wakingu sukuru (walking school)

This fall semster I was invited along on a couple of hikes with one of my elementary school and my junior high school. I have discovered I really enjoy hiking and was more than willing to skip a day of classes. My elementary school undertook a 20km hike which was pretty difficult for the 5th and 6th grades, who had to go the full length. It was a beautiful day and a new school so it was a great way to get to know the kids and have some fun. My JHS on the other hand did a grueling 25km hike that was a constant up and down course. Either my body is suited for this form of exercise or my student are simply complainers because they run for their clubs everyday and were constantly complaining on the hike how tired they were. It was difficult but I enjoyed pushing my body in that way and the stiffness the next day was a not unwelcome reminder. Both of these course were partially along an old stone road from Shibata city (in Niigata) to Edo (the former name of Tokyo). Being the history buff that I am it was exciting to walk along this route but I can only imagine the difficulties the original travelers encountered. We walked for a full day and did not leave our town, the route was often precarious and steep, and I can't imagine any pack animals along it so they probably had to carry everything themselves. It would have been quite an undertaking!