At the first meeting point at Tokyo Metro Government building at 8:30 AM with Mikyoung Jun Pearce(me), Yasuji, Aoki, and Motoya from left to right. Thank you for joining us!
Photograph by Rebecca Woodford-Smith
15 minutes into our walk
Rebecca Woodford-Smith and Yasuji.
Photograph by Mikyoung Jun Pearce
Meeting Point 2 at 9:45 Am with Aoki, Rebecca, Yasuji, Hiruko Hino, and Motoya
Unfortunately nobody joined us at meeting point 2.
Photograph by Mikyoung Jun Pearce
There was 15 Km race happening on the day of our walk around the Imperial Palace.
Photograph by Mikyoung Jun Pearce
Mikyoung Jun Pearce and Aoki by the tree that survived the great earthquake in 1923 by the Imperial Palace. Enormous thank-you to the young Japanese man who explained the sign in front of the tree when we were scouting the area.
Photograph by Rebecca Woodford-Smith
In front of the front gate of the Imperial Palace
Photograph by Rebecca Woodford-Smith
Just opposite of our meeting point 3, Hibiya Park, we saw so many women queuing up outside a hotel, and we still don't know why they were there.
Photograph by Mikyoung Jun Pearce
Hata and his kids, Yuri (his son), and Rica (his daughter) met us at the meeting point 4, Hibiya Park, and we were delighted to have little ones with us for a while. They walked with us for 20 minutes or so, but Yuri did ask us an important question: "Why are you walking?" with Yuri, Hata, Rica, Rebecca, and Aoki
Photograph by Mikyoung Jun Pearce
From left to right: Motoya, Yasuji, and Aoki
They walked with us from the starting point at 8:30 AM till 12 PM. Thank you so much for joining us! It gave us an enormous boost for the day.
Photograph by Rebecca Woodford-Smith
From left to right: Mikyoung Jun Pearce, Haruhiko Sato, and Koshiro Saito
When Rebecca and I were scouting this route after the meeting point 4, Sengakuji station, we noticed this statue outside a tall building. We thought this was about a historical figure. On the day of the walk, Saito read the plaque and told us that according to the plaque, the man was a CEO of the company who carried his mother to her favourite entertainment place when there was no transportation available. Things looked so different when we had someone who could translate things for us. Thanks Koshiro!
Photograph by Rebecca Woodford-Smith
Kenjiro Kumamoto at the meeting point 5
Photograph by Mikyoung Jun Pearce
Kuma and Mikyoung Jun Pearce in Ginza
Photograph by Rebecca Woodford-Smith
From left to right: Koshiro Saito, Haruhiko Sato, and Kenjiro Kumamoto
Koshiro and Haruhiko are looking up online to find out when the emperor Meiji was throned as there were old photos of Tokyo around a construction site in Ginza.
Photograph by Mikyoung Jun Pearce
From left to right: Haruhiko Sato, Koshiro Saito, Rebecca Woodford-Smith, and Kenjiro Kumamoto at the meeting point 6, Hamacho park. Haruhiko and Koshiro left us after this point.
Photograph by Mikyoung Jun Pearce
In front of the Sensoji Temple in Asakusa
Photograph by Mikyoung Jun Pearce
Wonderful Kuma is leaving us.
Photograph by Mikyoung Jun Pearce
Mikyoung Jun Pearce with her inseparable iPhone and the Tokyo Marathon Walk flag
Photograph by Rebecca Woodford-Smith
The ultra-conservative nationalist van we saw about 5 times on the day
Photograph by Rebecca Woodford-Smith
Katsumi Sasaki explaining the statue in Ginza to Mikyoung Jun Pearce
Photograph by Rebecca Woodford-Smith
Rebecca Woodford-Smith and Sasaki in front of our final meeting point, the Chirori statue before Sasaki left us
Photograph by Mikyoung Jun Pearce
Rebecca Woodford-Smith marching on to the finish point
Photograph by Mikyoung Jun Pearce
Rebecca in front of the only beautiful thing in Odaiba near Tokyo Big Sight
Photograph by Mikyoung Jun Pearce
Rebecca Woodford-Smith at the finish point, Tokyo Big Sight at 8:45 Pm
It only took us 12 hours and 15 minutes to walk 42.365 km of the Tokyo Marathon
Photograph by Mikyoung Jun Pearce
We made it!
Mikyoung Jun Pearce at the finish point
Photograph by Rebecca Woodford-Smith
Rebecca and me in the bathroom at Kokusaitenjijoseimon station bathroom
Thank you so much for those who joined us for our journey!
Photograph by Mikyoung Jun Pearce
