I Want to Travel Around Japan Before I Die!

Everyone has probably thought at least once since they were young about traveling around Japan. Of course, around the world too (lol), but as a working adult, I could only take short vacations, and I vaguely dreamed of traveling around Japan by bicycle, car, or motorcycle.

However, now that I am in my late fifties (Ara-six), I realized that nothing starts if I just think about it, and I strongly felt that I want to travel around Japan before my body becomes unable to move. With wars going on everywhere in the world, and honestly lacking time and budget, I thought I should at least visit every corner of my own country first. That's when some questions arose. So, I will start a serial series called "Travel Around Japan" from this article and write about 100 articles in total. I hope I can finish it before I die (lol).

What is "Traveling Around Japan" in the First Place?

Is it, as I wrote in the introduction, "driving along the coastal roads to circle Japan"? That is certainly a way to travel around Japan. However, you can hardly touch upon the famous places, local food, architecture, or people of each region. While the experience of just driving around Japan is great in its own way, I still want a "journey." Everyday life in the extraordinary, fresh local cuisine and its history, beautiful scenery, and seasonal knowledge—I feel it is important to deeply engrave the real world felt through the five senses into my heart.

Thinking this way, I realized that the travel around Japan I want to do is to "visit and experience all regions in Japan." Of course, achieving this requires a massive amount of time, and in reality, I cannot take years off work. However, if the theme is "all regions," instead of going all at once, I can achieve the goal by dividing the trips. On the contrary, dividing the trips makes it possible to match the best season for each region, leading to greater joy and fun.

What Do I Want to Know and Experience?

The word "journey" often conjures an image of going to unknown places without even preparing. That is why people say life is like a journey. In the style of the old World Masterpiece Theater, is it like "3000 Leagues in Search of Mother" or "The Story of Perrine" (both are masterpieces!)? However, while that is fine if you have infinite time, time is precious for someone in their late fifties. Unfortunately, it seems better to research the places I want to go and choose the destinations after talking with myself.

When I was young, I didn't care about food and just wanted to eat a lot. But as I get older and the amount I eat and drink decreases, I've become particular about taste, thinking "if I pay the same money, it should be delicious." By the time you reach late fifties, you become a full-fledged foodie (lol). So, food is indispensable.

I also like historical novels, and Ryotaro Shiba's "Clouds Above the Hill" and "Ryoma Goes His Way" are my favorites. Naturally, I want to visit the places that appear in the books I read and loved (holy land pilgrimage, as they say). I want to feel history through actual relics in local museums, historical buildings, and historic sites (I love castles).

I also want to hear the dialects and see the daily lives of the local people. Getting answers to my questions in the local dialect would be amazing! Of course, I also want to sightsee according to the four seasons, such as local famous views. In short, it is "things," "people," and "places."

Base the Plan on the Vacations I Can Take Match My Work

To actually plan and go on a trip, I have to go and return during my vacations. That would be at least 2 days and at most 7 days. If the concept is to experience many things rather than going far for a long time, this fits perfectly.

The problem is how to divide the "travel regions." I will discuss this in detail in future planning articles, but for now, I will tentatively set it by prefecture. After all, if the goal is to travel around Japan, I want to explore every corner.

And I should avoid making long-distance, long-term plans suddenly. I think it is important to start with nearby places for short periods. Since I am also conducting the "2nd National Soba Tour," I will prepare many pleasures to match this theme, and start with what I can do.

What About Lodging, Laundry, and Toilets?

This is also important. If I don't want to spend money, a set of camping gear is enough. But local sake and local cuisine are indispensable! If so, instead of deciding on lodging and laundry methods first, it seems better to plan the lodging and places when planning the itinerary for each region.

Naturally, there are famous hot spring inns and accommodations, so in that case, I should prioritize them. Of course, campgrounds with great views can also be chosen based on that criteria. Selecting camping gear should also match the plan.

For laundry, hotel services or coin laundries are fine, so no particular preference. However, when traveling by car, factors like toilets, refueling, and breaks become crucial. Even for planes or trains, I should research buses and taxis. Some stations have no taxis at all, so I might get stranded.

Also, at this age, I don't want to pee on the roadside. It's a misdemeanor! (lol). Other than cars, I also need to consider the weight of my luggage. These considerations will be necessary for each regional plan.

Summary

Region selection (tentatively plan based on prefectures, adjust later)
Target list of things I want to see and experience in the chosen region
Selection of lodging, transit, refueling, toilets, camp gear, and luggage matching the targets
Meals, scheduling, securing vacation days, and season selection
Write the compiled plan as a travel plan article
Execution
Color the visited areas on a blank map and write a travel diary article. Achievement unlocked when the map is fully colored.

I would like to proceed in this manner.

About the Next Article

So far, the basic policy and major items to consider have been decided. From the next article, I will plan trips suited to each region according to the above steps. The plans will become introduction articles and regional travel guides, so please look forward to it. Also, Kuro's site is built on Kuro's own dogmas and prejudices, and even memory errors due to aging. I will plan after researching through the internet and travel books as much as possible, but please understand there may be some bias. The subsequent articles will be published irregularly, so I hope you understand that too. See you in the next article.

Written by: 黒兎