Walking the world
Japanese adventurer Norio Sasaki walks to Tuk
Kassina Ryder
Northern News Services
Saturday, March 25, 2017
TUKTOYAKTUK
Joe Nasogaluak laughs when he talks about the food he offered to Japanese adventurer Norio Sasaki after first seeing him walking along the winter road from Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk on March 10.
Japanese adventurer Norio Sasaki poses with Joe Nasogaluak in Tuktoyaktuk on March 21. Sasaki walked from Whitehorse, Yukon to Tuktoyaktuk as part of his journey walking all over the world. - Photo courtesy of Henson Nasogaluak
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"One day he walked into my house and had supper," Nasogaluak said. "Of all the food to eat, I fed him TV dinners."
He first saw Sasaki as Nasogaluak was driving to Inuvik the week of March 10. Sasaki was walking along the road pulling a cart.
"I passed him," he said. "He looked like he was on a journey, I didn't want to disrupt his journey."
On his way back to Tuktoyaktuk, Nasogaluak saw Sasaki's camp and stopped to chat.
He mentioned his father, Joe Nasogaluak Sr., had known the famous Japanese adventurer Naomi Ueruma.
"His eyes just lit up," Nasogaluak said.
Uemura, best known for being the first to make a successful journey to the North Pole alone, and Nasogaluak Sr. were good friends. The adventurer used to visit with the family in Tuktoyaktuk and he and Nasogaluak Sr. would spend hours talking, Nasogaluak said.
"He used to come and eat with my father," Nasogaluak said. "They would chat and just mostly just sit there and look at pictures. I was really amazed at him."
A few year's later, Nasogaluak saw a familiar face on the cover of the September 1978 edition of National Geographic. It was his father's good friend, Uemura, who was being featured for his successful solo trek to the North Pole.
"I looked at the pictures and read that story over and over when I was growing up," Nasogaluak said.
Now more than 40 years later, Nasogaluak has befriended another Japanese adventurer, Sasaki. Sasaki, who is 33 years old, has spent the last several years walking around the world and made the last season of the Tuktoyaktuk ice road a special part of his journey.
"I heard ice road closed this year, so I walked from Dempster Highway to Tuk," Sasaki said during a phone interview at Nasogaluak's home on March 21.
His journey began more than five years ago with walking trips across Japan, Tawian, Australia and New Zealand. In 2015, Sasaki walked from Alaska to Peru, a distance of more than 10,000 kilometres.
His latest journey began in Whitehorse, Yukon and now having reached Tuktoyaktuk, he wants to return to Whitehorse before flying back to Peru.
His goal, Sasaki said, is to make himself stronger, both in his heart and his body.
"I want a challenge," he said.
Seeing the Arctic landscape and creating friendships are two of the highlights of his trip, Sasaki said.
"I meet nice people, Inuvialuit," he said. "And I saw good view."
Fostering friendship is also important to Nasogaluak. The pair have been visiting and sharing stories since they met.
"We've been talking together and exchanging what we do in our lives," he said.
Nasogaluak said Sasaki's strength and willpower are commendable.
"(Norio) said determination is what keeps him going, not giving up. Very few people have that," Nasogaluak said.
Sasaki also puts him in mind of Ueruma, the adventurer he admired as a child.
"When I met Norio, it just kind of reminded me of him. He was a very strong, very kind man."
Sasaki was scheduled to travel to Inuvik on March 22 and was hoping to hitchhike on to Whitehorse.
No matter where the road leads him, Nasogaluak said he and Sasaki will keep in touch.
"He's going to keep in contact with me, keep me updated of his travels," Nasogaluak said.
