hiking the abandoned trails of himawari

i woke up to the sound of rain against my tent last night. not the gentle kind that whispers goodbyes but a relentless thud like someone throwing bricks at fog. i checked the weather app and yep, it's drizzling here right now. hope you like that kind of thing. the temperature’s stuck at 9.85c, which feels like 9.35c if you're the type who hates cold but doesn't mind pretending it's a challenge.

the city’s name escapes me sometimes. himawari? maybe. some locals call it the fog capital. i don't know if that's poetic or just a desperate attempt at branding. either way, the humidity is 42% which is odd because i feel like i'm swimming in a cloud. the pressure’s at 1009hpa, which probably means nothing to you but i think it’s my fault for choosing a destination that thinks it's a spa.

down by the river, i spotted a group of teenagers skateboarding on a puddle. they were laughing so hard their sneakers were squelching. one of them wore a jacket with a faded band logo. i thought about buying it but then remembered i only own clothes from thrift stores. which is fine. i found a vintage bandage there once. it had a sticker that said 'do not wash.' i didn't wash it.

if you get lost, which you probably will, them Cameo is just a 15-minute walk. it's basically a giant brick wall with a single functioning gas lamp. someone told me that the lamp was installed by a guy who claimed to be a ghost hunter. i didn't ask for proof. i just bought a pasando coffee there. the barista was wearing a tie-dye beanie. she looked at me like i was asking for a refund.

the neighbors are the weird ones. last week, a woman walked her cat on a leash through the park at 3am. the cat was wearing a tiny hat. i asked her why and she just laughed and said 'it's his thing.' i don't know if that's comforting or horrifying. i leaned closer and she whispered something about a local legend involving a bridge and a woman who cries every dawn. i didn't believe her but then i saw a reflection in the water later. it wasn't a woman. it was a toaster.

someone told me that the street artist down by the train tracks does panoramas of the city from above. i tried to find him but all i got was a mural of a giant spoon holding a bagel. it was bizarre. i took a selfie next to it and posted it to my gram. no one cares. but i kept the photo as proof i was alive.

the reviews on tripadvisor are a minefield. one guy wrote that the city's street food is 'so greasy it could power a small nation.' another said the noise level was 'like a conversation in a subway tunnel.' i don't trust either. i heard that the yoga studio near the river charges extra for people who don't smell like lavender. i'm not paying that. i used yelp to find a place that serves dumplings in a to-go container. it was called 'The Dismal Bowl.' i went anyway. the dumplings were okay. the owner was a man who kept talking about his cousin in tokyo.

i took a break at the old bridge and found a note taped to a railing. it said 'if you're reading this, don't trust the water.' i didn't. i boiled my water anyway. maybe i'm paranoid. maybe i'm just cold.

the views from the hill are terrible. i paid 500 yen for a cab ride up and all i got was a busker playing a harmonica. the harmonica was made of spoons. i don't know how. i tried to buy it but he said it was 'for the spirits.' i think he meant tourists.

someone warned me about the photography spot near the cathedral. they said the light was so bad you'd need a flash. i didn't bring one. i used my phone and ended up with a picture of my shoe in focus and a blurry statue of a man made of concrete. i posted it anyway.

if you're into history, there's a museum in the basement of a church. no one knows if it's real. i checked the local board and it turns out the museum is closed for 'spiritual reasons.' which sounds made up but i also checked the temple next door and it had a sign that said 'reopening in 2025. or maybe not.'

i ate at a diner called 'The Last Apple' which was run by a man who claimed he had met edward snowden. he charged extra for extra napkins. i didn't ask for any. i just stared at my pancakes. they were good. i think.

the coffee scene here is polarizing. i visited three cafes and two of them served cold brew. one of them had a sign that said 'we don't do instant.' i respect that. i got my coffee from a street vendor who brewed it in a trash can. it tasted like regret but it was good regret.

the people here are either very serious or very friendly. i asked a man for directions and he started telling me about his grandfather who fought in world war ii. i nodded politely and moved on. he kept talking. i eventually said 'thanks' and he handed me a leaflet about a jazz festival. i don't know if it's real.

i took a picture of a graffiti tag that said 'welcome to the abyss.' it was on a shipping container near the train station. underneath it was a QR code. i scanned it and it linked to a youtube video of a man singing in a language i didn't understand. i couldn't tell if it was art or a prank.

i'm leaving tomorrow. the forecast says it'll rain again. i packed a raincoat that smells like old gloves. i found it in a charity bin. it was probably donated by a person who hates the rain.

if you're thinking of coming here, read this: himawari is not what it seems. it's not the kind of place you pack for on a whim. it's the kind of place that makes you question your life choices. or maybe that's just me.

you can find the train station on google maps by searching for '36.2911,139.3754.' it's a 10-minute walk from the city center. or you can take a bus. the bus driver will probably ask you about your life. answer honestly or lie. i lied. i said i was a poet. he nodded and gave me change.

i met someone who claimed to be a professional chef but was actually making sushi in a tent. he charged 2000 yen for a roll that looked like it was assembled by a squirrel. i ate it. it was good. i tipped him with a coin. he didn't thank me. i think he was mad about the coin.

overheard this at a bar last night: 'don't trust the sunset here. it's fake.' i asked who said it and they told me it was a tourist trap. i didn't believe them but then i saw the sun set over the river. it was nice. very pink. very caught in a filter.

someone told me that the best way to explore is to get lost. i tried it once and ended up in a maze of alleys with a vending machine selling tea. i bought it. it was weak. i drank it anyway.

i should mention the weather again. it's 9.85c outside. i just checked. it's still there. i hope you like that kind of thing. if you don't, maybe come in summer. or maybe don't come at all.

the local board has a thread about a missing cat. it’s been missing for three days. i hope it's not somewhere it shouldn't be. i also saw a post about a free yoga class under a bridge. i didn't go. i'm not that virtuous.

i took one last photo before leaving. it's of a flickering light bulb attached to a tree. it was glowing faintly. i wonder if it's a ghost. i doubt it. i think it's just old. like everything else here.

if you like messy travel stories, check out tripadvisor for more tales from himawari. yelp has some good advice on avoiding the pawn shop near the station. and if you're a vintage clothes picker like me, don't miss the thrift store where i found that cursed bandage.

stay safe out there. the neighbors are watching.