Thinking Allowed: Day 59-61: Tokyo to Oiso

Day 59: Mita to Tsurumi

Hours walked: 9:00-3:00 (plus an hour commute each way)

Distance walked: 20 km

Cumulative: 1,251 km

Today we went through some cute neighborhoods on the Tokaido. Tamar found a neat trail map showing the day’s historical sites of interest. We passed a big statue of a monk Buddha that blesses travelers, the bridge of tears, the execution grounds, and so on.

We stopped several times to eat, including one bakery with tintin and milou statues, where we got a mackerel sandwich, a cinnamon roll, and more. Tamar said, “For some people brunch means breakfast and lunch together…but for us it means neither breakfast nor lunch.”

The walking went smoothly despite the heat, but it was really stressful making our train; even though we made it, it didn’t feel worth it at all. We had rice and vegetables for dinner, and went to bed early with a big day ahead tomorrow.

Walkin’ across Tokyo

The temples are spectacular here

Hopefully this spirit will watch over us when we read aloud as we walk

Day 60: Tsurumi to Ofuna

Hours walked: 8:15-3:30 (plus over an hour commute)

Distance walked: 26 km

Cumulative: 1,277 km

We said goodbye to our Tokyo apartment at last, and took a really long train back to Tsurumi. Thankfully it was Saturday morning, so our gear wasn’t an inconvenience to anyone.

Our walk today was a mix of noisy busy roads and really quiet bike paths. Tova finished reading Skandar, but it ended in a cliffhanger and maybe now she’ll have to read the next one. We got ice cream to beat the heat. In Ofuna we took a monorail (“it was like a train that was hanging in the air!”) and made it to our spidery apartment by 4:30.

The coast is getting more popular

Gorgeous ocean view

The torii are the most vibrant colors we see all day

Never happier than when she’s with a sister

Day 61: Ofuna to Oiso

Hours walked: 7:30-7:00

Distance walked: 30 km

Cumulative: 1,307 km

Five minutes into our walk today, Aurora exclaimed, “this doesn’t feel like Japan!” The Enoshima coast was teeming with surfers: most common were young Japanese men with surfboards strapped onto the sides of their bicycles. The shops were Billabong and such. It definitely felt like a different side of the country, much more relaxed and bohemian.

It was another extremely hot day; by 8:30 AM it was over 30 degrees and the sun blazed down. We enjoyed the views and breezes but also wished it would please cool down by 10 degrees. Around lunch Zadie splashed happily in the water, Tova had a headache and glumly sat out. Our walk was mainly a seafront path, quite beautiful, plus some sandy bits and roads for the last couple of hours.

When we reached our Airbnb around 4:30, Jakob and Aurora stayed with Levi while the others visited Enoshima, a tiny island dedicated to the goddess of music and entertainment. They saw caves and temples, but the throngs of people meant they didn’t get back until almost 7PM. Meanwhile, Aurora and Levi got to see dozens of trains pass by our house, while Jakob made fried rice.