My adventure trip to Kyushu

From June 2nd to June 8th, 2025, I embarked on an adventurous trip around Kyushu at the age of 73. I traveled approximately 3,600 kilometers, spending about 60 hours on the road. Along the way, I climbed Mount Mikami in Shiga Prefecture while searching for my roots, and I visited my grandfather’s hometown in Tottori Prefecture for the first time.

I reunited with my brother in Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, whom I had lost contact with for a long time. I also visited Suizenji Park in Kumamoto City, which was the route my father took to school when he was a child, and the historic Hitoyoshi Ryokan, my former colleague’s family inn in Kumamoto Prefecture.

On my way back, by chance, I visited the home of a middle school classmate in Nishinomiya, right in front of Koshien Stadium. This extraordinary adventure created many memorable stories.