Hong Kong island (off off Tokyo): Oct. 28, 2012

It was exciting to walk around the streets in Hong Kong island.

The scene of skyscrapers on hillside was only found here. The combination of modern brand shops and traditional messy stalls was impressive. I was convinced that it was a place where western and eastern culture met.

I climbed narrow streets from the Central area near seashore through hillside to the middle of the mountain. A moving sidewalk was built along the streets. It moved downward in the early morning and changed the direction at around 10 am. The sideway is called the “hillside escalator”.

Brand shops gather in the Central.

Small food shops and daily goods shops scattered around the escalator. NOHO (north of Hollywood Road) and SOHO (south of the road) are famous for gourmet and shopping. He attracted tourists.

Books on Chinese politics　occupied main places in bookshops. They included books on leader-in-waiting Xi Jinping and on Bo Xilai scandal. Communist party’s general assembly will begin on Nov. 8.

The island is overcrowded. Many construction works were under way in other islands and continental side.

Shenzhen (off off Tokyo): Oct. 27, 2012

I visitedzhen Zhen from Hong Kong.

It took about 50 minutes by train from Kowloon Tong station to Lo Wo, the border station in Hong Kong side. I took off the train, passed the passport control (Hong Kong side), and cross the bridge of Hong Kong-China border (which is inside a building) on foot.

Finishing my passport check and I arrived in China. Many huge modern building were in front of me.


Shen Zhen was a small village until the 1970s. It became a special economic zone in Deng Xiaoping’s economic reform policy.

Now the city has more than 15 million people and rapidly developing. The buildings are modern. Roads are wide. I saw constructions everywhere.

I visited China Folk Culture Villages. The horse battle show played by Mongolian people was thrilling.

I also visited Dongguan city, which locates between Shenzhen and Guangzhou to enjoy a dinner. A bowl of abalone was nice.

Kowloon, Hong Kong (off off Tokyo): Oct 26, 2012

I visited Hong Kong.
I walked in noisy and historical streets in Kowloon today. It was so exciting.

I started my walk from Tokwawan, the peninsula’s east coast. Old international airport (Kai Tak airport) located here until its closure in 1998. Now, construction works are under way in many places in the area. Traditional apartments still remain. I saw washing poles fixed horizontally from the apartment walls.

Kowloon City was known as a dangerous criminal town decades ago. Infamous Kowloon Wall City located in the center of the area. The district was redeveloped in the 1990s. The Wall City has turned to a park.

Ethnic restaurants, markets, and other shops are open in the area. The streets were messy and full of energy.

I walked Boundary Road westward. The Road was a border between Britain’s Hong Kong (1860-1997) and New Territory, Britain borrowed from China in 99-year term from 1898. It is just one of many streets in a residential area.

I arrived at the northern edge of Nathan Road. The road is about 4 km and is the main street of Kowloon.


I walked down the road from Prince Edward station through Mongkok, Yaumatei, Jordan, to Tsimshatsui.

Both modern and traditional buildings stood along the street. The road was extremely crowded with cars and shoppers. Large commercial boards were highly visible over the road.

The scapltures of comic figures were places in a park at the side of the road.

Famous Peninsula Hotel stood at the southern edge of the road.

The edge of the Kowloon peninsula faces with Hong Kong Island over a narrow channel. It was a nice sightseeing place. I found many handprints of movie stars in Avenue of Stars. The scape of the island over the sea was beautiful.

Stadium jumping @ Baji Park: Oct. 21, 2012

It was a nice autumn day (like yesterday). I visited Baji Park (Equestrian Park) to see studio jumping.

I very often visit the park. It was developed for the Olympic Games held in Tokyo in 1964. Various kind og horse events are held here.

Today’s event was a jumping called “Carrot Stakes”, which is open to amateur riders.

Families are enjoying the day.

Nakasendo Walk (3) Omiya- Ageo: Oct. 20, 2012

It was a nice autumn day. I took the 3rd part of my Nakasendo Walk from Omiya, the 4th shukuba station, to Ageo, the 5th.

There are few historical memories or monuments of Nakasendo remain in Omiya. Old Nakasendo has turned to Local (Prefectural) Route 164. It goes northwest through shopping and residential areas.

I dropped in Hikawa Shrine near Omiya station. The shrine worships the god of water. There are more than 200 Hikawa shrines in Kanto region (including Tokyo) and Omiya’s shrine is the head of them. It locate a block from Nakasendo.


It was a season of 7-5-3 festival, which celebrates the girls of 7 years, boys of 5 years and girls of 3 years. I saw many girls and boys in traditional Japanese costumes.

I continued walking. I sometimes found shrines and small sculptures of gods at the side of the road. Tohoku and Joetsu Shinkansen bullet train runs over Nakasendo in northern part of Omiya.

There remain only a few monuments in Ageo, but there were more guide plates of Nakasendo in the city than Omiya or Urawa. It was about 40 kilometers from Nihonbashi.

Nakasendo Walk (2) Toda- Omiya: Oct 14, 2012

I had the 2nd part of my Nakasendo walk today. It was from Toda (Tokyo-Saitama boader) to Omiya, the 4th shukuba station from Nihonbashi.

I walked northward about 30 minutes and arrived in Warabi, the 2nd station. Atmosphere of Old Nakasendo remained there. I found monuments and guide boards. I dropped in a museum open in a place where old main guest house (honjin)was. The city was celebrating the 400 anniversary of Nakasendo's open (It was developed in early 17th century by Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu).

Warabi is the smallest city in area in Japan. It is now a satellite city of Tokyo.

I walk through residential areas and arrived in Urawa, the 3rd station. The road has turned to a busy shopping street there.

Walking about an hour from Urawa, I arrived in Saitama New Urban Center (Saitama Shintoshin). It is a huge business-commercial complex open in 2000. Government offices, companies, shopping centers, sports and cultural facilities (including Saitama Super Arena) gather around JR Saitama Shintoshin station.

Urawa and Omiya used to be two big cities in Saitama Prefecture. They merged into Saitama city in 2001. Saitama New Urban Canter lies in the middle of enlarged city.

I arrived in Omiya. It has developed as a treminal of railroad and road traffic. 14 lines (including Shinkansen bullet train) come in and go out of Omiya station.

It was about 30 km from Nihonbashi.

Nakasendo Walk (1) Nihonbashi-Toda: Oct. 13, 2012

Nakasendo is one of 5 major national roads in the Edo era (other 4 are Tokaido, Koshu Kaido, Nikko Kaido and Oshu kaido).

It linked Edo (Tokyo) and Kyoto through mountain area, whereas Tokaido linked the two cities through seaside area. Nakasendo went through Tokyo, Saitama, Gunma, Nagano, Gifu, Shiga, and Kyoto (in current prefecture names). It had 69 shukuba stations. 

I started my walk from Nihonbashi toward north-northwest. Department stores gather in the area. Mitsukoshi Department store, which has developed from a famous clothing shop Echigoya established in 1673, had long been a top brand in the country. Bank of Japan's headquarters is also in the area.

I walked through JR Kanda station, Akihabaya electronic shop area and arrived in Kanda Myojin Shrine. It is one of Tokyo's most famous shrines. Many visitors were there. A wedding ceremony was taking place.

I moved to Hongo area, where many Daimyo (local ruler) houses were in the Edo area. Leading Daimyo Maeda family's house had turned into the University of Tokyo and famous "Red Gate" remains.

Ohter historical buildings and monuments also remain in the area. I dropped in Daienji Temple and Enjoji Temple, where a tomb and a monument of Yaoya Ohichi, the most famous arsonist in Japan's history, remain. She placed fire to make an opportunity to meet her one-sided lover. She was later arrested executed in Suzugamori.

I proceeded to Sugamo, a popular place among elder people. Many visitors gathered in Koganji Temple or Togenuki Jizo. It is believed to call good heath.

I arrived in Itabashi, the first shukuba station. Itabashi meand a wooden bridge. Current concrete bridge is built as if it is made of wood. The area is now a community-oriented shopping area.

I dropped in Enkiri Enoki, which was believed to bring separation (of man and woman etc.) in the Edo era. Many wish tablets were hanging in the boards. The wishes included “May Mr. A and his wife divorce, then I wish marry him”.

A pair of nettle trees remain at the sides of Nakasendo at Shimura, Itabashi ward. The trees were planted in every 4 kilometers and the places were called Ichiri-zuka (milestone) in the Edo era. National Rout 17 runs on old Nakasendo. Many cars ran through the trees.

I crossed a bridge over Arakawa River,which flows Tokyo-Saitama border.  The first city in Saitama Prefecture was Toda. It was about 15 km from Nihonbashi.

Mt. Fuji and beautiful landscapes of Japan from the sky: Oct. 10, 2012

I flow from Haneda (Tokyo International Airport) to Kansai International Airport near Osaka (Sorry, it is not walking).

The weather was nice and I could take good pictures from the plane.


Mt. Fuji had no snow on its top.

Fuji River, Oi River and Tenryu River flow through green mountains and cities.



Kinokawa River flows through Wakayama City into the sea.