Dokkodo: Lonesome Road of Running

Keep both of your feet firmly on the ground Feel the beat of the ground where you are standing Be grateful to the universe and the great mother nature that created me That’s what’s more important than walking or running as a human being rather than a runner. Choose the life where you keep both of your feet firmly on the ground

Sometimes I feel like getting back to the old days when SAMURAIs were wandering around here in Osaka Castle... 2014 and 2015 are the 400th anniversary of the Siege of Osaka in Winter & Summer. Come and see Osaka-jo (Osaka Castle) if you have a chance to visit Osaka!

It is the instability that makes One-Tooth Geta interesting. If you walk or run, the speed you are putting on eliminates the instability. But it is no piece of cake to stand still with your legs stretched as long as the shoulder width. The more unstable you are, your body tries to keep stable. It’s what we call stability orientation. Talking of my life… The more unstable it is, the more pleasant and challenging it becomes. Here I go as Adventure Runner, with unstable life of mine on such a unstable footwear, One-Tooth Geta…

http://www.usacrossers.com/ Here’s a list of Trans-USA Crossers (those who traveled, ran, or walked across the US continent) on the left side of the page. http://www.usacrossers.com/ There are 279 usacrossers on it.  And the first trekker did it in 1909. Some of them ran with support crew. Some did all by him/herself. Storms in the desert, crossing the Rocky Mountains, boring great plains… Actually, it is not an easy travel. I am the 269th USA Crosser of all. Although I’m not an athlete, I was able to make it all alone. The record doesn’t show anything but the numbers. But there are lots of stories to tell. I don’t know why Forrest Gump ran across the US several times. No matter how hard it was, I feel like running across the US again someday in the future.

Remember...we're all connected to each other...

Sakuradamon Gate, Imperial Palace, Tokyo