(↑©OpenStreetMap contributors)
Ken Shimura was someone who had been making us smile for as long as we can remember.
A god of Japanese comedy who brought smiles to everyone who saw him.
This time, from Nishinomiya, we’re offering up an extra-large “Aiin” big enough for Ken Shimura in heaven to see.
Here is the “Ken Shimura” we found in Nishinomiya ↓
Aiin
A 20.77 km memorial run dedicated to him.
We drew it using a GPS route.
The “Aiin” hand is Koshien-suji!
We ran with a map like this in hand.
After the run, it was all wrinkled from sweat and rain.
The JR Kobe Line keeps getting in the way.
This is the entrance to the “Manbo Tunnel.”
It’s an important spot connecting “Ken Shimura’s” eyebrow and nose.
It’s only about chest-high for an adult.
Low!You can’t get through without crouching.
You can find the official height measurement in this article ↓
“We visited the Manbo Tunnel near JR Koshienguchi Station”
We ran while crouching.
For some reason, “Hige Dance” was playing on repeat in my head!
We made our way through Manbo Tunnel to that nostalgic rhythm.
Making the topknot
We stopped to pray at Koshien Kumano Shrine, which we happened to pass by.
In the middle of the stone pavement was a “Hyakudo-ishi”.
It’s a marker stone used when praying 100 times to a Buddha or deity in hopes of having a wish granted.
Instead of doing an “ohyakudo-mairi” 100-visit prayer this time, we ran about 20 km while remembering Ken Shimura.
Midway through, we reached a side road where Nakatsuhama Line and the JR Kobe Line intersect.
We checked to make sure no one was around.
Then climbed up with steps that were a little Hige Dance-like.
Now we draw the most important parts of Ken Shimura: the “eyes,” “mouth,” and “nose.”
The stage is Honwaka Shopping Street at JR Koshienguchi.
We also passed by “Chikara Mochi,” which closes on April 20, and the secret zakka and tableware shop “nico,” both recently featured on Nishitsu.
The final push is the “Aiin” — the hand part!
Who would have thought the day would come when Koshien-suji, which cuts diagonally across Nishinomiya, would become an “Aiin”?
And here is the finished piece ↓
The green dot is the start, and the red dot is the finish.
Here is the stroke order ↓
(↑©OpenStreetMap contributors)
Why not remember Ken Shimura yourself and try running quietly to the rhythm of Hige Dance?
Ken Shimura, thank you for bringing so many smiles to Japan.
“Other works”
Sensei @ Nishitsu’s website
