A 23-year-old Japanese traveller has achieved his goal of walking around Taiwan, completing the journey in 55 days. Taisuke Morofuji from Fukuoka in southern Japan set off from Tainan and walked counter-clockwise around the country. He says the things that kept him going on his journey were the help and enthusiasm of people he met on the road.
Before coming to Taiwan, Morofuji took a part-time job and took out a bank loan to get the ¥500,000 (NT$183,000, US$5,700) he needed for the trip. He says the idea of walking around Taiwan just suddenly hit him earlier this year.
Morofuji came to Tainan University of Technology last year for a two-week camp aimed at experiencing life in Taiwan. During the stay he learned Mandarin in the morning, then explored Tainan in the afternoon. It was then that he first fell in love with Taiwan’s handicrafts and scenery.
When he came back to Taiwan this year, he traveled around the country visiting friends and was struck by the beauty of the scenery that kept him company. These trips inspired him to travel around Taiwan on foot, so he could fully experience the warmth of the Taiwanese people.
His journey started in Tainan City on May 27, from where he went south toward Kaohsiung and Pingtung, eventually passing Taiwan’s southernmost point. He then went north past Hualien and Ilan before heading south again after passing the island’s northern tip. Last Tuesday he ended the trip at the same point he started from, with ¥200,000 (NT$73,000, US$2,300) of his travel budget still unspent. He jokingly said that this was because he received lots of support from people he met on his trip. For instance, he sometimes spent the night in Internet cafes in order to save money on lodging.
When asked why he chose to make a trip around Taiwan on foot, Morofuji answered in awkward Mandarin “Because it’s exciting.” He added that he would like to come back next year to do the same trip, this time with friends and by bicycle. He said curious locals would greet him or ask him questions, and some even gave him food, while others gave him their phone number in case he needed assistance.
His friends created a fan group on Facebook, as a focal point for people who were interested in following him on his journey.
(LIBERTY TIMES, TRANSLATED BY TAIJING WU)
一位二十三歲的日本年輕人花了五十五天的時間，完成徒步環台的心願。來自日本福岡的諸藤泰佑從台南出發，逆時鐘方向徒步環島。他說，支持他繼續走下去的，正是沿途台灣民眾的熱情與支持。
為了這次台灣行，他先在家鄉打工賺錢，並向銀行貸款，籌了五十萬日圓（新台幣十八萬三千元，五千七百美元）旅費。他說，今年初決定要徒步環島，其實也是一時衝動。
他去年來台南科技大學參加為期兩週的台灣生活體驗營，白天上課學中文，下午體驗台南之美。那是他第一次見識到台灣手工藝與風景。
諸藤這次回台，先是展開訪友行程，因被沿途美景所吸引，才決定徒步環島，藉此深度感受台灣的人情味。
他五月二十七日從台南市出發，南下高雄和屏東後，繞過台灣最南端，繼續北上到花蓮、宜蘭，再走西部一直南下，上周二回到起點，完成壯舉。結果旅費竟然還剩下二十萬日圓（新台幣七萬三千元，兩千三百美元），他笑稱，這是因為沿途有很多人熱情招待。諸藤為了省錢，有時晚上還會借住網咖。
被問及為何想用雙腳與台灣博感情時，諸藤以不太標準的中文說：「刺激。」他還說他明年要再來，可能會與朋友以騎機車的方式環島。他說，沿途很多好奇的路人會主動詢問、致意，甚至送上食物，也有人還留下電話號碼，讓他需要幫助時可以聯絡。
他的朋友還為他在「臉書」成立粉絲團，號召各界追蹤、關心他的行程。
（自由時報記者吳俊鋒）
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