I left the scorching heat of Yokohama and enjoyed a drive to a cooler spot nearby. Oodarumi Pass is the highest pass accessible by car in Japan (2,360m above sea level), and even at noon it was 19°C (35°C in Yokohama). My beloved Jimny proved to be a great help on the tough off-road descent from the pass to Nagano.
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.
This video was created in 2013 when CASL: Challenge and Smile Laboratories was launched. (Updated in 2016) Koguro Park is a nearby park where I take a walk every morning. It is a small park, but I am moved by the beautiful scenery of the four seasons. I was also moved by the beautiful scenery in the previous video of "My adventure trip to Hokkaido", but even small parks like Koguro Park have beauty. You also need the sensitivity to be able to feel beauty even when looking at the same thing with others.
The equation for emotion can be expressed in three dimensions: Emotion = Space x Time x Sensitivity
From 6/28 to 7/4 in 2024, I challenged my adventure trip to Hokkaido. I thoroughly enjoyed the great nature of Hokkaido on a long drive of 3,600km/60 hours from my house in Yokohama. Every day was a series of new discoveries, and I felt like a child again. With time, good health, and a little money, we can enjoy an extraordinary adventure trip.