Hitomi’s Path
This story was exploration for a novel. It was my first attempt to do such a thing.
I’ve long been fascinated by Japan, another love-hate relationship. I find the history fascinating, and not just the samurai and ninja era. From the ancient court systems, the typhoons that protected her from repeated invasions, the four black dragons of Admiral Perry US warships that opened the Japans to trade, and the cultural upheavals that caused.
While researching possible destinations for my round-the-world bicycle trip, I discovered that almost no bicycle tourists had ever visited Japan. I decided to go and see why. Due to poor planning, I spent almost the entire trip riding in the rain—first the cold winter storms of the northern island of Hokkaido and later through the worst monsoo
