Reggie Thomson's Diary

I was up by dawn – at five in the morning. I started hitching from the same spot. However, I didn’t seem to have any luck. It was a nice sunrise, too. I thought that perhaps I had missed a good photo. Any photographer worth his salt in Japan has a good photo of Lake Mashu. It’s essential. I was about thirty miles from my destination.

Eventually, I started walking. I was able to take some photos of the fields, and there were even some ostriches nearby. A gentleman gave me a lift up to the station. By now it was a bit cloudy. I found a place to make some more CDs. Recently, only Canada has been popular.

A young boy chatted as I ate my breakfast. Then I started walking towards Lake Mashu. It was already cloudy. Two ladies from Yokohama stopped for me. They were on a three day holiday, and had been to the lavender fields of Furano. There were still some in blossom, so I thought I might go there next. They chose the “cute” namecards – the squirrel and the teddy bear.

It was completely misted over at the top. I decided to wait, but after about an hour, I gave up. It wasn’t worth it. I’ll have to come back some other time.

I had a lift back to the Kawanoyu junction with a family. Then, a photographer picked me up to go to Teshikaga. He, too, had been to Lake Mashu for the sunrise, but it had been misty. Perhaps I wasn’t meant to go there! Koshimizu had been sunny. He was most interested in my photos, and treated me to a Chinese meal in town. He also knew the other photographer that I had met in Hokkaido. He is freelance, but does some work for Canon. Maybe it will be a useful contact.

I had a lift back to Shibecha, where I had spent 4000 yen on a hotel in a blizzard conditions last February. Now, it was just a bit drizzly and grey. A couple took me to Kushiro. They kindly dropped me at a michinoeki on the main road to Obihiro. I waited for a while for a lift to Obihiro. In Obihiro, I had to walk in the rain for a while. A rafting instructor gave me a lift to the next town, stopping at a convenience store. Finally, I got a lift up to Furano.

I was walking through town looking for a suitable hideout, when I noticed a Rider house – a cheap hostel usually for bikers, but often accepting hitchhikers. I was allowed in by the kindly gentleman, and paid my 1000 yen – the cheapest accommodation I have paid for in Japan – and only the sixth time I have paid cash for a place to stay. I took a bath, and sat upstairs in the tatami room with about half a dozen others. I was offered a room on my own, but decided to stay put, despite the smoke. At any rate, it was soon lights out time.

I continued walking through the drizzle of the early morning. There were lots of deer by the side of the road. Usually, they jumped away at the sound of my singing – I guess I’m not good enough for the deer yet.

I waited inside the shop when it opened, but since I wasn’t a customer, I moved to a small bench just outside, where I could just about avoid the rain.

When there was a break in the clouds, I went for a walk up to the viewpoint. When I returned, the mists and rain began again. I waited for another hour, then decided I was wasting my time. I wrote the sign for Rausu and would aim for the Kumanoyu hot spring. I could then return tomorrow to go to the lakes and the waterfall.

Just before I set off, I thought I ought to take a quick look at the lakes. It was misty, but not raining. Along the path were lots of spiders webs, glistening with morning dew. Perhaps that would be my aim for the day. Lots of people walked past, only noticing the spiders’ webs because I was photographing them. I think that is also part of a photographer’s job – to draw people’s attention to the things they miss when they are in such a rush.

The spiders slowed me down just sufficiently that when I got to the first lake, the sun was just breaking up the clouds. It was magical. There were lots more things to take photos of – insects, fungi, caterpillars and dragonflies. There were only two lakes open – bears had been spotted by the other three. By the time I had finished, it was already 3. I had something to eat, and decided to take the bus to the waterfalls. I only bought a single ticket in case I missed the return and had to walk back.

It was misty by the waterfall. The straw shoe man was hiring out his wares. I decided to keep with my Nike sandals, and rolled up my trousers to knee level. You have to walk in the stream, which isn’t so bad because the water is warm. I carried my rucksack with me. Most people overtook as I was taking photos. Sometimes, I got stuck. The Nike sandals don’t have very good grip. I had a helping hand from one gentleman, but it worried me that I would have to return the same way later on, perhaps in the dark.

I eventually made it to the main pool. The sun just broke through the mists, so I started taking lots of photos. It was brilliant. There was even a halo round the shadow of my head! I had to point it out to others, because they didn’t notice. I then stripped off and plunged in – no, actually, I was in my underpants. I chatted with a guy from Peterborough, working for Perkins engines. Before I left, I took some more photos. I was down to one photo – so had to get the computer out and put everything on the hard disk. Meanwhile, one by one, the others left. I was the last.

Fortunately, I made it back to the road without trouble. Just as I arrived, the bus turned up. It was going up to the bridge, but the driver waved us on anyway. Just as we neared the bridge, someone spotted a bear. I just managed to catch a photo of it from the window – about three metres away. The driver stopped on the way back to let us take photos of the sunset and deer. It was unusual, I thought, because there were probably people waiting at the five lakes, worrying that the bus was late. The guy from Peterborough agreed to take me to Utoro from the visitor centre. It turned out that the bus ticket was the same price from the lakes or the visitor center. Maybe I didn’t need to walk the nine km.

I was dropped at the shop in Utoro, but it had already closed. I went back to Seikomart. I sat in the bus station for a while, eating my supper, before it closed at eight. Then I walked to the last lamppost out of town. I eventually got a ride with someone going to near Abashiri. He took me to near Koshimizu, but it was a seven km walk into town. He had a GPS module in his computer, and the software was talking to him, telling him which way to turn. At one point, I was talking at the same time, so I think we m issed our turning. We ended up on a small road. The computer said we ha d gone off route, but then it just shut up completely. To be completely ignored is a sign of complete rejection – you are on your own and no one will help you.

I think the traffic doesn’t come this way – there are roads to Shari and Abashiri that are quicker. However, this road was wide with a pavement. I followed the line on the edge of the road, rather than worry about bumps in the pavement. About five cars passed, but none stopped. I was disappointed.

I walked through Koshimizu. A car stopped in the middle of the road. However, he was just worried that no one would be going to Kawanoyu at this time of night (midnight). Yes, it seems that in Hokkaido, people go to bed an nighttime, rather than travelling. It makes hitching a bit slower.

I found a place to hide for the evening.

I stood for quite a while in the service area. There seemed to be lots of school children travelling. Eventually, a gentleman waved me over. He was going to Shari, beyond Kitami. I think I did a bit of work on the way, but was quite tired.

I was dropped at a Lily park near Koshimizu. It was a bit cloudy, and I didn’t think I would make it all the way to the hot spring waterfall in Shiretoko peninsula. I wavered a bit, but decided to splash out on the 500 yen entrance fee when I saw a break in the clouds. The break only lasted a few minutes and then returned to the grey cover. It was a bit blowy, too, so I couldn’t take any close ups. Still, it meant I got a few photos for the CD for today.

A lady in a large car stopped for me. She was surprised that I am still single, in spite of my education. She, too, is single, but currently unemployed. She said she had had a snack bar, but the business was no longer profitable, so she had closed it down. Maybe it had been profitable, hence the car. I said I was going to the waterfall in Shiretoko. She took me to the Oshinkoshin waterfall. Since I thought she had already taken me out of her way, I didn’t say anything.

I took a few snaps, but I won’t use them. The winter snaps were better. I walked a little, then hitched into Utoro. An information kiosk gave me some leaflets about the area. I found a good supermarket nearby, with 140g of peanuts for only 88 yen! I bought three packets! Then, I set off for the peninsula, singing as I went, to scare the bears away.

I got a lift up to the visitor center with a young couple. The toilets and center were closed. I started walking. My map suggested it was five kilometres to the five lakes of Shiretoko. I started walking, but it soon got dark. After about an hour’s walk, I checked the map again. It actually said that the lakes were nine km from the visitor centre, not from Utoro, as I had thought. I found a place to hide for the night, though a bit too cramped to sleep properly.

The first lift of the morning was with a couple and a young baby, heading for Oirase gorge, I think. At first, I thought they wanted me to contribute to the travel expenses. I explained that I was hitching. They took me up several service areas to Maezawa. On the way, I was able to get on with some computing. From time to time, they pulled into a parking area to attend to the child. When I left, they plied me with diet Coca-cola and some food.

There were two lifts to Iwatesan services and Hirosaki michinoeki (like an expressway parking area, but on a main road). I had “Aomori” and “Nihongo OK” (Japanese OK) on my signboard. A lady serving somen (cold noodles) came over with a small sample – because I had Japanese OK on my sign.

Two ladies gave me a lift to the ferry. They were going to see some flowers, but took a detour for me. I caught the 6 p.m. ferry. There weren’t many people on it. First, I took a shower and ate my pot noodles. Then, I settled to some computing. Everyone else lay down to sleep. Fortunately, the noise of the boat covered any slight noise from the computer. I made some CDs of the original photos.

When the announcement to leave came, I asked one guy if he was going towards Tomakomai or Sapporo. He was, and agreed to give me a lift part of the way. I chatted a bit, and did yet more computing. I was at the Sumagawa service area, near Asahikawa, in the early hours of the morning. I slept out.

I was up fairly early and wandered round for a bit before buying my combination ticket. It came with a brief map and a route. I went into the garden first, thinking that I should at least get some photos before the crowds arrive. It was enjoyable, with dragonflies, lizards, spiders and lilies.

I didn’t go into the treasure house, since the sun was shining and I didn’t wish to waste it. I went round the Sanbutsudo, but one can’t photograph inside. There is a huge dragon on the ceiling inside, which is said to roar back if you clap two wooden blocks under it. I suspect it was just an echo!

Toshogu was already full with bus loads of tourists. I should have come here first, I think, and ignored the instructions on my ticket. Worse, many of the tourists were school children on a school outing. They had all been given the task of talking to a foreigner in English, and I seemed to be the only one around. Perhaps I need a sign for such occasions – “work in progress, unable to talk.” I talked to some groups, but the light was fading, and the crowds growing. I only took photos of the details, and didn’t manage to get any of the overall view. I didn’t pay the extra 520 yen just to see a sleeping cat and a tomb. I’ve been in before.

Outside, I went towards Rinnoji temple, and found a seat to eat lunch on. However, seats are placed there for the benefit not of hungry hitchhikers, but for nicotine drug addicts. I had to move away.

Rinnoji was quieter – I guess Toshogu is the famous shrine in Nikko. Also, I was tiring. I don’t think I slept very well last night. Perhaps it was too hot.

I bought some provisions for the long journey ahead, and started hitching. The lady who stopped for me had lived in Chester and Brighton for a year. She was on a drive with her mother collecting stamps – not the ones for envelopes, just rubber stamps. We drove through the world’s longest cedar avenue. I could have taken a few snaps, but I turned down the offer. I would have had to take lots, and that means time.

They treated me to some somen – cold soba (a type of noodle) that you dip in an egg/soy sauce mix. I think they got an extra stamp in their soba stamp calendar!

I was delivered to the Oya parking area. From there, I got two lifts up to the Kunimi services near Sendai, where I spent the night.

I said I would set off at about midday. In the end, it was nearer five thirty before I set off. I put all my photos onto CDs, and then labelled the photos that I had selected for the internet and CDs. I can’t clear out photos from the D: drive until I have done this, and preferably written the diaries for those days as well. It is quite a lot of work, especially since I seem to be taking so many photos recently.

I took the train to Hasuda, but I wasn’t quite sure where I should change. In Hasuda, I got some food for the journey, and checked the map for directions. Tomorrow looks like being a good day, so I think I will go to Nikko.

The first lift dropped me at the Oya parking area. I climbed out and walked to the main road. It took two cars to get to Nikko. I went to the place I had stayed before, and tucked in for the night.

I spent the whole day inside. I have to clear out my C: drive. That means putting all the selected best photos onto CD, checking that the CDs are correct, and then deleting the originals. By the end of the day, I had several Gbytes of free space on the disk again. I only made a single copy of each CD, since I only have another month or so in Japan.

I have, at last, paid my tax by internet bank transfer. I put some more money back into my current account from the Halifax account. My lodgers may all move out at the end of this month, requiring me to return about £750.

I also washed all my clothes, including my sleeping bag. I was worried that it had caused a problem with the washing machine, but it turned out that the water inlet is very slow, so it took a long time. Just before the spin cycle, I took out all my clothes and wrung them by hand. I hung the sleeping bag outside, pinching a couple of clothes pegs from another line that had a single sheet held on with about a dozen pegs. It was a bit dangerous. Japanese people have a tendency to take “revenge” for anything they have decided is wrong.

The air-conditioner in the room was sufficient to dry off most of my clothes. My bivvy bag is beginning to show signs of mould. I washed it, but probably it needs some form of disinfectant.

I didn’t have to run for cover. Instead, I woke to a beautiful sunrise. I headed back up the river, getting more drinking water from the campsite restaurant. I set off up towards Tokusawa. On the way, I met some monkeys. I took lots of photos. Sometimes the “boss” growled at me, but there was no trouble. I think they are accustomed to people, but haven’t been given food. I suspect that feeding the monkeys creates the troublesome ones.

I didn’t make it to my destination. I had emailed Kumiko, saying that I might come to Tokyo tonight, so by eleven or so, I did a U-turn. I came back by the Myojin temple and lake. You have to pay to see the lake – so I didn’t go in.

I picked up a bit of rubbish. Sometimes, though, I had to leave it. There were lots of dropped towels. The system in Japan is that when you discover something that has been dropped, you put it in a visible location, so that the owner can find it easily when he or she returns. So, the towels get tied to branches, or round the ropes on the bridge. Hand towels are so cheap, and often given as presents, so I can’t imagine anyone going out of their way to find a lost one.

I had another meal at the shop/restaurant in the campsite, then set off hitching. A car pulled over. Even though it was well out of the way, the next bus that went by peeped. I suspect it was to frighten the car driver into never picking up hitchhikers again.

The family spoke English, and were going to Matsumoto. We stopped again further on, when the daughter wanted another photograph – and I was able to take a few myself. As we debated a suitable place for me to hitch from, we went past the bus terminal and car park. It would be best, I decided, so jumped out there.

I had waited hardly ten minutes when a van pulled over. The driver was going all the way to Yokohama. I didn’t know exactly where I was going, since I don’t have Kumiko’s current address. At a service area later on, I used my computer to check my emails. Unfortunately, it won’t be possible to stay at Kumiko’s – they are too busy preparing for O-bon, the Japanese summer holiday week. I contacted Jonathan instead.

The gentleman was interested in butterflies, and had driven five hours that morning to climb up to 2000m just to see a rare species. Now, he was returning to get back to work tomorrow – yes, he gets one day off per week. He has a shop, I think, which is connected with Sony.

I was dropped at a station where I could take a train direct to Shibuya. I walked to Jonathan’s.

I had a lift almost as soon as I had started hitching. I headed back to the Tokumitsu parking area. From there, I was able to get a lift, first to the next services, and then to the Toyama junction. The couple who gave me a lift were going all the way to Tokyo. They dropped me at Hirayu, at the entrance to the short toll road They said they were going to take a scenic road, but went into the toll road. A lady who had lived in Canada for a year was in the car that dropped me at the start of the Kamikochi road. We spoke English.

I set off up the road, just checking with one workman that it was the correct road. He said, “Yes.” so I thanked him and walked on. However, when I looked back he gave the “Giant Batsu” sign. “Batsu” is the word for “X” and the sign for it is the crossed arms. The sign for OK is, I think, just a tiny nod of the head – I don’t think the thumbs up sign is used, and the thumb-forefinger circle means money.

Still, I headed on. There was a long tunnel which is one way only – so the traffic has to wait at either end. I pressed into the walls when the buses passed. For the last stretch, I ran most of the way.

I noticed the massive rock slides on the valley opposite. It’s easy to say, “I don’t like what the Japanese have done to their country.” The rivers are all concreted over and have artificial waterfalls of solid concrete. If that’s all you see, and your thoughts are immediately distracted whenever a dislike comes into view, Japan will be a great disappointment. The concrete represents the value of people over nature. To criticise it is to value people as less important than your feelings about the beauty of the view, which probably you wouldn’t see were it not for all the roads and associated protections.

I quickly found a pleasant, natural area where I could forget the ugliness of thoughts, and concentrate on finding beauty again. I walked up the east side of the river, as far a Kamikochi. At one shop on the way, I bought some provisions – it’s a pity I hadn’t stocked up in the Sunkus at the Tokumitsu parking area. They told me that there were more shops in Kamikochi. I gave them a namecard, and they let me refill my water bottle – an old 500ml CC Lemon bottle.

Most of the shops in Kamikochi were selling the usual tourist fare – well packeted, expensive fruit or sukimono – pickled food. I went to the campsite, where there was a restaurant and a shop with peanuts and pot noodles. They put some hot water in the noodles for me, and I treated myself to a beer!

I was tempted to try an overnight climb up the mountain for the sunrise. I didn’t think I had enough provisions or water, and, of course, my insurance doesn’t cover mountain climbing. I decided against it, and walked back down the west side of the river, noticing the fireflies on the way. There also seemed to be a thunderstorm in the distance. Perhaps it was as well I didn’t try the climb.

I did some computing, and made some more CDs. When I went to my chosen place to sleep, there were some people chatting. I chose a picnic table instead. If it rains, I’ll have to run for cover.

I probably only got about four or five hours sleep. My brain was still drowsy at half-past five. However, according to the files, I had taken my first photo inside by 5.45. I bought the ticket from a vending machine, and proceeded to the door. Unlike most temples, this one didn’t allow visitors to walk round freely. I had to have a guide. There were none available immediately, so I was shown into a room and watched a video for a while.

The Buddhist monk explained that I could take photos, but not of the monks. Even at that early hour, though, there seemed to be busloads of visitors. I couldn’t see some of the rooms. There were too many people crowding round. It meant I missed some of the important places mentioned in my guidebook. It was a pity. I took some photos of the Buddhist teachings displayed under some beautiful pictures along one corridor so that I could read them at leisure later. One mentioned not “slandering other religions.” I wonder if that is intended to exclude criticism or teaching about the differences between religions? Another mentioned leaving one’s shoes tidily by the entrance and tidying up other people’s shoes.

When I came out, I felt a bit disappointed. I don’t think the LonelyPlanet guidebook had mentioned that you required the guide. It did recommend the special courses on Zen at 9,000 yen for three nights. I took a few more photos outside, ate my peanuts and started walking towards Fukui. It was a bit of a walk before I got a lift.

I waited at the expressway entrance, though I don’t usually do so. There seemed to be lots of people stopping in the car park. Some ladies asked me where I was going. They were going to learn about cosmetics in Kanazawa. They worked for a cosmetics company that I hadn’t heard of. One was learning Korean, and was interested in the photos of Canada and Asia.

It was pouring with rain in the Tokumitsu parking area. I dithered, wondering what I should do. After sitting around for a bit, I decided to skip the Noto peninsula, so crossed to the other side. However, as I was trying to hitch in the opposite direction, the weather gradually cleared. I changed my mind again, and crossed back to the northern side.

I should have changed my sign. The gentleman who eventually stopped took me to the Higashi-Kanazawa exit. That’s what my sign should have read. I shouldn’t leave others to do my thinking for me. I could have been here several hours ago, albeit in the rain.

There were a lot of short lifts up the western side of the peninsula, generally to the next village. Sometimes I walked, sometimes I just stood and waited. One lady asked where I had walked from, and I said “Togi” when in fact I had had a lift from there to Monzen. She must have thought that hitching is very difficult! I put my seat-belt on, as I usually try to do even when sitting in the back seat. It isn’t yet the law in Japan to wear a belt in the back. The young girl in the front must have noticed, for she wondered where the police car was, and put her belt on. I wear the belt because I have insurance and it is important to keep the risks to a minimum.

The last gentleman who gave me a lift to Senmaida rice fields said that they were best viewed in May, when they had just been planted. He was right. It was harder to see the distinctions between the paddies now that the rice has grown up, and the weeds cover the walls of the fields. Also, I got there at 6 p.m. and there was very little sunlight. It was a lot of effort for few results.

I got a lift into Wajima. Then, a teacher with three of his Kendo students, took me to Anamizu. One of them claimed, “I am a Japanese Samurai.”

It was dark as I stood by the entrance to the Noto peninsula toll road. Lots of cars went by. Eventually, I had a lift – all the way to the Higashi-Kanazawa intersection. I bought some more CDs in a nearby Lawson, and found a map to direct me to the nearest parking area .

I set off, getting a little confused at one convenience store, where on exiting, I headed t he wrong direction for a few minutes. It was a long walk to the parking area. Once there, I realised my problems – there was nowhere to cross over to the other side. There were few cars here. I decided to stay the night.