On September 27, 2004, I arrived at Cabo da Roca after a two-month car trip. I am the first person in the world to cross Eurasia by four-wheeled vehicle via  newly opened Trans-sibirian road bymyself.

Why I went to Roca~Invite from a friend

In April 2004, I received an email from an friend saying, "We will have a wedding ceremony in September. The place is Cabo da Roca at the western end of Eurasia, and I would be grateful if you could join us." He was studying  in England at the time, and I thought that choosing a wedding location was suitable for him. He has been acquainted since we met in a cheap hotel dormitory in Seoul, Korea at the age of 19. I replied that I would participate.

[photo] before depature, July 2004

Omi-hachiman, the town I grew up,and Portuguese lived 430 years ago.

I was born in 1975 in Omi-hachiman ,a small town near Kyoto.

Most Japanese may not know Omi-hachiman, but Azuchi Castle does. 
Nobunaga, the lord of Azuchi Castle, may be the most favorite military commander of the Japanese. At the end of the 16th century, he interacted with Portuguese missionaries and was proud of his power with matchlocks from Portugal.

In 1543, two Portuguese arrived in Japan from China. Their matchlock changed the history of Japan. The era of fighting with swords and spears was over, and the era of fighting with guns and cannons has begun.

[photo] Nobunaga's breech-loading swivel gun, cast in Portuguese Goa, India.

Nobunaga was a warlord who undersood European culture. He drank the port wine obtained from Portuguese in Nanban trade. He looked at the globe and realized that the earth is spherical (other Japanese didn't understand it). He made a lot of matchlocks and used them in battle, faster than other warlords.

Nobunaga hired an African Mozambican vassal from Goa, India.  Azuchi town was developed rapidly. A church was built and Italian priests lived there.

The castle was burnt after Nobunaga was murdered by his subordinates.
After that, Japan banned Christianity (1596), and entered an era of isolation(1639). Christians fled to Macau and Manila, and the violin sound disappeared. Currently under excavation in Omi-hachiman.

[photo] Ruínas de seminário(Escola de missionários,1580),
at Azuchi (Ohmi-hachiman city)

My encounter with a foreign country

I grew up in Omi-hachiman. I liked adventure novels and manga, but I wasn't thinking about going abroad. 
But I got the opportunity. I enrolled in a Christian high school near my house. (I'm not a Christian, but I was able to get in touch with culture, though this school was Protestant, not Catholic). so I went to HongKong and Macau on a school trip. This was a great stimulus for a 17-year-old man living in the countryside.

[photo] Omi brotherhood highschool (Omi-hachiman)

After this trip, I started a newspaper delivery job every morning before going to school. 6 months later, during spring break, I have been to Macau and Malacca via Singapore. My travel life was began.

[photo] Velkhoyansk, most coldest town in the world

[photo] Visit Cook Islands Pacific cruise 

The Longest drive

It took at least three months to prepare for this two-month drive trip. I bought a used Toyota Caldina for 90000yen (800USD). It's not just maintenance I need to do. There were many procedures at the embassy and customs and so on. I didn't know where and what to do.
Especially after entering Russia, the procedure in Vladivostok was difficult. At that time, there was not "Google Translate".

In the first half of the trip, the 8000km road in Siberia was unpaved, there were no bridges in the small rivers, and there were many stones on the roads. When I didn't meet anyone for 400km, I wondered if I would die without anyone noticing if I ran out of gasoline or was attacked by someone.

[photo] with young soldiers Omsk Russia
In the latter half of the trip, after Estonia, it was a fun drive to drive anywhere, eat in the area, stay at a country inn and have a drink.

When I saw the "Monument of Discovery" in Lisbon, I was excited to finally reach this point. At Cabo da Roca, I reunited with many friends and enjoyed a meal. The story of the journey never ends. I will talk when I meet you.

I appear a little from 4 minutes 45 seconds.