then just like he came

Never had I noticed the guy before at the onsen and I couldn’t recall ever seeing him around town either. He was young too which probably meant he was just visiting the island for the weekend. At one point we exchanged nods, but I quickly turned away in efforts to communicate that I was either shy or not up for conversation. Actually, that much was true, as it was Friday evening and I had just returned from running after work. My mind was tired from the school week which seemed to drag on longer than usual and my agenda for the rest of the evening was to rinse off so I could get home for dinner.

Before leaving the onsen I moved to the outside bath to get some fresh air and catch a glimpse of the evening stars. That’s when I realized the guy from the onsen was on his way outside too. With a grin on his face he introduced himself and sat down. He was very friendly and I quickly forgot about not wanting to socialize with strangers.

His name is Takuji. He is twenty-eight years old. He smokes Virginia Slims. He is an artist and a writer. He has one pair of shoes with holes in them. He has a tent, a change of clothes, a pink cigarette lighter, a map of Japan, and a bicycle with eighteen gears - He is a traveler.

For a year and a half Takuji has been riding his bike across Japan. After asking him how he does it everyday he assured me that it was simple. He rises with the sun and bikes until it’s either too dark to continue or until he has traveled 100 kilometers. He sleeps in a tent and cooks over a fire. Throughout the day he stops to chat with the locals listening to their stories and sharing his own. It’s common for him to receive fruits and vegetables from farmers working the fields and even invitations to lunch or dinner. On good nights, about once a month, he is offered a place to stay for the evening.

Curtis and I invited him out for dinner and he stayed the night at my place where we stayed up late into the night talking. In the morning we ate breakfast and I asked him to show me his course on the map. As I watched his finger zigzag across the land of the rising sun I realized that he hasn’t been traveling the length of Japan or even the perimeter - he is riding his bicycle through every single city in Japan. He admitted that only once did he accept a ride in someone’s car for a short duration of the trip, but because he felt like he had cheated he vowed to never do it again.

Takuji has two weeks left on his voyage until he reaches Nagasaki where he will work making stained glass windows. He’s running short on money so if all goes well with his new job he plans on staying there for a while. Together we went to supermarket where he bought two trays of sushi for us to eat for lunch and a pack of Virginia Slims for the road. After eating a quick lunch together we took a few pictures and said our goodbyes. Before leaving Takuji asked, “Today is Wednesday, isn’t it?” To which I replied, “No Takuji, today is Saturday.” Then he got back onto his bike and and just like he came he rode off into the distance until he was gone.