Distance

I now live in Nagano, near the town of Mochizuki.

Hiroshige depicted it in the print above, one of the 69 stations of the Kiso-Kaido, or inland road which connected Edo and Kyoto. As its name suggests, the moon shines brilliantly around here - the area being nearly 800m above sea level and near the large Saku plain. Like the travellers depicted by Hiroshige I too commute into Tokyo two days a week, but with a considerably lighter load. 

Although there is now a fair distance between my home and Tokyo, I consider myself very much plugged into the big city - not only the fact that I rely on the bullet train to travel into it to teach but also that the web has enabled me to teach from home online. Although I admire Thoreau's writings about wilderness withdrawal, this is not that. Even though our nearest neighbors live over 100m away, beyond the trees, and it is dark and silent at night, the city is there somehow. 

Having said this, there is an amazing sense of space and time here, which I did not feel in Tokyo. My eyes adjust to seeing far away or into distant trees, and the quiet somehow focuses the mind. TV looks and sounds more stupid, music sounds more important as does the radio. Its early days yet, and I am sure that with settling, will come all kinds of challenges. And insects.

What is the distance that now exists between me and Tokyo? And what of the name of this blog - I think I add a few spaces between Tactical Museum and Tokyo.

Comments

[koseki]

You will be busier with thorough consideration for challenges than before and Thoreau.

[Mark]

I think you are the man I'm looking for :)

My name is Mark and I'm an American living in ... Mochizuki. Our wives might have met at the local kindergarten.

Anyway, strange way to go about it, but I'm trying to get in touch with you about getting together sometime for dinner. If you are him, please pop me an email.