Walking the lonely road north on Highway 11 is a long way from Hokkaido, a picturesque island in northern Japan.
Rev. Sekiguchi Toyoshige is prepared for the challenge as he continues his peace march from Toronto to the G8 Summit in Huntsville.
As the diminutive Buddhist monk quietly writes in his journal in the meal room at the Bayside Mission run by the Salvation Army in Barrie, clothed in a saffron robe, he appears detached from the passing traffic of blue jeans and T-shirts of the hostel workers.
A woman from Gilford saw him on the highway and drove him here to make sure that he had a place to stay this evening,” said Maj. Roy Randell. “It’s a bit unusual, but we are happy to help.”
Rev. Toyshige is walking to Huntsville to try and instill a sense of peace and concern for the environment. He remembers Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper being in Hokkaido for the G8 environmental summit in 2008 and was concerned with Harper’s reluctance to make any specific environmental commitments.
He hopes things will be different in Huntsville.
This is not the first summit that he has been to, travelling from Japan to Italy recently for a past leaders meeting.
Walking the highway, a banner expressing wishes for peace in five languages around his neck, Toyshige chants for an understanding world, which recognizes the fragility of the environment, the need for harmony between religions and the elimination of the proliferation of nuclear weapons, particularly in the developing world.
“Last Aug. 6, I was in Hiroshima for the ceremony marking the anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb in 1945,” he says softly.
“At that time, the mayor of Hiroshima, Tadatoshi Akiba, urged the world powers to eliminate nuclear weapons. I wonder if the mayor in Toronto would say that, or is it too far away.”
The walk began in Japan where Toyshige began a six-day peace walk through the streets, preparing to attend the Canadian summit.
From there, he travelled to Toronto, where again he began his walk through the city, gaining support from Japanese Canadians who encouraged him as they met him on the streets with accommodation and meals.
Last Friday, he began walking to Huntsville.
“I want to appeal to the Canadian people the importance of getting discussion of the environment back on the table, for them (the leaders) to discuss ways to stop the destruction.”
“From June 25 to the 27, I go to pray for peace, not eating, fasting. I want to pray,”
Maj. Randell arrives from the bus station with a handful of maps and tries to show his visitor where he is exactly.
“I am pleased to have our friend visit us,” said Randell. “Staff and clients of the hostel are curious about our friend and his quest.”
“Hearing about a peaceful march is nice — bit of a contrast to all the threats that we have been hearing about surrounding the conference,” Randell adds.
Randell is happy with his first meeting with a Buddhist priest, even under these circumstances.
“He’s trying to bit his part for peace. Lord knows, we need all the peace we can get in our world.”
Source: thebarrieexaminer.com
