ON THE WAY
STAY SALTY ...... travelers on the way
4.1 2021
photographer / writer / traveler Kaori Kawamura
Go on a journey and be yourself
旅に出て、何者でもない自分でいる
I can't remember where I read it at all, but there was an essay in which he said that he went to the edge of Sicily, to a place where the opposite bank was Africa, and suddenly felt with his whole body that he had come really far, standing alone.
When I imagined that scene, I felt the same feeling.
In a foreign country, where you don't understand much of the language, labels such as where you are from, where you went to school, and what kind of work you do at what company don't matter at all.
The only person you have is yourself, and that is an unreliable, unsettling, and very freeing situation.
When I look back on my past trips, I think it might have been comfortable to escape from Japan, where I felt like I had to be something, and just focus on what was in front of me each day of the trip and live.
Sitting idly in a sanctuary, listening to the sound of church bells on the wind, or just looking at my favorite painting in a 500-year-old building, those were the times when I could be in harmony with myself without putting myself in any kind of frame, and that was truly living in the "here and now.
Spring 1988.
A few years after studying European history at university, I went to Europe on my first overseas trip.
It was a month-long trip to visit six countries: England, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Spain, and France.
With a copy of "Globe-Trotter", "Thomas Cook's Timetable", a Eurail pass and an open-ticket air ticket, I traveled completely free with a friend who was a former colleague.
My friend had only been to Hong Kong on a tour before, and neither of us spoke English very well.
Even so, we chose to go on a freelance trip, perhaps because we had heard about a woman who had traveled to Europe alone on a budget airline ticket the year before.
Although I had been exposed to English since I was a child and even corresponded with an American, it was still a time when Japanese people did not casually go abroad.
The tours were very expensive, and as I looked at the pictures of foreign countries, I wondered if I would ever be able to go there.
So when I saw the London cityscape from the window of the train I took from Heathrow Airport after an endless and unreachable flight on the southbound Singapore Airlines, I remember having a strange, half-dreamlike feeling that I was really in England.
At the same time, I suddenly felt a bit nervous, wondering if my friend and I would be able to make it alone for the next month.
Although there was no Internet and not many travel programs, the number of Japanese backpackers with a copy of "Globe-Trotter" in their hands was increasing.
People began to know that carrying a copy of "Globe-Trotter" meant you were Japanese, and they told me to be careful if I opened this guidebook on the street because I would be a target.
Although we had a rough idea of the route we would take to visit each country and town, we would check the Thomas Cook timetable each time to see if we could find the right station and the right time to change trains.
There was a time when we couldn't decide which direction to go and wondered which country we should go to in the Munich station, but it was a luxurious thing to think about later.
we also took the night train a few times and slept in a normal compartment with a chair pulled out to make a bed and the door curtains closed (although it was uncomfortable because people would open the door in the middle of the night).
When we arrive in a new town, ask the information desk to recommend a place to stay, or call a cheap hotel to make a reservation.
We felt uneasy when we couldn't find a place to stay, but once we did, we were relieved and suddenly felt energetic enough to start walking around the town.
While there is a lot of nervousness and anxiety, there are also fun encounters and coincidences.
When we met a Japanese person on the train who was also traveling freelance, we exchanged information on how that town in that country was, who's paintings were in that museum, and so on, and we even stayed at a pension together.
When we were lost on the way to my hotel in Switzerland, we were approached by a Japanese family stationed there and invited to their home for tea.
The Euro was still a long way off, and each country had a different currency exchange rate, so we had to be smart about how much money we exchanged and how well we spent it.
The only way to get information is to try your best to ask people in a foreign language or to get it by foot.
It was a lot of hard work, but all of the hassle was ingrained in me, and it became a treasured experience.
This first trip inspired me to start learning Italian after a while, and after that I started to go out mainly by myself in Italy.
My first trip to Italy alone was a trip to visit several pen pals, which was another tense and varied experience.
As I became more and more accustomed to being in a foreign country, the feeling of being a nobody began to fade away.
The last time I took an international flight was to Austria in December 2003.
I haven't been abroad since then.
I was supposed to go to Italy and Paris in October 2020 for the first time in 19 years, but that's not happening either.
While I was away from home, I was trying to become a "proper member of society" with my feet on the ground.
However, as the years have gone by, I have come to realize that distracting myself from my true nature and fitting into the framework of society is not the way to be grounded.
What was important was to get rid of labels such as titles and careers, and when I stood alone in some distant land, I could smile and think that I was unconditionally worthy of existence.
Yet, when I am in society, sometimes I am conscious of the outside and try to put a label on myself.
That's why I want to get on an airplane again, go to a faraway place, and vaguely listen to the sound of church bells carried by the wind.
photographs and text - Kaori Kawamura
photographer / writer / traveler
Kaori Kawamura
Ever since I was a child, I have been drawing pictures (comics), writing, and taking pictures.
I've always been trying to send out something.
I hope that I can be a switch that changes someone's perspective and feelings.
I hope to continue expressing myself through words, pictures and photos.
ON THE WAY
STAY SALTY ...... travelers on the way
3.1 2021
coordinator / travel agent / journalist / traveler Kaori Sakurada
Why do people travel, and why do I want to travel?
人はなぜ旅をするのか、私はなぜ旅に出たいのか？
There are travel enthusiasts all over the world, many of whom get excited just thinking about traveling. I am one of them.
When I was living in Japan, most of my paid vacations were spent diving.
I always went to Okinawa and other southern islands to enjoy my vacation.
Since I came to live in Italy, I don't dive anymore and my way of traveling has completely changed.
I guess it's partly due to my age, but I think I've changed from "enjoying" to "savoring".
That's a very vague expression.
In my case, "temporary return in Japan" is not a trip, nor is it a vacation.
Where does the journey begin? Many people say that a trip begins when you make plans, and that's true.
However, in my case, once I've decided where I'm going, I leave all the arrangements such as hotels and plane tickets to my partner.
It's usually a staycation, but if I have to move around, I tend to just tell him what city I want to stay in and how many nights, and let him do the rest.
So what do I do?
My journey begins with "food.
The gateway to travel is always "food".
In other words, the starting point is to research the traditional cuisine of the country, land, and town.
As is the case in Japan and Italy, where I live, even in the same country, cooking methods change as the town changes, and the ingredients are often different to begin with.
And if the country itself is new to me, my interest grows and grows.
From dishes that I can easily imagine the taste of to those that I can't at all, I let my imagination run wild as I watched the images and explanations that appeared.
At this point, my journey has completely begun.
There are two reasons why we start with food: first, because food is not a thing of the past displayed in a museum, but a living culture of the present; and second, because when our stomachs are full, we fall in love with the country.
I check out the traditional cuisine, find out what the locals say about it, write it down, and then start looking for a restaurant that looks good.
When I start a search with the name of the town, I usually find a blog or something that someone has written, and I just keep reading and taking notes.
And this time is quite fun.
When I visited Belgrade for the first time, I had to try a white cheese called "khaimak" and a meat dish called "karadjordjeva" made with it. I had only thought of omelets and oysters at Mont Saint-Michel, but after doing some research, I learned that lamb is very delicious.
Of course, taste varies from person to person, and there are cases where rumors get ahead of you and you are disappointed.
In fact, the omelet at Mont Saint-Michel was not that great, but the lamb was many times better.
After that, I'll give you a brief historical background.
Finally, I looked up tourist spots and ruins to visit.
Now you're all set.
Oh yeah, don't forget to make reservations for the museums you can't miss.
There are some places you can't enter without a reservation, so be sure to take care of that.
I used to work for an airline, so I'm an expert at packing.
If I'm traveling within Italy or within Europe for a week or so, I often go with just hand luggage.
I've long since lost interest in brand-name shopping, and I've learned to be okay with minimal luggage.
I used to carry a DSLR with me, but now my i-phone is all I need.
I used to love photography, but my enthusiasm for it has cooled down a bit in recent years, so my luggage is even smaller now.
I wanted to take a leisurely trip, but it seems my Japanese blood unconsciously got the better of me.
I set the schedule for the day and try to move in a planned manner.
My partner is lazing around, and I'm rushing him to hurry up.
Every time I do this, he chides me, "It's a vacation, why do you need to rush when you're traveling?
Is it because he's Italian or is it his personality that he's so laid back, saying, "If it's closed today, you can go tomorrow? I was right, calm down, calm down, let's walk slowly, that's what this trip is for.
I am able to conquer most everything I want to eat.
I often have friends in the area, and when I do, my trip expands tremendously.
I am grateful for local acquaintances because they can take me to a world I cannot see.
Italy is also a big cheese country, but if you go to a cheese shop in France, you will feel "defeated.
I can understand why Sicily was ruled by the Arabs for less than 200 years, while Andalusia has been ruled by the Arabs for 700 years.
I also enjoyed discovering how little of the Arab food culture is left in Sicily.
Why do I want to travel? At the beginning of this article, I wrote "to taste", but what exactly?
"If you taste vermilion, you become red.
And when you enter the vermilion, the red becomes invisible.
It's as if I'm surrounded by invisible air, and I find myself continuing to live in an invisible vermilion.
And before I know it, I find myself shifting my axis.
That's why sometimes we need to take a bird's eye view of our daily lives, don't you think?
If you go on a trip and look at things from a distance, you can see what kind of vermilion you have been staining yourself with.
Leave your daily life and taste the food, the atmosphere, and the kindness of the people in the country.
At the same time, you can also enjoy the everyday life that you left behind.
Maybe that's why I want to go on a trip.
photographs and text - Kaori Sakurada
coordinator / travel agent / journalist / traveler
Kaori Sakurada
Born in Tokyo and currently lives in Sicily, Italy.
Former international flight attendant for Japan Airlines Co.
I have been traveling around the world since my twenties due to my job, and I settled down in my favorite country, Italy.
In Sicily, where not only Japanese common sense but also Italian common sense does not prevail, has been working as a coordinator for TV and magazines and as a travel agent.
In Sicily, where not only Japanese common sense but also Italian common sense does not prevail, she works as a coordinator for TV and magazines, a travel agent, and a journalist.
an expert on Sicilian cuisine and its history.
ON THE WAY
STAY SALTY ...... travelers on the way
2.1 2021
travel photographer / writer / traveler Akane
Poland
World Photography Travel in 30 Countries
～How to travel and enjoy the world
世界写真旅行30カ国
～変わる旅のしかたと楽しみ方
I've been sending out local information and real-life impressions of each region in Japan and abroad on a daily basis.
Today, for the first time, I'd like to take a quick look back at all of my travels in the past 30 countries and summarize the big picture.
I'd like to summarize what I've learned and how the travel environment has changed over time.
A time when the world was far away
I was the kind of kid who would save up his annual allowance to travel abroad from elementary school.
It was a 40-day homestay in Sweden that led me abroad, earlier than most people at the time.
I was invited as the first student of an international exchange mission project of a Lions club.
I was worried that I might get homesick, as it was not so easy to get in touch with Japan as it is now. I was worried about that, but I decided to accept the offer.
I learned a lot about Japan and other countries during the one-year orientation before I went.
The airfare provided by the Lions Club was 370,000 yen even in economy at that time! Overseas was so far away that my mother cried when she saw me off.
On the first day, when I left Osaka and stayed in Haneda to change planes, I received the first baptism of loss baggage (lost baggage, luggage lost on the plane), which I would experience three times by now. Fortunately, it was found the next day.
I had to get off the plane once in Hong Kong to refuel, and then spend another night in Germany to change planes, which took more time and effort than it does now.
My life in Sweden was otherworldly and idealistic.
I met my host family, with whom I still keep in touch, and with whom I would visit twice more.
A natural country house filled with vintage items.
Learning to speak everyday English.
Starting to use the single-lens reflex camera that I received as a parting gift.
During the two weeks of camping with people from different countries, I learned about the differences in nationalities and how to introduce Japan, which broadened my horizons and shaped who I am today.
At the time, the Japanese yen was strong and not expensive even in Scandinavia, but from a foreigner's point of view, Japan was expensive, English was not understood, and I realized what a difficult country it was to travel in, along with many other good things.
The frequency of the air mails I sent from the area also made me realize that I was already far away from my parents and that my friends were a big part of my life.
In times of different distance, I cried a lot at the end of the camp and when I left my host family, as it was customary that I would never see them again.
Looking back on this homestay experience, it was one of the three best experiences of my life.
You never know where you might find a good choice for yourself, so I try to take every chance I can.
Sweden
Spain
Greece
Norway
The Goodness of Analog Travel
After I became accustomed to traveling abroad, I took some reckless trips out of youthful exuberance.
In the days before the Internet, I had no choice but to travel haphazardly. I had no choice but to travel haphazardly.
It was a huge mental and time burden for me, and I sometimes got into fights with my friends, but it made for some memorable and lost scenes.
However, if you are planning to go abroad only a couple of times in your life, it may be a good idea to take a small trip to one country, such as a tour around Europe, but if you don't, you may find yourself in trouble later on.
This is because when you want to take a tour or take your time to visit a country, you will always include the famous cities you visited the first time and duplicate them. On the contrary, it is inefficient and wasteful. It's a waste of time. It was a good thing to get a glimpse of what it is like to be abroad early on.
Italy and Spain were not as safe as they are now, but southern Europe, including Greece and the Vatican, was quite cheap and very affordable. I was pickpocketed twice, but I was very careful, so I was never in danger.
I also stayed at a Swedish camping friend's house and dressed her in a kimono, and had a sukiyaki party with cheese fondue made in a region like Heidi in Switzerland.
Bergen, Norway, which I would visit twice, had not yet been designated as a World Heritage Site, and I was able to secure a hotel with information on the day.
There were no LCCs and flights between Europe were expensive.
In those days without the Internet, information came from books or TV.
There was even a time when I flew to Micronesia based only on a few centimeters of an article in a magazine.
I enjoyed the many unexpected things I learned after I got there.
Even so, I was able to find the scenery I was looking for by being flexible on the spot.
Even though I am a weak person, I still had a lot of energy, so I had a lot of fun in the U.S., even if I didn't sleep much.
At the information desk in Turkey, I was offered chai every time in order to recommend a place with a higher margin of middlemen, and after a long chat, the guide began.
I had to get the information and hope for the best.
My mother, who had never traveled like this before, was surprised every time I asked her, "You're going to get wet, what are you going to do? What are you going to do?
I think I was getting a little tougher when I told her it was just a bath towel to wipe it off, lol.
I would like to write about the many funny happenings in the future if I have the chance.
Since it was easy to get around China, I took a tour and stayed an extra night in each city to enjoy my freedom.
There were no fuel surcharges yet, and it was cheap even though it was off-season and we were the only ones there.
For the two weeks in Greece and Austria, we only booked flights and accommodation through a travel agency.
The lodgings are relatively good, as there are no complaints from people who are not used to traveling.
When the Internet was just starting to be available
I had been dreaming of visiting Bora Bora, Tahiti, since junior high school, and I finally made a request directly to the hotel online for a water cottage with the view I wanted.
My passion for the island also manifested itself in my work, and I won a major award for my photographs of the island.
I also went to Lake Louise, Canada, which I fell in love with when I saw it on a DVD, and felt that I could go wherever I wanted to go.
However, although there is still information on the Internet, there are still many hotels that you can only book by phone, and I have had my English-speaking companion make hotel reservations by international phone from a landline.
I have also been to nearby Asian countries that are more affordable and have different senses of travel, such as gourmet food and massage, three times in Taiwan, twice in Korea and twice in Hong Kong.
I spend about a week each time in neighboring countries, and two to five weeks in distant places.
However, there was one time when I went to Thailand for 5 days and 3 nights as a reporter.
I could have coordinated the contents of the trip myself.
As a result of being greedy and putting in a lot of work, I got a little sick on the last day and the store owner took me to the doctor's office.
Here comes the first appearance, the racket.
I didn't need it for my work at home, so I was about 10 years behind the others.
From the doctor's office, my companion in the same country received a text message via Japan, which cost 160 yen or something and had a limited number of characters.
But in times of emergency, we have come to a time of peace of mind.
And then I realized that I could no longer keep a hard schedule and learned my lesson.
Also, when I went to England and France for the third time, I was able to find out things on the Internet that I would have asked people in the past, such as how crowded the trains were because of the strike.
It's convenient, but I miss the natural interaction.
Tahiti
USA
Philippines
Checo
The Age of the Internet
When I went to Greece for the third time, I bought a smartphone because I was worried about traveling alone for a long time.
From the beginning, it was a SIM-free phone with a local SIM, which was convenient for traveling abroad.
It was amazing to be able to communicate with my family on the other side of the world in Brazil in real time as if I was talking to them.
You can also send out social media from there.
I've also been to Bali, Indonesia, and Singapore, where we met and broke up locally.
I've always done things differently depending on the location, but this kind of big rendezvous has become much more convenient.
On Boracay Island in the Philippines, I had to deal with a problem that arose in Japan on business. It was unfortunate that it was just before a nice dinner on the beach, but I am grateful for the drop in prices of civilization's devices and communications because it allows me to be away from Japan for long periods of time.
In addition, internet information is becoming more and more widely available, and I can book local optional tours in Vietnam online from Japan.
I went to the Christmas markets in Denmark, Poland, Czech Republic, Germany, Spain, Morocco and the Netherlands.
I was able to go to Denmark, Poland, the Czech Republic, Germany, Spain, Morocco, and the Netherlands, where I went on a Christmas market tour using miles of the Internet to gather detailed information, and I was able to cross the border and visit rural towns on foot.
I also changed my photography from film cameras to digital.
From now on...
I've been getting a lot of information on social networking sites, and I have more friends who like to travel and more places I want to visit.
While using the analog guidebooks as the basis for my travel, I would like to continue to travel safely and as leisurely as possible by gathering information on my favorite lodgings, places I want to visit, and trouble patterns.
In the past, I risked my life to row out into the ocean.
A long time ago, it had its own merits.
But now, I am blessed with price, time, and ease, though I am limited by Corona for a little while in my life.
I no longer feel like I'm leaving my closest friends, I can go abroad while staying connected to my friends in Japan, and it's easier to keep in touch with the people I meet there.
The distance between the world and Japan has become much closer than before, and we are living in a happy era. I want to enjoy this.
In addition, not only in travel, situations, circumstances, and interests change somewhat, so don't think "someday (in the distant future)," but work hard and have fun in order to go, and go as close as possible, when you can, and when you can.
If you do this, you will find great joy.
It is important to be moved by that joy.
I want to continue to build on this and live a life rich in spirit.
Morocco
photographs and text - Akane
travel photographer / writer / traveler
Akane
In order to share with as many people as possible the world that I have walked around the globe and been moved by, I have been taking photographs with a focus on color and light.
Captures the colors and light in photographs, and transmits them along with local information and the real five senses.
ON THE WAY
STAY SALTY ...... travelers on the way
1.3 2021
fragrance adviser / writer / traveler aco
Let's go on a journey.
My journey.
旅に出よう 私の旅に
I'm glad I traveled back then.
The other day, I had a conversation with a travel friend whom I met for the first time in about eight years.
These words, which came out naturally to both of us, took me back to the days when we met at a cheap inn in Bangkok, on a bumpy road in Cambodia, and ate beer and street food that was cheaper than water every night.
Traveling has always been an integral part of my life.
Looking back, I started my life as a solo traveler in Europe, traveled to Southeast Asia, Africa, and the U.S. as a student, ended up living in the U.K. for a year as an exchange student, and visited various countries, mainly in Asia, on business trips as an adult.
Thinking about it, I have been traveling somewhere overseas every year for more than 10 years. I had taken such a life for granted, so this refrain from going out and traveling due to Corona was more psychologically damaging than I had imagined.
I packed my bags, headed to the airport, and boarded the plane.
That moment when the plane took off was amazing!
The elation of wandering around like a gentile in a land where no one knows who I am.
When those exciting elements of travel are gone, you instantly miss them.
And I've come to realize that "getting some fresh air" is more of a necessity than a regular occurrence for me.
I visited France for the first time.
I went to France for the first time to reunite with a French girl I had met through overseas correspondence. Her family welcomed me warmly, and I can't help but smile when I remember those days.
At that time, I was still more of an "ordinary tourist" than a traveler with a big suitcase.
However, on my second trip to France, I changed into a much wilder traveler when that large suitcase was stolen.
In my suitcase, which disappeared two days after my arrival in France, I found my favorite clothes that I was planning to wear there, lotion and shampoo that suited my skin and hair (it's hard to find cosmetics that suit your constitution in Europe, where the hard water and dryness pack a serious punch! ), souvenirs that I prepared to give to my friends.... It was filled with all kinds of favorites that I was attached to.
But they're gone now.
I couldn't even hope for them to come back.
I was so shocked that I laughed and pretended to be fine, but at night, I thought, "Oh, this and that are gone?
However, it is also true that through this trip, my attachment to things disappeared.
And when I decided on Southeast Asia as my next destination
I guess my Kansai spirit exploded, as I said, "If I can get it, I'll get it! As if to say, "If I can get it, I'll get it!" I stocked up on the bare necessities at a 100-yen store and switched to the idea of "if I run out, I'll make do locally.
Even though my trip was twice as long as my stay in France, I was able to pack only one backpack, less than half of what I needed.
As a lover of France and other sophisticated European cities and architecture, Southeast Asia was a series of adventures for me.
I took a cab from the airport to the guesthouse I had booked in Japan, but I couldn't find it no matter how many times I looked for it, and the driver gave up, saying, "There's nothing here.
I have a cell phone. But there was no signal.
What should I do?
I don't know anything about left and right.
And of course, I don't speak Thai.
I was at a loss, but the day would only get darker.
So I decided to go to that town where there were many backpackers. I decided to go there.
Khao San" was the only four words I knew.
I caught an old man in a motorcycle cab and called out "Khao San.
I wasn't sure if he understood me or not, but I got on the back of the bike.
Catch me properly! He was probably saying in Thai, "Catch me properly!
I wanted to complain to him that he was a sexual harasser, but my mind was on going to Khao San right now.
When a heavy squall started to fall, the old man put on a jacket for me, saying, "Don't worry about me.
I couldn't help but think, "Damn, he's so kind.
When I finally arrived at Khao San, I found it to be more free-spirited and chaotic than any other area I had been to before.
Although this was Thailand, there were as many Westerners as Asians, and the streets were lined with stalls and everywhere seemed to be having a party.
I haphazardly searched for a place to stay, hoping to find a place to sleep for the night.
What I found was a hostel with a very Japanese name.
Having been baptized in Thailand on the first day, I didn't know what to expect and just wanted to lie down and rest.
So I didn't care if there were rumors about bedbugs, dirty rooms, or weak water pressure in the shower.
If France was the place where I lost my obsession after my suitcase was stolen, Thailand was the place where I lost my sense of order, of "planning," and of "what I should do.
Thailand is a place where you no longer have to be obsessive in the good sense of the word, where you can do whatever you want.
The next day, I was planning to go sightseeing in Bangkok and then travel in the order of Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia.
However, a traveler I met for the first time that day, who was staying in the same dormitory as me, told me that he was planning to go to Cambodia tomorrow, and we hit it off and decided to go together.
This traveler was the same travel friend I mentioned at the beginning of this article, whom I met again after eight years.
The fact that he was so friendly and had the same last name as me made me think that we would get along well.
We had many troubles on the way, such as not being able to withdraw money from the ATM, suffering from severe diarrhea in Cambodia, and having trouble using the toilet on the night bus over the mountains in Laos, Vietnam. But every day was full of stimulation, and I truly felt that this trip was "fun!
It made me feel that I was alive.
I had completely forgotten this feeling of "being alive" as I had been struggling with life, life, and myself after going to school and finding a job.
There were times when I denied it, saying, "Things are different now than they were then.
However, since this year, when I decided to live as a freelance writer and creator of perfumes without any backing, I have realized the importance of savoring that feeling of being alive.
Quit my corporate job, and let go of my "must" curse and focus on enjoying life.
Allow it to happen.
I've steered away from MUST to WANT, and I'm enjoying the excitement of travel anew.
Actually, I am writing this from a hotel in Japan, and I have to say that travel is great, even in Japan.
When you spend your days in a different place, your "1 + 1 = 2" doesn't work.
That's why it's fun.
Traveling forces you to change your sense of values and causes you to break down your concepts in a big way.
Then, I see the world with a new, sharpened perspective.
This process is repeated in a short period of time, and although it is sometimes harsh, it always becomes a source of sustenance for me.
In order to make this happen, the travelers continue their journey with great enthusiasm.
"It was good to travel then, right?
Yes. I think so from the bottom of my heart.
The unknown world that awaited me when I ventured out has always fascinated me.
Having just opened up a new stage in my life, I started my journey to the next destination, remembering the journey I had taken.
Reuniting with my travel friends and writing about my journey here all seem to be "random".
Let's keep moving forward.
Let's continue my journey.
photographs and text - aco
fragrance adviser/writer/traveler
aco
A person of words and scents. After graduate school and working for a trading company, she became a writer. While studying perfumery, she aims to commercialize an original perfume inspired by Japanese mythology. I will write words that I feel with my five senses.
ON THE WAY
STAY SALTY ...... travelers on the way
12.1 2020
therapist / writer / traveler
Hinata Yoshioka
The Beginning of a Never-Ending Journey
終わらない旅のはじまり
When did I start my journey?
A distant memory led me to "a person's words one day", though it was a free comment from an ordinary high school art teacher. It was an ordinary high school art teacher who said, "You should try traveling alone.
Travel by yourself, try it.
The teacher was in the middle of art class when he suddenly and cheerfully recounted his own journey so far. He spoke passionately about how interesting it was to use an 18-day train ticket to travel to a place where you could go on a slow train, while ignoring the assignment. I remember listening to his talk in amazement when I was just starting high school and being presented with the option of traveling on my own, away from my parents, and being amazed that such a thing was possible.
Then I decided to organize a trip by myself during the summer vacation. It was a boat trip to the main island of Okinawa. At the time, I didn't have a lot of money, and I sensed that taking my time and taking it easy would be the status of a solo trip, so I opted for a three-day, two-night ferry trip from Osaka.
Okinawa was a place I was very interested in culturally, and as I was into Okinawan music at the time, it was the right place for me to visit. And the first place I arrived at was, in a sense, not Japan, but OKINAWA.
The air was heavy and humid, and the strong tropical sunshine was pouring down. In the space of the old marketplace, where the time axis seemed to have shifted, Okinawan folk songs with a full record feel were played incessantly on a loop. With my body melting in the heat and the sense of another dimension, I drift around there with a distant consciousness. I try my best to keep it real, but before I know it, I'm wrapped up in the Uchinah groove, which just tells me to give up on it.
Camouflaged U.S. military vehicles come and go on the road, and a slow-moving bus with an uninterrupted fence running past in the window. The name of the store, written in sideways letters in paint on a low, ragged concrete building, and the store keeper, Ober, sitting in front of an exposed open-air storefront, puffing on a short cigarette. Clearly, it was not the Japan I knew.
Very shy, yet somehow friendly Okinawans. When I was walking down the street, I was suddenly approached from behind.
Your hair is beautiful!
I turned around and saw Ober walking toward me, smiling. We were moving in the same direction, and we walked slowly down the street, talking as if we knew each other from before.
I used to let my hair grow out, but it looks like this now. I used to let my hair grow back, but it's like this now.
Oh yeah, how long have you been stretching it?
It was down to my waist - I had it long enough.
We kept on talking and found ourselves on a main street on the outskirts of town, where our destination was in a different direction, and we waved goodbye and parted, as we always do.
There's a time to take your time and feel the place, to blend in...
That was my "solo trip".
Since my first trip by myself, I've developed a habit of traveling. Once I go, I can't stop. At the same time, it was a joyful feeling of excitement at the expanse of the unknown world, and at the same time, it was also somewhat sad, as if I had lost sight of my home.
Counting the countries I've traveled to, I've been to nearly 50. Most of them were short stays on a boat trip, though. It was my second attempt to travel around the world on a ship called Peace Boat, and even though it was two times, the routes were different, so I visited many countries.
The advantages of a boat trip are hard to overstate. The first thing I can say is that getting around is just a breeze. It's amazing to wake up in the morning and arrive in the next country, having your own room and not having to pack and carry your luggage every time you go about your daily life. Looking out on the deck, yesterday it was a skyscraper and today it's a desert! It's an unpredictable and interesting thing to do.
We'll travel on our own, struggling with our bags while we're young! I used to spend a lot of energy on things like that, but I'm getting tired fast nowadays and I really want to cut that part out. But that's not the only reason, there are plenty of other things to do on the ship.
For example, the view from the deck, meeting creatures such as dolphins and whales, large rainbows over the jungle, ice floes, and auroras, there are plenty of exciting things to see on the ship's deck. It's not just a way to get around and stay overnight, it's also a journey in itself.
In fact, I experienced all of this in real life on the deck.
Boat trips are the best! However, I haven't completely stopped traveling around with my luggage. Of course, I still like to hang around. I also move around the country, taking buses and planes.
After thinking about how to make a long trip without spending a lot of money, yes, resorts should be good! It was two years ago that I tried resova, and at my age, I tried it. I spent two months working at a ryokan (Japanese style inn) in an old hot spring resort in Kumamoto, visiting hot springs here and there every day during my breaks. If you include the hot spring where I work, I must have visited the hot springs at least 100 times in two months. This was also like a long trip for me.
The longest I could travel in one trip was two months. My stays in Hawaii and Cebu were both long battles. Battle is pretty much the word for me, and those two places were the ones I was trying my best to stay in with the goal of finding an opportunity to immigrate. But life doesn't work out that well. Or maybe I just wasn't prepared enough, but both of them ended without success.
In fact, I have lived in Okinawa for the past 12 years. It started when I was 21 years old, when I went on a trip and settled there for a year, and after that I found myself in Iriomote Island in the Yaeyama Islands for 6 years, and then on the main island of Okinawa for 6 years, and so on. My move is almost always a fate that begins and ends with fate.
I still love Okinawa, but since discovering the island of Hawaii, my attention has been drawn to it. I seem to be drawn to spiritual places where there is nature. Living in my hometown, Kobe, didn't seem like a bad idea, but I've come to realize that I'm not in my element unless I'm in a place where the natural energy is stronger, or I'm channeled to a different place and it's a bit rough.
Before I knew it, it went beyond the journey and became a story about life. If you ask me which part is the journey and which part is the life, I honestly don't know how to answer because I'm so mixed up.
Recently, I've realized that a journey is only possible when there is a life, and I can enjoy a journey to the fullest because I have a place to return to. What I mean by that is that a life or a place to return is not only an actual place or space, but also a place where there are friends, family and things that accept you.
Even when I was having a good time on the road, I would get caught up in the loneliness of not having anything waiting for me at a moment's notice. That meant that there was nowhere to return to. Then I realized that travel is just wandering, and that a journey with no goal and no destination is somehow accompanied by sadness.
If you're going to travel, you have to build a solid foundation for your life. Recently, I've finally come to that conclusion, and I'm slowly starting to build a foundation for that foundation, trying to live my life with care and respect, instead of just thinking about traveling, taking things for granted, or making friends and networking. Yes, I hope that somewhere in the world there is a place that I would like to return to.
And yet. I'm thinking that there may be a new way of living beyond this. You don't have to stay in one place, you don't have to stay with your family and friends all the time, you don't have to move from place to place...as long as you can be where you need to be, when you need to be, and with the people you need to be with, that's fine. I feel like each of us has our own independent life and space, but sometimes we also have time to be with our families or with our partners.
I feel like the options for free living, in and out of each other's spaces, or having a community-like place to live, are going to keep opening up in new directions.
And. I want the journey to continue to exist as something that inspires me to live as always, to clear my mind and let the fresh breeze flow through me.
Fresh surprises and encounters, they always flow into me as a sparkle. Of course, it is not something that can only be obtained by traveling, but I hope to keep this different space of travel as one of the main things, or as an exciting and wonderful way of life, forever.
photographs and text - Hinata Yoshioka
photographer / writer / traveler
Hinata Yoshioka
Photographer and writer. After traveling around the country, she arrived in Okinawa, where she spent 12 years. She is currently based in Kobe, Japan. She loves Hawaii and has a background in hula, and is also a Lomi Lomi massage therapist. She loves cooking, making things, music, reading, photography, and traveling. Her story of sailing around the world twice by boat is now available on the web!
therapist / writer / traveler
Sumiko Kuramitsu
ON THE WAY
STAY SALTY ...... travelers on the way
11.1 2020
Crying a little on the plane during the trip.
旅の途中、飛行機の中でちょっと泣く
I often have the experience of crying on airplanes.
The first time I cried was when I went from Hokkaido to Tokyo as a bride.
I was happy to start a new life with someone I love, but
I was sentimental when I left the land where I was born and raised and where I spent 10 years of my working life.
I was in the front row of an airplane with tears rolling down my face.
My neighbor didn't notice, but he did.
The cabin attendant sitting across from me with her eyes.
Are you okay? I remember that he was very concerned about me.
In the 16 years I lived in Tokyo, I traveled a lot.
A lot, really.
At least twice a year.
There may have been a year when I flew overseas about ten times.
This time of year.
I cried a little bit on the plane back to Japan from where I went out.
To think that the next day the fight would start all over again.
It was so hard to cry.
Or, more accurately, crying would shake my resolve.
I held it together.
My days in Tokyo.
My ex-husband was part of the management of a small company that he owned.
I spent most of my life working.
A moment abroad was a precious break.
When I think about it now, I can only say that the trip back then was a waste of time.
The night before I left, I stayed up all night to finish up work in my absence.
In the morning, just before we left, I visited the local temperature.
I packed my suitcase.
My travel plan was to tell my ex-husband if we were on vacation.
Leave it to employees to travel and work.
Sleep like dead on the plane.
We just followed the plan there.
I honestly don't remember a lot of countries because that's what it was like.
Now that I'm a therapist.
I'm sure you're curious enough to stay for a while.
Even in the so-called "power spots
I've been there a lot.
It's really not worth it.
I got divorced, quit my job.
I've been living in Buenos Aires, Argentina for six years now.
If you look at it from Japan, it's the other side of the world
It's in South America, with a 12-hour time difference and the exact opposite season.
Now I am crying on the plane to Japan.
Even though I know I'll be back soon.
I coo the moment the plane leaves South America.
I don't hold back and cry, "Ehhh.
The energetic land of Argentina and the
The blue sky fascinates me.
The powerful, life-giving air invigorates me.
The artist-friendly culture and
And I love this city, which is the sanctuary of the Argentine tango.
One of the reasons I live here is because
Living the authentic tango as a part of your life is
It's also because this city makes it easy.
The people are affectionate, close and warm.
Usually, people greet each other with hugs and kisses.
Once you get used to it.
It's not easy to leave that comfort.
It's hard to get out of the comfort zone.
I'm also fascinated by the joy of walking the streets.
The city of Buenos Aires is called the Paris of South America.
Historic architecture, greenery, flowers and street art adorn the city.
Argentina has never been a safe country in terms of politics, economy and security.
It's not a safe country.
My heart feels like it's in the warmth of something here, and
I am free and at ease.
But unfortunately.
That feeling disappears when you leave this place.
So, while I'm in Japan.
It's very cold and lonely.
Don't you miss Japan?
I am often asked by Argentines if I dislike Japan, and the answer is no. It's not that I don't like Japan or anything, it's just that Japan is inside me.
Japan is inside of me.
The landscape, the atmosphere, the culture, the traditions...
I feel like it's always here, within myself.
So I don't feel like I'm disconnected.
I don't get the feeling that I miss Japan.
When I first started living in Buenos Aires, I
"Please make me a child of this kingdom.
and the trunk of the Ombud, a tree native to Argentina.
It's something I used to frame and ask for.
I am now a Japanese living in Argentina.
I feel most like myself.
As a Japanese man living in Argentina, I am
I'm going back home to Japan again this year.
On the plane to Japan, I'm sure I'll be crying "ehn" again.
photographs and text - Sumiko Kuramitsu
therapist / writer / traveler
Sumiko Kuramitsu
Born in Hokkaido, Japan. After working in the business world and getting married in Tokyo
Left work in 2014, divorced, living in Buenos Aires since the end of that year.
Reiki teacher and hypnotherapy therapist.
ON THE WAY
STAY SALTY ...... travelers on the way
10.3 2020
traveler / nomad worker / photographer
Michi
Portraits, nomads, and travel.
ポートレイトとノマドと旅と。
"The face of that person I met on the road."
There are many things you can only see in nature and beautiful cities, art and music, and delicious food.
There are so many things I love about traveling, and I love them all. When I think of the places I've visited, the people I've met are always in my head.
And yet, sadly, I find myself forgetting faces. Faces tend to be forgotten with time.
That's why I started taking portraits of people I met on my travels.
I'm curious about this guy! If I have a gut feeling that I can't take a picture, even if it's 5 or 10 minutes before the picture is taken, it's sometimes difficult because of the language barrier, but in general I try to have a chat with them.
'Twenty years after I tossed a coin and the front came out, I decided to live here alone and in a tent. I've been feeling a bit lonely lately. A lover of freedom in Spain, he told me, "I went to see a friend in Tibet.
I want to visit my friends in Tibet and see with my own eyes how they are doing and if life is okay. A 95-year-old monk from Ladakh, India, who told me, "I want to go and see my friends in Tibet and see with my own eyes how they are doing and if life is okay.
Thank you for coming. Thank you for coming, please come again. A Vietnamese grandmother in a beautiful indigo-dyed traditional dress who repeatedly shook my hand and said, "Thank you for coming again.
When I was sick, she mixed a special herbal tea for me to drink and said, "There is a strong influence from the Middle East and France, but this is still Africa. The nature of Africa helps us. A friend from Morocco told me, "There is a strong influence from the Middle East and France, but it is still Africa.
After Ramadan, the Muslim fast, he told me, "It's a celebration, so eat up! and some Bangladeshi brothers who shared their snacks with us.
Australia, where buskers come from all over the world to perform on the streets. In the midst of the hustle and bustle of the city, the busker quietly played healing music and interacted with the people who stopped to listen to him.
A shy and beautiful flute player from Nepal who plays in an orchestra to send off a bride who is leaving her parents' house underneath the apartment she is living in.
The people who live there, the travellers who travel there with all kinds of feelings. It's always a thrill to listen to their stories and take their photos.
Whether it's a short trip for a few days or an indefinite amount of time, meeting people I've never met in an unfamiliar place always teaches me about the world.
Sometimes there are customs that could be considered shocking, and other times there are happenings.
Whenever I go to a new place, I always wonder if there are any dangers. Will I make friends? Will I have a nice trip? Will I have a nice trip?
But when I leave the place, I think "I don't want to leave" because of the people I met there.
I am keenly aware that home is not a place but a feeling.
"I'm going on an indefinite journey as a digital nomad."
I worked for a few years in a corporate job at a start-up company before I left to travel indefinitely. In addition to my work, I started to get a few commissions for my hobby of photography. But I couldn't help but feel the urge to travel again.
When I decided to ask him to let me travel while I continue to work, he said, "I heard it's Mi-chan (that's a nickname at my company). You should go! And the company bosses who pushed me to do the same. My colleagues who accepted me with open arms. Thanks to all of them, a few months later, I left Japan. I started my journey for an indefinite period of time.
As a digital nomadic salaryman (woman), I feel like I'm getting to see more of the way of life in the places I visit than ever before by continuing to travel while working.
When the power went out, the internet was cut off and I had to rush around to find a cafe that powered itself.
I tried the shared office space where I was staying to see what kind of jobs and people were working there.
When I rented an apartment, I found a lot of vicious stray dogs in the neighborhood, and I was half-heartedly desperate to get home.
I tried going to the local gym or sauna, but the ladies who always come to the gym were too funny.
I tried to join a tai chi class in the park.
I went to a yoga class and discovered my body that I never knew existed.
I tried cooking with ingredients I'd never seen before.
I went on a trip for a few days on a motorcycle that I could ride abroad with an international driver's license, even though I didn't have one in Japan.
I met a lot of people in their 50s and 60s who travel with just a backpack, and I was encouraged that it's never too late to travel.
I know there are many people who would like to go on a trip but are too busy to go, or too busy to move at the moment for various reasons. I would be happy if my travelogue can give you some hints or inspiration for your next trip.
I would like to continue to share with you what I found at the end of my journey out of my comfort zone.
photographs and text - Michi
traveler / nomad worker / photographer
Mana
In her teenage years, she started traveling around the country little by little.
In his 20s, he goes on a trip, then when he runs out of money, he returns to Tokyo, earns money and goes on another trip.
In her 30s, while continuing to travel for a few months, she started taking portraits, and in 2019 she will work as a digital nomad while traveling indefinitely.
I love meeting people and blogging about the various things I encounter in the land and nomadic information.
STAY SALTY ...... travelers on the way
9.4 2020
writer / traveler
Mana
ON THE WAY
Peaches taste like.
Sunset in Rome
桃の味、ローマの夕陽
Maybe the journey is a microcosm of life.
It begins, you taste it, the curtain comes down.
As I repeated the process, I got the hang of living.
I feel a little bit like that.
The first time I got on a plane was when I was six months old.
When my father was transferred to a new job.
I headed to New York with my mother.
I was already there.
Just as my life of "traveling" had begun.
I think I'll look back now.
No, my father, who works for a travel agency and loves to travel abroad.
From the moment I was born to my grandparents and mother
Maybe that was already in the cards.
Enjoying the journey.
The fact that it is the axis of my life.
Enjoyment.
That's something I've finally been able to do lately.
I've been bothered by the past.
I get all excited about the future.
There's no such thing as tasting what's right in front of you.
I've spent all this time.
For example, peaches.
When I have a perfect peach in front of me.
Just cut it up, put it in a bowl and bring it to your mouth.
It was just like that.
And pink with a gradient.
And a soft, sweet smell.
And the soft texture.
And the popping sound when you put the knife in.
And the freshness that fills your mouth.
And that fleeting taste.
I had to pretend it wasn't all there.
However, while I was stacking up my travels.
The "savor" in the middle of life.
I was getting much better at it.
A "trip" with a fixed itinerary.
In that context, we have a limited amount of time.
You have to be aware of it.
I've experienced the end too many times.
Like taking a deep breath.
I need to get a moment of brilliance into my body.
I've been spared the entire trip.
I'm sure that's why.
It was the sunset that I fell in love with in such a historic city.
I went to a spot I found near my hotel.
We went out at the same time every day.
The sunset on the old streets and
I gave my heart to the air at sunset in Rome.
Forgetting the anxieties of everyday life.
No need to go around the sights.
I was absent-mindedly looking at the sky. It was a happy moment.
I know I said I'd found it.
In fact, everyone knows the setting there.
In the movie "Roman Holiday" (1953)
Princess Anne, played by Audrey Hepburn
It's that Spanish staircase famous for the gelato-eating scene.
The time I spent on the top of the stairs, loving the Plaza de España and the sunset...
It's still gently etched in my mind.
I had spent three nights in Rome.
This was in late 2017.
Rome is a treasure trove of tourist attractions.
The Colosseum, the Foro Romano, the
The Mouth of Truth, Trevi Fountain, Sant'Angelo Castle, and
Piazza Navona, St. Peter's Basilica
The Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel are located here.
One evening in late August, I was sitting on a bench outside.
It's one of my favorite places in the city, a place of refinement and sophistication.
In the summer, the breeze from this time of day to night was so nice.
I couldn't resist the urge to spend some time outside in a daze.
I look up at the sky, which is slowly beginning to turn a peachy hue.
An airplane passes by a towering building.
I felt my heart dance as it played music in the background.
There would come a day when I could go on another trip.
In the meantime, the journey had taught me a thing or two.
Tips on how to live your life for emotional support.
I think about spending my days.
Powerful before it turns into that of autumn.
I can see the pure white clouds in my eyes.
We stopped at a flower shop on the way home.
I've chosen the most amazing single flower.
Twilight in the twilight
Sniffing the family next to me
The peaches are almost out of season.
While savoring it with all five senses.
photographs and text - Mana
writer/traveler
Mana
He learns and weaves words into his travels and days.
She was born in Tokyo, Japan. Spent his childhood in New York City. Graduated from Sophia University.
Since 2015, I've been traveling abroad three times a year.
You can find a collection of essays "Jewel Box" and other travel information on note.
His radio show #The Beauty of Travel is now available on YouTube.
ON THE WAY
STAY SALTY ...... travelers on the way
8.2 2020
Illustrator / writer / traveler
HOLLY
Along with the lifestyle of travel and living
旅暮らしというライフスタイルと共に
For the past year and a half, I've been living a lifestyle of travel.
It all started in a small, ordinary one-room room,
and as I worked and rented it out as a matter of course,
I began to wonder if this life was really my choice,
or if I was just being swept along with the world.
I thought,
"I'll just quit my permanent residence and work while traveling.
So I quit the company I was working for,
gave away most of my belongings,
and set off on a trip with just a one-way ticket and a backpack.
I was reckless. I think it would be more correct to set out on a trip after building a sustainable situation,
but it's in my nature to try it for now.
And so my future life as a traveler has begun.
While traveling there, I was puzzled by the culture,
which was completely different from Japan's,
but the kindness and friendliness of the people helped me a lot.
The image I had of the country has changed, and I realized the importance of experiencing it for myself and not relying on the information in the media.
I also toured the countries of the former Yugoslavia to see what they are like now, where conflicts were taking place.
It is now peaceful, but the traces of bombing in the buildings and the numerous cemeteries that remain from those days remind us that conflict was a reality.
Once you visit, what happened "somewhere in the world" becomes something that happened "in that place where I lived and where that person lives,"
and you begin to see it as your own thing.
I spent the next few days in one town and then moved on to the next,
crossing the borders of Middle Eastern and Eastern European countries one after the other.
I spent my days seeing things I'd never seen before,
learning things I didn't know,
and capturing the beautiful countries I saw through my eyes.
I have fond memories now of the primitive things I did,
such as washing my hair in a public toilet,
and the time I lost my credit card and got trapped.
I needed a job to balance "traveling" and "living" and I earned a small amount of money from my design and writing jobs.
I was extraordinarily happy when I got my first income,
but there were many months when I had no income at all,
and I realized that my knowledge,
skills, and everything else was not up to par.
Once back home,
I studied web design,
marketing and branding and started working as a freelance designer and photographer.
The coronavirus has made it harder to move around,
but there are many things I want to do in the future.
I want to take videos,
write a book,
and dream of being able to travel the world again,
so I'm looking at it as a time to hone my skills.
I want to continue to live a lifestyle of travel,
and I think this is one way of life!
And I'm glad if I can encourage someone else to do the same.
photographs and text - HOLLY
designer / photographer / traveler
HOLLY
HOLLY
A year and a half since I started traveling and living. I'm a lonely person and sometimes bold.
I'm a freelance designer and photographer, working mainly on graphics, web, photography and illustration.
STAY SALTY ...... travelers on the way
ON THE WAY
7.1 2020
Illustrator / writer / traveler
Beni Yoshiwara
Both delicious, analog journey and digital journey
どちらもおいしい、アナログ旅とデジタル旅
The first time I went abroad was 1995. I was 20 years old.
A flight from Kansai International Airport, which was just opened, to London via Singapore.
It was not a 100% pure play purpose because the purpose was to attend English language school and acquire English.
Even so, it wasn't easy for me because it was my first time to travel abroad, and the conditions of going to school alone also overlapped.
historical context.
It wasn't the time when you could buy airline tickets online, and only a few people were using mobile phones.
Instead, I took my first overseas trip with a standard guidebook called "Walking on the Earth" and two books called "Thomas Cook", which covers European train timetables.
They were too bulky to travel with, hard to carry and heavy.
The only way to get information in advance was with the letters in the book.
Story of such an era.
I went to a travel agency and bought cash directly on the spot.
The information source up to that point was the information magazine published by Recruit.
The money for that was desperately saved by a part-time job.
At the time, I was a 20-year-old female college student who played water, but my interest was limited to traveling.
Speaking of girls like that, there is enough momentum to focus on love, fashion and makeup.
However, what I wore at the time was the clothes I bought at Vivre, which cost around 1,000 yen, and the makeup was appropriate.
The reason the 20-year-old girl, who would otherwise be poured into such fields, worked was only for the purpose of travel financing.
It wasn't that there were flowers and colors.
My main purpose of travel was to attend a language school in England, but my itinerary did not end there.
After completing the school curriculum, he planned to travel to France and travel to Germany.
The reason was that he was a very poor young man.
A simple British round-trip is useless.
If you go to Europe anyway, I'll go to various places.
I thought so.
The reason why we prepared a heavy train timetable is because we considered its movement.
Results I made a plan to visit three countries: England, France and Germany.
Even now, whenever I recall the memory of that time, I suddenly rise to the corners of my youthfulness and recklessness.
Open jaw of London IN and Paris OUT. Moreover, a flight ticket that requires a transfer.
It was a thin sheet of carbon paper with multiple spellings.
There was a risk of theft if I carried the cash as it was, so I took it in place of a traveler's check.
There was a constant sense of tension about losing them all along the way.
The kind of paper I had was roughly equivalent to the necessities, and the fluttering, fluffy carbon paper airline tickets were valuable items alongside my passport.
25 years since then.
No need for heavy guidebooks.
Local information, maps, and thick timetables are all in the app.
Traveler's checks have disappeared from the world, and most payments are on cards.
A virtual ticket that can be booked with a click.
Boarding procedures that are completed only with a smartphone.
The airline tickets that I used to carry with me are neither wet nor broken.
This system was completed in 15 years instead of 25 years.
What I am fortunate for, though, is that I was able to experience the transition of the travel style that was spun from analog to digital and the difference between them.
While spreading the map that was about to break due to many open eyes, I asked a foreigner who I didn't know about the way, and nevertheless got lost and was despaired.
I was afraid of being lost or stolen, so I took my flight ticket to the shower.
I walked around with my own feet and decided on an inn where I could stay, relying only on my intuition.
Timetable I turned around Thomas Cook, checked the transit time of the railway, and checked it with a pen.
Since there was no overflowing information sent by the unspecified majority, I relied heavily on my five senses and what I heard.
After two years of such a journey from the age of 20, the general public has come to find employment, marriage and childcare.
They have successfully controlled the tentacles of my journey for about 15 years.
In the last 15 years, when I was all about myself, my children, and my work, the old style of travel had disappeared.
It was in 2013 that I resumed traveling abroad from there.
The journey I knew at that time was not available at least in Japan.
After experiencing the new digital travel experience, I was of course surprised and thankful for the evolution of technology, but I could not deny the loneliness of what was lost.
We were no longer so lost.
The place that I thought was my secret has already been found online.
We can fly abroad with just a passport, a card and a smartphone.
You can instantly know the latest hot spots and popular inns by word of mouth.
Both analog journeys of that era and digital journeys of this era are still journeys.
Even so, sometimes I remember this.
I'm glad I could experience that frustration and inconvenience at that age.
Twenty years old. It's a good salt plum that is neither too early nor too late.
But what if I was in my 40s and asked again to do that analog journey? Do you have the confidence to do it? I suddenly laugh.
So I was lucky, yes.
photographs and text - Beni Yoshiwara
Illustrator / writer / traveler
Beni Yoshihara
吉原 紅
Born in 1975. After working for a job advertisement agency, became a freelance graphic designer. At the age of 20, I woke up to travel abroad alone and traveled to several countries as a backpacker. Currently, I am drawing illustrations and writing texts, dreaming about the world in my forties. Besides pictures and writing, I also love photography and fashion. I am always looking for beauty in my daily life.