In Japan on business, I used to sneak away when I could (not easy, as I’m sure you know), and walk, sometimes just taking the subway to another neighbourhood and walking around for a while and eating in some casual restaurants, a good strategy for Tokyo (and horrified my Japanese work mates when they found out). It was glorious in Kyoto especially—never would have gotten as good a sense of it any other way. . . And, btw, it was a joy in Greece, in his footsteps in the Mani the tough part he loved. Thanks for the memories!
I'm visiting Japan next year, the last thing I want is Piccadilly Circus or Leicester Square (I say this as a Londoner), so will take a metro to the last stop on the line, eat and walk about, maybe a beer, sketch a bit.
Also, I'm lucky enough to have a Japanese pal in Tokyo, he knows what I like.
Best of luck in Tokyo! It's (obviously) a big city and having a local to guide you around should help a lot if you want to dodge the crowds. And thanks for the recommendation!
This was a great insightful read. A few months back I also wrote about Fermor's long walk! We touched on some of the same things, but there's so much in those books that 100 essays couldn't cover it all.
I'm amazed how inspiring his travels still are, even 90ish years later. I love the idea that travellers can still have these types of meaningful experiences in our much more homogenized world, even if we have to try a bit harder now.
I've been surprised (and delighted) by how many people I've found on Substack who have some familiarity with PLF! Very glad to see that he is still in circulation.
In Japan on business, I used to sneak away when I could (not easy, as I’m sure you know), and walk, sometimes just taking the subway to another neighbourhood and walking around for a while and eating in some casual restaurants, a good strategy for Tokyo (and horrified my Japanese work mates when they found out). It was glorious in Kyoto especially—never would have gotten as good a sense of it any other way. . . And, btw, it was a joy in Greece, in his footsteps in the Mani the tough part he loved. Thanks for the memories!
I'm visiting Japan next year, the last thing I want is Piccadilly Circus or Leicester Square (I say this as a Londoner), so will take a metro to the last stop on the line, eat and walk about, maybe a beer, sketch a bit.
Also, I'm lucky enough to have a Japanese pal in Tokyo, he knows what I like.
If you like PLF then you'll dig Freya Stark.
Best of luck in Tokyo! It's (obviously) a big city and having a local to guide you around should help a lot if you want to dodge the crowds. And thanks for the recommendation!
recently bought this book and your essay has bumped it up to the top of my to-read pile.
This was a great insightful read. A few months back I also wrote about Fermor's long walk! We touched on some of the same things, but there's so much in those books that 100 essays couldn't cover it all.
I'm amazed how inspiring his travels still are, even 90ish years later. I love the idea that travellers can still have these types of meaningful experiences in our much more homogenized world, even if we have to try a bit harder now.
I've been surprised (and delighted) by how many people I've found on Substack who have some familiarity with PLF! Very glad to see that he is still in circulation.