Sept 16 Australasian Music Episode
I saw Sokichi Takashita. Music of Mickey Gloss, Frowning Clouds, Space Party, Royal Headache.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Sept 16, 2010 Mase Petty Podcast
On September 16, 2010 an Australian podcast mentions Sokichi Takashita. Mase Petty says on his podcast "I saw Sokichi Takashita".
Sept 13, 2010 Sokichi Takashita Interviewed on Video By Ottawa Sun
On September 13, 2010 the Ottawa Sun interviewed Sokichi Takashita on the side of the highway and captured him on video.
Walking across Canada
Sokichi Takashita, a Japanese national who speaks English with the aid of a translator is walking across Canada by walking from coast to coast pulling a rickshaw type wagon. He started in Vancouver in May and expects to reach Halifax in November.
Click the link to watch the video of Sokichi Takashita Walking across Canada
Sept 14, 2010 Its No Walk In The Park
On September 14, 2010 The Ottawa Citizen had an article written by Dave Rogers of the Ottawa Citizen (http://www.ottawacitizen.com/walk+park/3520618/story.html). It was a longer version of the article found in a few other newspapers. The article was entitled "Its No Walk In The Park, A Japanese man is living his dream, one step at a time, by walking across North America. Dave Rogers reports:
Sept 14, 2010 Tourist Rickshawing From Coast-To-Coast
On September 14, 2010 an article was written about Sokichi Takashita by Dave Rogers of the Postmedia News. The article was entitled "Tourist Rickshawing from Coast-To-Coast, Man walking from B.C. to Halifax". The article has been found in a few newspapers on the internet. It was found on the Vancouver Sun website at http://www.vancouversun.com/travel/Tourist+rickshawing+from+coast+coast/3522277/story.html, the Edmonton Journal site at http://www.edmontonjournal.com/travel/news/Tourist+rickshawing+from+coast+coast/3522277/story.html, the Windsor Star site at http://www.windsorstar.com/Tourist+rickshawing+from+coast+coast/3520330/story.html and the Global Maritimes website at http://www.globalmaritimes.com/story.html?id=3523618. The article is as follows:
Grinning broadly as he pulls his homebuilt rickshaw in Gatineau on Monday, Sokichi Takashita explains he is crossing Canada "old style" because he loves nature.
After more than 20 years as a bookstore owner near Niigata on Japan's west coast, the 62-year-old man is fulfilling a dream he has had since 1974 of walking across North America. He started in Vancouver on May 10 and hopes to finish his 6,300-kilometre trek in Halifax in November.
Takashita says the trip has been an adventure that has made him love Canadians.
Takashita walked carrying a backpack until a family in Moonbeam -- a community in northern Ontario --spent three days building him a rickshaw out of angle iron, steel tubing, old bicycle wheels and foam panels.
The rickshaw bears two Canadian and two Japanese flags signed by the people he meets on the road. The vehicle holds Japanese straw sandals, a tent, sleeping bag, foam pad, raincoat, rubber boots and groceries.
He usually sleeps and eats beside the road after walking about 35 kilometres each day.
"In Jasper (Alberta), when I was asleep beside the highway, a bear pushed my tent over and over," Takashita said, mimicking the rolling motion. "I hope there will be no more bears and no more storms."
Canadians have been giving Takashita food, money and equipment along the way. He had raised $2,000 for UNICEF by the time he reached Gatineau and expects the total will reach $3,000 by Halifax.
Aug 5, 2010 Newspaper Article in Mississsippi Mills
On Aug 5, 2010 there was an article on the Your Ottawa Region dot com site (http://www.yourottawaregion.com/news/news/article/856799). Desmond Devoy wrote about a trio of cyclists travelling across Canada. They were in Mississippi Mills at the time the article was written. The trio, Steve Tosh, and Scott and Kelsey Smithson talked about their journey. They also mentioned a few people they met along the way, including Sokichi Takashita.
They have met fellow travellers along the road who are as varied as the terrain they covered. They met two young women from The Netherlands – a country known for cycling – who were pedalling across Canada, as well as a Japanese man who was pushing a shopping cart, decked out in Japanese flags, who was walking from Victoria, BC, to New York City.
“We stopped and took pictures of each other,” recalled Tosh.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
July 22, 2010 Upsala to Ignace
Our friend Sokichi Takashita is spotted again in Northern Ontario. This time it is from the blog Canada a Velo 2010 - Canada by bike 2010 (http://canadaavelo2010.wordpress.com/2010/07/22/heading-to-the-prairies/) written by cyclists travelling from Quebec to British Columbia.
Nice sunny and windy day, I stopped in English River to have coffee and met two women fron Holland cycling east across the country. We actually drank three coffees and exchanged about our trip so far, I had a good time there! The second half of this day was a bit harder as the wind (headwind as usual) seemed to blow for ever in my face. Just a few km before I reach Ignace, I met another dude that made my day. You thought I was crazy going on this trip by bike, but let me tell you that there is worse! That guy on the picture is actually walking across Canada, pushing a grocery kart he bought in BC. He was japanese, so I thought it would be appropriate to tell him the few sentences I learned in my japanese classes this year. I introduced myself with a bit of an accent in his language, and he started talking very rapidly to me (I couldn’t get a single word of what he said). I signed his flag and wrote the only encouragement I know in japanese (GAMBATE – means good luck or go go go or something like that) and he laughed for ever.
Sept 1, 2010 North Bay, Ontario
There is a small write-up about Sokichi Takashita in the North Bay Nugget (http://www.nugget.ca/Community/NewsDisplay.aspx?c=66914) posted by someone called Danielle22. Included is an updated photo of Sokichi Takashita, with a new cart.
Japanese Man on a very, very long walk!
Posted By Danielle22
27 days ago
Imagine walking for a very long distance....how would you feel? Tired, hot, lost???
Well, this man that we met this morning was a true inspiration to me! He has been walking since May 2010 from Vancouver, British Columbia. His name is Taka and he is 62 years old. His story made me tear-up a little, but I find that he is coping with his hardship in a truly amazing way!
He is walking around the world....that is his mission. So far, he has travelled 6300km! He told me that he walks about 35km a day (possibly more) and he is very fit for a man that is in his golden years! What an inspiration!!!
My daughter Kennedy Nilsson took a picture with him, and then he wanted to take a picture of us...so myself (Danielle) and my daughter, posed beside his cart and he took our picture. We even signed his Japanese flag :) What a beautiful way to encourage such a great man!I wish him the bestest of luck in his long journey and I hope to see very many pictures of him during his very, very long walk!
July 12, 2010 Vermillion Bay, Ontario
Another blog (http://travellingbymystery.blogspot.com/) shows Sokichi Takashita travelling down the highway in Ontario, just west of Vermillion Bay.
After leaving Vermillion Bay we went down the road just past Narrow Lake. Along the side of the road, coming from the West, was a shopping cart. It was the Japanese fellow we have been seeing on the highway these past few weeks. We stopped the van, and crossed the street to talk to him.
He was not able to speak very much English, but knew a few key phrases. He said he left Vancouver on May 10 and was going to New York, expecting to be there in November. He is a mountain climber and an adventurer. He has climbed Mount Fuji and Mount Kilimanjaro. He showed us a map of his next adventure he has planned. It was a map of Australia. He is planning on crossing it from the West Coast to the East. He said he purchased the shopping cart at the beginning of his journey from a homeless person. He paid $7.00 for it.
We gave his a bottle of juice, and asked if we could take a picture. He held up his flag of Japan and offered a marker for us to sign it. The flag was filled with signatures.
We asked him if Canada was a larger country than he thought when he first started. He did not now what we were asking but recognized the word country. Then he mentioned Japan. I pointed here and held my hands out wide. Then he knew what we were asking and laughed, nodding his head. He said it is very large.
We offered him a safe trip and waved good-bye. He watched us drive off down the highway, waving farewell before pushing on.
June 29, 2010 Mentions Japanese Senior With Shopping Cart
On June 29, 2010 there was an entry made in a blog (http://coopbro.wordpress.com/2010/06/29/) regarding a father and daughter cycling team who came across Sokichi Takashita
I am sure the blog used to make reference to Marathon, BC where the cyclists came across the Japanese Senior.
In the broader scope we have met travelers from Korea, Japan ( the happy Japanese senior who pinched a shopping cart from the Sobeys in Victoria, decided to not get his quarter back and instead started pushing it across Canada) and from France ( completing his 10 year world tour) and a fellow from England flying his flag proudly from the back of his bike.
I am sure the blog used to make reference to Marathon, BC where the cyclists came across the Japanese Senior.
June 27, 2010 Portage La Prairie, Manitoba
On June 27, 2010 a young man travelling on his own, going east, makes an entry in his blog (http://kevingoeseast.weebly.com/1/archives/06-2010/1.html).
Just before i arrived in porche le prarrie i met this japanese man, Sokichi Takashita, aged 61, who was walking from vancouver to newyork and back to vancouver. This guy was insane i couldn't ever imagine doing that. I tried talking to japanese to him but it was just a disaster, i think i actually said dasvendanya or something so i just kinda stopped talking and signed his flag and wished him well. Here is a link more about him i found:He took a couple of pictures of our friend Sokichi Takashita as well, so we can see his progress as he makes it across our fine country.
http://www.sprucegroveexaminer.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2609160
June 4, 2010 Story Published In The Grove Examiner
On June 4, 2010 a story was published in a small town newspaper, The Grove Examiner. It is from
Thanks to this wonderful woman who took him in, we now have a better picture of who Sokichi Takashita is and what his adventure is all about.
Stony Plain, Spruce Grove in Western Alberta.
Man walking across country passes through Stony Plain, Spruce Grove
News
By Simon Druker
Posted 3 months ago
One man's cross-Canada pilgrimage has brought him through Spruce Grove and Stony Plain as he makes his way on foot towards his final destination of Buffalo, NY.Sokichi Takashita began the approximately 5,800 km journey in Vancouver on May 11. Takashita, who hails from Yuzawa Machi, Japan, has since walked through the mountains of BC and into Alberta, reaching the Village of Wabamun before countering a storm last Friday that put him on ice for a few days before setting back out on the road on Monday.
"I picked him up just past Cougar Creek (golf course)," said Jane Brydges, who encountered Takashita on Highway 16 and housed him until the weather settled down.
Yuzawa Machi is a ski resort town south of the City of Nigita and north west of Nagano. It's also a 77-minute bullet train ride from the Japanese capital, Tokyo.
Takashita, who speaks very little English and uses an electronic translator to do most of his communication along with a tourist book, is a retired bookstore owner who has an affection for world wide travel and adventure, always on foot.
He has previously trekked across the Columbia Icefield glacier in 1977 as well as summiting Mount Athabasca in the same year. Takashita again visited the icefield during his current trip and was dismayed at the environmental state of affairs compared to 33 years ago.
His travels have also taken him to the peak of Africa's Mount Kilimanjaro and on a 2,000 km trek around the Japanese island of Hokkaido.
Takashita, 62, already has plans to cross the continent of Australia in 2011.
He expects to wrap up his current journey sometime in December and was quite excited to get back on the road before speaking to the Reporter/Examiner.
Brydges, who entertained him with a tour of the Town of Stony Plain and more importantly, Shikaoi Park made sure to emphasize the twin city relationship between the Town of Stony Plain and the Town of Shikaoi, Japan over her three days spent with Takashita.
Thanks to this wonderful woman who took him in, we now have a better picture of who Sokichi Takashita is and what his adventure is all about.
May 21, 2010 spotted again
On the blog "Going the Distance for Mental Health" at https://marty1976.wordpress.com/2010/05/18/going-the-distance-days-4-to-7/ a person left a comment with an update on the Japanese Fellow travelling along the highway.
May 18, 2010 Hope, British Columbia
On May 18, 2010 a blogger who was on a Cross-Canada cycling trek to raise money for Mental Health, made an entry in his blog (https://marty1976.wordpress.com/2010/05/18/going-the-distance-days-4-to-7/).
Just outside of Hope I came across a man who is walking from Vancouver to New York and back again. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. He’s pushing a shopping cart with his belongings. We exchanged greetings and snapped some pictures of each other. I even gave him some food as I wasn’t sure when was the last time he ate. Go to my “Trip Photos” section to see a picture of him.Here is the picture that was taken of Sokichi Takashita that day.
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He had made it halfway between Jasper and Hinton by May 21, as Elizabeth K reports.