Dokkodo: Lonesome Road of Running

June 1 is my personal anniversary "Adventure Day" when I set out on a epic journey biking across USA(1991) and biking across the Arctic Circle & Canada(1994). In 1994 after the 2nd trek, I was biking in New Zealand and across Australia,  where I traveled across the two countries on foot in 2013 and 2014 again. I was young enough to spend whole my power and energy on those two adventure treks. But 20 years after the first trek, I ran across the same continent again. *  PEACE RUN 2011 Running Across America *  PEACE RUN 2013 Running Across Australia *  PEACE RUN 2014 Running Across New Zealand ・ PEACE RUN 2016 Running Around Europe You know I still keep on running and traveling around the world in that way. *  PEACE RUN Running Around The World Hope I'll be on the road traveling day after day until the final day of my life. * See the history of my adventure

Yesterday I happened to meet Raj, from Tucson, Arizona, visited Osaka. He once cycled from Tokyo to Nagasaki 34 years ago under the project named PEACE RIDE. His bike trek covered about 20,000km in some countries in Asia in 1981 to 1982. Again he's going to follow the same road to raise awareness of WORLD PEACE. I was surprised he had met Mr.Deguchi, executive director of JACC or Japan Adventure Cyclist Club in 1982. Once he got sick and was in peril of losing his life but he survived. He decided to try another trek this time. That's what he's now planning for the first time in 34 years. As I am Adventure Runner who is running PEACE RUN, I would like to do anything I can do for his PEACE RIDE. And I'd like you folks who live between Tokyo and Nagasaki, especially along his route, to support him and his PEACE RIDE in many ways.

Picking up rubbish along the street wearing One-Tooth Geta (wooden sandal)  I sometimes work on picking up rubbish as a part of volunteer activity. "THE SWEEPERS" is a facebook group which I started in December 2012. Most of members are runners who enjoy running cleaning up their local parks or streets. Some of the members finish full marathon races carrying a big plastic bag full of rubbish. Why don't we try something good for our society? Isn't it nice to do something eco-friendly?

Having fun snowshoe running as a part of winter training. I easily got hooked on it when I first tried it in 2011. Today I wore snowshoe for the first time in 4 years. If you love trail running, why don't you try snowshoe running? You may feel good running on a soft surface of powdery snow.  

Thanks Altra Running for offering Instinct 4.0, a brand-new model, which I am going to wear in the next trek in Europe. ALTRA is one of my PEACE RUN sponsors since 2014. It has already supported Running Across New Zealand(2014-2015) and Western Europe(2016).

I started working at KONANSO Villa the other day, which is a secluded mountain cottage near the peak of Mt. Kongosan(1,125m above sea level). It's nice to run along the snowy forestry road everyday. I run along the trail about 3km(2miles) one way to the villa from the nearest bus stop. I guess I'll work until mid-June and will get ready for the next trek PEACE RUN 2017 Running In Europe Part2.

Refreshing! Had my hair cut short and shaved my beard and moustache. Felt as if I had been born again... Have you ever heard about hair donation?  http://www.wigsforkids.org/ I will donate my hair to JHDAC(Japan Hair Donation & Charity).

December 2016 I moved here in Tondabayashi City, Osaka. The City of Tondabayashi extended a warm welcome to us, me and my companies as soon as we started to live here. We were introduced on their facebook page. We are new kids in town and we'll be famous soon here. * Official Website Of Tondabayashi City

I appeared on TV on NHK, Japan's national public broadcasting organization o Friday 13th. It was a news program called “OHAYO NIPPON(Good Morning, Japan)” and it introduced some special footwear available in Japan. I was featured as one of the serious One-Tooth Geta(OTG) users. Wearing 15-centimeter-OTG, I started walking and strolled around Tondabayashi including Jinaimachi, which is one of the national historic preservation districts and heritage sites of Japan. >> http://www5d.biglobe.ne.jp/~heritage/english.html Former residence of the Tanaka Family(Built in 1892) was seen for a few seconds. Also I tried jump roping with OTG on. It may be impressive for athletes. I’m sure many runners want to try on OTG. This OTG is called “SCAPPA” which is as light as 250g, developed especially as a training tool for athletes or runners. * One-Tooth Geta Club

Coming of Age Day (Seijin no Hi) is a Japanese holiday held annually on the second Monday of January. It is held in order to congratulate and encourage all those who have reached the age of majority (20 years old=hatachi) over the past year, and to help them realize that they have become adults. Festivities include coming of age ceremonies (seijin-shiki) held at local and prefectural offices, as well as after-parties among family and friends. …from “Coming of Age Day”(Wikipedia) My daughter turned 20 years in June last year and yesterday she attended coming of age ceremonies in Nagoya where she was born. I divorced when she was 6 and hadn’t seen her for a long, long time and last summer we met for the first time in 13 years. Then I felt as if she had come back from the future in time machine. I had been away from her for a while but I’m glad she still remembers the time we spent together in Nagoya. I may not be a good father but she’s the one I’m proud of the mo...

Thanks Friends for sending new messages to me. May PEACE always be with you all!