Goodbye and Thank You

Koriyama City in Fukushima Prefecture, a place I haven't been able to visit for a long time. It is the home of another Uneme. I have tried to go there many, many times. But sudden errands would come up, trains would be significantly delayed, or I couldn't even get on a train heading in that direction. There were also issues with the Shinkansen. I heard it still hasn't fully recovered even now. I tried to convince myself that it must be a sign saying, 'Don't come yet.' But how many years am I supposed to wait?

As those days continued, I kept writing about the true identity of the Uneme on Note, and finally finished it.
I wanted to announce my findings and hypotheses as soon as possible. Although it was a bit rushed and there were some minor flaws in the writing, the next day after I finished it to the point where only a little proofreading remained was a Saturday.

At 6:00 in the morning, I heard the sound of a neighbor's car starting its engine. It's a day off, so that's early. While I was awake, I prepared breakfast. There was nothing in the refrigerator on a Saturday morning, so I thought vaguely while eating toast, coffee, and a piece of cheese. Where did that neighbor with the car go?
Ah, just because it's a day off doesn't mean I have to move slowly.
I stood up slowly. I didn't want to waste time thinking about an outfit, so I wore yesterday's clothes. Just in case, I threw on a jacket for warmth, and dashed out wearing no makeup and sneakers. Tossing sunscreen into my bag was a small act of resistance. I'll put on lipstick on the train.
My destination is Koriyama. Today, I will finally go to Asaka.
The train heading to the city center on a holiday wasn't as crowded as it is early on a weekday morning. Still, there were students in uniforms on board. Well, I can at least breathe with this many people. If there are fewer people, there will likely be fewer accidents causing delays.
I was able to sit comfortably until Omiya Station. When I was buying my Shinkansen ticket, an announcement came over that there had been a person on the tracks on some line, causing major delays. Oh, I barely made it through. This might actually work out.
Once I boarded the Tohoku Shinkansen, I arrived at Koriyama Station in just one hour. It was over in a flash. Why couldn't I have done something like this before?
My destination is at Hiwada Station, the next station on the local line. There was only one train per hour. A typical rural situation. I waited almost an hour and then boarded. It's about the same distance as from Omiya Station to Koriyama Station on the Shinkansen. The difference in time and space makes me dizzy. Still, I had come this far smoothly.

Now, arriving at Hiwada Station is fine, but what's important is the train schedule for the return trip. I have to gauge my stay based on that. There have been times when I was relaxing at a location only to find out the last train to my next destination had already left, or times when I was told the next train was three hours away and I had to dash to a bus stop that only had hourly service. I've had such painful experiences many times while exploring rural areas, so I've learned my lesson. Therefore, I now always put the return train time and travel time into my smartphone timer. This is the secret to traveling alone.

This time, in addition to the limited number of trains, it said it was a 20-minute walk from the station to the destination. Google Maps is helpful, but it's hard to tell the elevation changes. On top of that, it was nearly 30°C today. I once had a terrible time running out of drinking water in the countryside, so I ran to the only vending machine I saw and bought a plastic bottle. Suddenly, I looked back and saw a taxi parked at the station. What? Is someone waiting for it? I decided to go back and ask. No reservation. It seemed okay. I had no choice but to take it. 'To Yamanoi Shimizu, please!'

This is where I got stuck. The place I was researching and looking for was so niche that even the local taxi driver didn't know it. After asking the head office via radio and getting information from a colleague driver we passed by, we finally arrived near the supposed location. No, this would have been difficult to find on foot. I definitely would have missed my return train.
When I got near the destination, I told the driver, 'Please wait! I'll definitely be back!' with an inexplicable sense of urgency, and ran off with my backpack on my shoulder. There should be some kind of sign. I caught a glimpse of a monument or something saying Matsuo Basho had walked there, but that didn't matter this time. I had one goal.
While I was snapping photos like crazy at the place in question (top image), the driver came looking for me. Or maybe he was worried I would skip out on the fare (laughs).

I was satisfied with this. Originally, I had intended to verify on-site whether it was possible to walk from Sarusawa Pond in Nara to here, recklessly (laughs).
However, a journey that was difficult even in the Reiwa era could not possibly have been made by a woman alone over a thousand years ago, especially while on the run. I realized this by taking a taxi for the last mile (laughs). Perhaps the reason I couldn't go to this place for so long was because I didn't need to go. But, after all, I'm glad I went. Life is a accumulation of realizations.

On the way back, what I saw at Koriyama Station were the handprints and footprints of GReeeeN. Were they from Fukushima Prefecture? I thought they were very thick and kind-looking hands. They are still working as dentists with these hands, I see.

And so, the journey to find and visit another Uneme has ended. Although the content of the legend is a tragedy, searching for someone from over a thousand years ago was fun. Thank you.

On this day, there was an autumn festival at Asaka Kunitsuko Shrine. I stopped by for a moment to offer my thanks. Once-in-a-lifetime encounter. It was that kind of day.
Now, what shall I do next?