Blue Skies, Kindness, and a Quiet Moment Above the City

Daily miles: 23.36 | Total miles: 9605.28

My alarm rang at 5:30 am — the usual start. By 6:45, I left the hotel with a few sticky plant pieces still clinging to my lower pants from yesterday’s trails. Outside, the air was crisp, the sky a perfect blue — ideal running weather.

I weaved my way through Okazaki’s streets to rejoin Route 1, which would be my companion for most of the day. The sidewalks were uneven, the path bumpy, rising and falling across intersections and side alleys. Much of it slanted, forcing my body to constantly adjust — but that’s part of the rhythm now. I could feel myself adapting again to the climate and road conditions.

Knowing today would be a shorter day, I settled into a relaxed pace and enjoyed it right from the start. Around mile 13, I stopped for a coffee. As I was about to continue, a young man named Kango approached and handed me a bottle of water. We exchanged a few words — another brief, kind moment on the road.

After several challenging days, today felt like pressing a reset button — a reminder of how good this journey can feel. Blue skies, sunshine, a shorter route, a strong body, and the approach to Nagoya — Japan’s fourth-most populous city. Everything seemed to align.

A few miles before the hotel, I detoured to a grocery store I know well. It’s comforting to find a touch of familiarity in a foreign land. Dinner might be an adventure — the packaging is all in Japanese, so I’ll discover what I’ve bought later tonight.

Running into Nagoya was impressive. Layers of transportation everywhere — busy roads, elevated trains, and highways built above the city. Just before reaching my hotel, I passed the central park train station and caught sight of the Mirai Tower. The weather was too beautiful to pass up, so I turned around and went inside.

Two kind women helped me with my ticket, and soon I was at the sky deck. I parked my buggy, took the stairs up to the sky balcony, and found only a handful of people there. Quietly, I stood above the city, soaking in the panoramic view. I felt deeply grateful — for the day, for the calm, for the moment.

Just before heading back down, I met Yoko and Aki. They had just gotten a small capsule toy from a vending machine — inside was a pin of the Mirai Tower. After I told them about my run around the world, they smiled, and without hesitation, handed me the pin as a lucky charm. Such a nice, spontaneous gesture — one of those small encounters that stay with you long after the day ends.

Maybe it felt extra special because today would have been my grandmother’s 105th birthday. We always had a wonderful 29th of October.

Now, back at the hotel — self check-in, so smooth and efficient. A bit more space tonight. While doing laundry, I discovered happy hour in the lobby — self-serve drinks, nuts, and the strangest sodas. I picked a green melon Fanta and an orange juice while waiting for my laundry to dry and writing this.

A good day in every way — smiles, kindness, and a view I won’t forget.

Thanks for checking in, Andrea