’s delicious, and… Really this is, this is one of Japan’s greatest accomplishments that I’ve seen so far. So, we gotta get on this.

Rest of the world, let’s get on this. Hot coffee in vending machines. Some people, before they give it too much thought, they look at a bird and think, well, don’t they have it good? All they do is fly around all day, or…

But, really, they’re working. If they don’t do shit, they’re gonna die. – They’re dead if they don’t keep going. – They’re working hard. Yeah. And they only have a set amount of time to, like, raise, like, children, and… – Like, we have it good, man. – Yep.

– We have it really, really, really good. – Yep. Yeah, so… Yeah, they’re not just flying around. – As fun as that does look. – I know. I know. It, it does. It really… It’s… But to them it’s just like walking. I mean, think about when you’re a baby, like…

Walking around? You were in such amazement of the people around you, because they’re walkin’ around, and you’re not. You know? You’re like, “how are they doin’ that? Oh my god.” Like, when you’re a kid. But then, as life goes on, you’re less amazed by everything because you think you understand it, but, really…

– I don’t fuckin’ get any of this shit, man. – Oh yeah, are you gonna crack that one? – Yeah, I was gonna give you one. – Oh, right on. Milwaukee’s Finest. – Hi. – Hi. What is this here? Um… It’s a sleeping pad for camping. – So… – Oh, really?

So, you put it on the ground and then it’s a… Oh, yeah. Yeah, I see. Yeah, yeah. It prevents the heat from seeping into the ground, so… – If the ground is really cold… – Oh! Wow. It’s a life saver.

Or if your air mattress, like, deflated and then you’re on, and then you fall asleep… – And then, it’s like, you wake up and you have hypothermia. – Oh yeah? I just spent about four hours with my new friend, Robert from Switzerland. He saw me photographing the ferris wheel of Cosmoworld

And was curious about my sleeping pad. And, I said, “hey, what are you doing for lunch?” He treated me to a nice lunch, and a nice dessert and coffee. Great conversation. He’s 84 years-old. Great health. Reminded me of my own grandpa. He lived in Japan. He lives in Portugal. He’s lived in America.

He’s lived in Argentina. He’s been all around. So, I can only hope that when I am 84… That I’ll still be walking around like he is. You were in such amazement of the people around you, because they’re walkin’ around, and you’re not. Sometimes you just sleep in a tent under a bridge

And that doesn’t mean you’re homeless. Yeah. And, uh… I don’t know. I like to think about things that I learned today. Such as how to appreciate bridges. Learned that from a guy in a pink hat. That was a great man. So, as I drift off into the dreamland, after night one…

I’ll be thinking about bridges and guys with a pink hat. And also, I’ll be thinking of trains. Definitely, I’ll be thinking of trains. Because… They’re… That’s very loud. So, it will be hard not to think about that. “No. I’m better than that.”