on the road again

Hitch hiking to Tokyo was such a success I decided to try it again except this time for Yamaguchi, Japan. My friend Aiko from Maryville College and close family friend Chris from Hendersonville, TN both teach English for Aiko’s father at his language school the Hatano English House. It's always nice to get out of Nagashima every once in a while so I decided to take advantage of the three day weekend in Japan and pay them a visit.

The first leg of my hitch was similar to last time in that I caught a ride with friends of mine that were planning on traveling over the weekend at the same time as me. Together we left Nagashima at 11:00 pm on Friday and after stopping for ramen along the way we arrived to the parking area in Kumamoto where they would be dropping me off. Because it was 3:00 am by this time we all decided to get a few hours of sleep in the car and then start traveling again after sunrise. In the morning we ate breakfast together and went our separate ways.

Starting from about 8:00 am I began seeking out my next ride and it only took about one hour before someone agreed to give me a lift nearly the ENTIRE way. The man who offered me a ride also happened to be on his way towards Yamaguchi so for the next five hours we traveled together.

His name is Mr. Narikiyo and he works for the Fukuoka City Hall. Also, he currently serves as the Chairman for the Fukuoka Youth Organization Liaison Council. Although he was alone in his car he was accompanied by two large buses full of about 50 others also on their way to Yamaguchi. Together they would be attending a leadership seminar focusing on how to motivate unmotivated children. Each time we stopped for a break I would meet with other group members who were riding the buses.

Once Mr. Narikiyo had taken me as far as he was going we took a few pictures and said our goodbyes. From this point I began to solicit strangers for rides for the last duration of the journey. As Mr. Narikiyo and the others took a break for a picnic lunch they continued to cheer me on from the sides waiting in anticipation each time I approached someone new. After about 10 minutes Mr. Narikiyo gets up from where he is eating lunch and walks in my direction. Thinking he has something to say I begin to walk towards him too, but he isn’t headed for me, instead, he is heading for a lady and about 10 elementary school kids standing in our proximity. He then says to her, “This boy came all the way from Kagoshima to see his friends in Yamaguchi. He’s a great English teacher and he can teach your kids English in the car. You can give him a ride into the city, can’t you?” Without thinking twice the lady agrees and just like that we were on the road again.

The elementary school kids were on their way to a basketball game in Yamaguchi so off we went. For about half an hour we practiced a little English in the car and before we know it we had arrived to the school. From that point I gave each of the boys a shiny US penny and wished them luck.

So, after three enjoyable rides I hade officially made it to Yamaguchi City. Next, I started walking and walking and walking and finally found what I had been looking for, an onsen. I called Aiko’s mom and arranged for her to come and pick me up after taking both a nice long bath and nap.

Aiko's mom met me and drove me straight to the Hatano English House where I team taught an English lesson with Aiko. I saw Chris too, but not for long. Unfortunately, he was heading for Osaka early in the morning to attend training for work. Perhaps, I should have asked if he was going to be around before planning my visit. The good news, however, is that since he wasn’t there for the majority of my stay it gives me another excuse to visit. While in Yamaguchi I visited some beautiful sites, learned about the town’s history, attended an English Contest, and ate like a king!