The Port of Departure — June 20, 2008, Toyama
The date recorded in the photo's metadata is June 20, 2008. On that day, my friend set out on a monumental journey, riding a Harley-Davidson across Russia toward Europe.
When I first heard about that plan, I really couldn’t believe my ears. I thought, “If only it were an off-road motorcycle,” but no—even if it had been an off-road motorcycle, I felt it was still a wildly reckless plan. It wasn’t just me; many of my friends tried to talk him out of it. But his resolve remained unshaken. And so, the journey went ahead as planned.
A journey across the vast Russian landscape and through Europe. I knew full well that this was a plan brimming with a spirit of adventure and romance. Even so, I couldn’t help but feel that crossing the continent on a heavyweight Harley—one that had been heavily customized, no less—carried immeasurable risks.
Still, he insisted on going. To put it dramatically, it might be our final farewell in this lifetime. With that in mind, I decided to go see him off at the port from which he would set sail. The port was Toyama—the hometown of my father’s side of the family. I was incredibly busy at the time, but spurred on by that connection to Toyama, I headed to be with him.
After seeing him board the ship, I turned around and headed straight back to Yokohama.
It took him nearly a year, but he eventually made it safely to Europe and fulfilled his dream. These photos were taken in Toyama on the day that long journey began.
