Japanese swaps Swiss Alps for ocean waves
A 71-year-old Japanese resident of Switzerland will shortly take to the high seas at the start of a journey which will see him navigate his way across two oceans.
Seiko Nakajima, who has lived in the mountain resort of Grindelwald for the best part of four decades, hopes to wash up in Yokohama next June.
Nakajima’s ultimate destination is the Swiss pavilion at the 2005 World Expo, which is due to be staged in Aichi, Japan, from March to September next year.
His “Cross the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans Alone” challenge is due to get underway on December 1 in the Spanish city of Barcelona, from where he plans to head for the Canary Islands via Gibraltar.
Nakajima intends to continue across the Atlantic to Barbados. Other stops along the way include Panama, Acapulco and San Francisco.
The home stretch involves a month-long dash across the Pacific from San Francisco via Hawaii to Japan.
Training ground
Landlocked Switzerland may not be an obvious breeding ground for sailors and maritime explorers, but Nakajima says he has had no trouble testing his six-metre motor- and sail-driven craft on Lake Thun.
The septuagenarian designed and built the whale-shaped boat, which he has named “Why Not?”, and maintains that it can not only float but also speed across the choppiest of waters.
Nakajima told swissinfo shortly before setting sail that he was looking forward to the prospect of months alone at sea.
“The appealing thing about being on a boat is the chance to be by myself,” said the seasoned sailor, “so I am not taking any books and will not be listening to music or the radio.”
He plans to survive on a diet of fresh fish, which he will catch and dry while single-handedly navigating his way across two oceans. A supply of garlic, onions and dried fruit has also been stowed on board.
Nakajima, who says his “greatest passion” is the sea, is also carrying a small desalination machine which can purify up to one litre of drinking water each day.
No ocean blues
The Japanese mariner’s latest challenge comes a decade after he fulfilled an earlier ambition to cross the Atlantic in just 30 days in a self-built boat.
The vessel, called “Seiko da Grindelwald”, has since been retired from active service and donated to the Transport Museum in Lucerne.
If Nakajima makes it to Yokohama next year as planned, he can look forward to being reunited with his old boat, which is due to be air-freighted to Japan and put on display at the Swiss pavilion at Expo 2005.
It will take pride of place next to a display of items belonging to Switzerland’s America’s Cup-winning Alinghi sailing team.
The Swiss government has invested SFr15 million ($11.8 million) in “The Mountain”, a giant indoor exhibition space which will be the focal point of Switzerland’s participation at the Expo.
swissinfo
Seiko Nakajima, a photographer by trade, arrived in Grindelwald 40 years ago.
He opened Switzerland’s first tourist office dedicated to providing information for Japanese visitors.
His nautical adventure is being sponsored by Switzerland Tourism, Grindelwald Tourism and Presence Switzerland.
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