Rediscovering the Old Tokaido: In the Footsteps of Hiroshige (ISBN 1901903109)

Enjoying the Old Tokaido:
I have just finished walking in the delightful, enthusiastic and quirky company of Patrick Carey, the 303 miles of the Old Tokaido. Unlike the author who was footsore and weary at the end, I felt refreshed, enlightened and keen to learn more about Japan, its history, its people and its artists particularly, naturally, about Hiroshige. Prior to reading this book, I have to confess to an almost total ignorance of the subject, so it was with a virtually blank canvas that I started to read. Armed only with copies of the wood block prints made by Hiroshige following his 1832 journey along the Tokaido, a couple of photocopied sketchy maps, a rucksack and boundless enthusiasm, the author set out to trace the old road, seemingly lost among the modern arteries of rail and trunk roads. The prints are grouped together near the start of the book and I only came to look at them closely as the author reached each one stage by stage - it was a bit of a fiddle flicking back and forth, but once I mastered marking the print with the front cover and my place in the story with the back, I found it quite practical and well worth the effort. At each stage of the journey we are entertained by historical facts, topographical notes, encounters with a variety of people all of which contribute to a good read.

Enjoying the Old Tokaido:
I have just finished walking in the delightful, enthusiastic and quirky company of Patrick Carey, the 303 miles of the Old Tokaido. Unlike the author who was footsore and weary at the end, I felt refreshed, enlightened and keen to learn more about Japan, its history, its people and its artists particularly, naturally, about Hiroshige. Prior to reading this book, I have to confess to an almost total ignorance of the subject, so it was with a virtually blank canvas that I started to read. Armed only with copies of the wood block prints made by Hiroshige following his 1832 journey along the Tokaido, a couple of photocopied sketchy maps, a rucksack and boundless enthusiasm, the author set out to trace the old road, seemingly lost among the modern arteries of rail and trunk roads. The prints are grouped together near the start of the book and I only came to look at them closely as the author reached each one stage by stage - it was a bit of a fiddle flicking back and forth, but once I mastered marking the print with the front cover and my place in the story with the back, I found it quite practical and well worth the effort. At each stage of the journey we are entertained by historical facts, topographical notes, encounters with a variety of people all of which contribute to a good read.