Day 9 of the Journey [Part 1 of 2]

Sunday, December 3
12 km (7.5 mi) walked/limped, 105 km (65 mi) in total
85 km (53 mi) traveled, 604 km (375 mi) in total         

I did not know where I was when I woke up that morning. I was not particularly hungry, but the hotel had a breakfast buffet, so I indulged in some food before taking off. I could walk a little bit better, and the throbbing pain had receded.?

I decided to take things one step at a time. I opened my copy of Oku no Hosomichi, and read its passage in Tagajo.

Matsuo Basho had undertaken the 2,500 km (1,500 mi) trip to the interior for many reasons. He understood travel as the quintessential form of life, thus accepting it an internal desire to be fulfilled, no matter the outcome. He was mostly inspired by 11th century writer Saigyo, who also traveled around Japan. The trip’s itinerary was designed to pass by utamakura, beautiful places in Japan whose mention in poetry conveyed specific ideas regarding seasons and nature. Famous utamakura, or “poem pillows”, include the region of Yoshino (used as an allegory for its famous cherry blossoms) or mount Amanokaguyama (that represents the arrival of early summer).

Basho had gone to one of the most important utamakura in the trip: the stone monument of Tsubo no Ishibumi, in Tagajo, a stela from the 12th century that stood the pass of time. Basho writes:

“Countless utamakura have been recited from long ago until now — mountains have collapsed, water has streamed down rivers, roads have been rebuilt, stones have been buried, time has passed, and the world has changed. However, now that I have the unmistakable legacy of a thousand years of history in front of my eyes, I have the feeling I understand the minds of the ancients. Fortunately as I continue my trip, I have forgotten the suffering of the journey and the joy of being alive, and my eyes are full of tears”.

It was an emotional part of the trip for me. Not was I just lucky enough to be able to walk again, but also to undertake a journey tens of thousands of miles away from my hometown, with a job that gave me the financial support and time to walk for weeks around some of the most gorgeous places I have ever seen in my life.

I was supposed to reach Matsushima somehow that day, and Basho had stopped by the port town of Shiogama, where he visited its shrine. I decided to do the same, and walked for around 7 km (4 mi). The stone steps to Shiogama shrine were steep, but the crimson buildings and the reddish leaves of the trees made up for it. I checked my copy of Oku no Hosomichi again. Basho had left from Shiogama to Matsushima on a boat, sailing across the bay. There was no way there were ferries that would do the same trip. Yet I was wrong. I headed to Shiogama port, paid my fare and saw the beautiful islands by Matsushima, covered in pine trees. It was a sunny day in Matsushima, and there were many tourists. Upon my arrival, I visited Zuiganji temple. Basho was right — this was one of the most beautiful places in Japan. In fact, it was so mesmerizing that Basho indicated that he could not compose a poem that would do justice to the town.

It was the first Sunday of December, the day of the JLPT, that many of my students would be taking. One of them, who would confidently be taking the N1 that day, had had his last class with me that past week. A feeling of perennial transience fell upon me while walking up a hill towards Matsushima station. The wide bay was far away to my right and, before it, part of the town.

The feeling still lingered when I reached the station. It was around 1:30pm. I had little time left — I needed to reach Hiraizumi before dusk. According to Basho, there was a stunning temple made of gold there called Hikari-do, but I was not able to find it on Google Maps. I arrived in Hiraizumi station at 3:55pm, and started walking.?

The Fujiwara clan had built a castle and a temple complex in Hiraizumi, but they were annihilated a long time ago, just like the fortress. Only grass remained, green in summer when Basho visited, but now brownish in the late afternoon.

夏草や Natsu gusa ya

兵どもが Tsuwamono domo ga

夢の跡 Yume no ato

Only summer grass

Yet the warriors are now

Vestiges of dreams

Do you have any thoughts on my trip, or are you thinking of coming to Japan? I'd love to hear about it!

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This newsletter, My Narrow Road to the Interior, comes up every weekday at 9am (Western European Time)/5pm (Japanese time).