S02, E02, May 15, 2019, 9:49am: Sitting on the stoop in front of Omine Sanji Temple. Priest cleaning in background. Hums a little song to himself. Walks out, asks us a question. Three of us. All sitting silently. We look nuts. Just nod. He moves on.

S02, E01, May 14, 2019, 9:47am: Just as the rain began to fall enroute to Dorogawa Village on a leg of the Kumano Kodo. Two airplanes. Lots of silence. Pulling out an umbrella.

Day 25, May 9, 2:31pm: Sitting in front of poet Matsuo Basho's grave at Guchu-ji temple. Very simple, small, austere marker in a tidy little garden. Almost like a, you know, haiku. Children playing and screaming at the pre-school next door. Gardener sweeping. Water feature plonking. This concludes Season 1 of SW945. Thanks, all, for listening.

Day 23, May 8, 12:31pm: Between Musa Juku and Kusatsu. Sitting in a small park just meters away from the Shinkansen tracks. Near silence punctuated by four whooshes.

Day 22, May 7, 3:30pm: Near Musa Juku. Sitting in the back of Okuishi Shrine, listening to the birds and wind rustle leaves. Every so often you can hear the deep whoosh of the shinkansen fly by in the distance — it rattled the very earth, like it was operating at some fundamental resonant tone to the land.

Day 21, May 5, 2:45pm: Walking down from the pass between Maibara Jyuku and Torii-imoto Juku. Weirdly, was asked for directions. And wasn't asked which country I came from.

Day 20, May 4, 9:45am: A cafe near post town, Goudo.

Day 19, May 3, 6:40pm: Come walk with me from my hotel, outdoors, around the exciting world of Kanou Post Town and Gifu Station.

Day 18, May 2, 9:30am: Between Hosokute Juku and Mitake Juku, looking out over the valley, two children playing, sun shining, bees out in full force polinating the world.

Day 17, May 1, Reiwa 1, 11:16am: Between Ooi Juku and Ookute Juku. Standing next to an expanse of rice paddies, ready for their seedlings to be planted, filled with frogs, giddy and loquacious in the rain.