The numerical backbone of the project is the categorization of destinations into the "87 Sites." This number was chosen to represent a "complete set" (similar to the 88 temples of Shikoku Pilgrimage) which requires significant time to complete but offers high replay value.
: A former capital known for its massive bronze Buddha at Todai-ji Temple and the hundreds of free-roaming deer in Nara Park. kansai enko 87 ryoko
By writing about this, we preserve the memory of a specific, fleeting moment in Japanese transport history. The "Enko" traveler of 1987 is now in their late 50s or early 60s. Their children and grandchildren are now searching for these keywords to understand what life was like before smartphones, before the internet, when a highway bus and a group of friends were the only ticket to adventure. The numerical backbone of the project is the
To truly capture "Enko 87," you must sleep on the bus. Do not book a hotel. Park overnight at a Michi-no-Eki (roadside station) in Wakayama. Sleep in your reclining seat while a 1987 VHS copy of Lighthouse Story plays silently on the bus monitor. The "Enko" traveler of 1987 is now in
: The center of traditional Japanese culture, famous for Zen gardens, Shinto shrines, and imperial palaces.