Running is not an activity you associate with my family. So says my brother Rod.

This is true in recent decades. Vigorous exercise has not been our forte. That changed when I was lured to join the regular circuit runners around Nijojo (Nijo Castle) in Kyoto. A 2 km circuit that encircles the castle, its moat and the surrounding hedge.

Aerobic exercise has a long and positive connection with creative writing. Walking is recommended as the most natural way to enhance creativity and stimulate insights.

I love to walk, and now I love to run. As well as helping my fitness and ability to climb mountains, it has opened new worlds to delight and stimulate the senses.

Early morning is the best time to run I find. As do many others, of all ages and levels of fitness. These companions, especially those in their elder years, motivate me to start the day in a good way.

Most of us run or walk anti-clockwise except for one gentleman who defies the norm. He is yet to say hello when he passes by. I hope that will change, as it has with others as I become a regular.

Every day is different around the castle, the moat and the hedge. Many surprises have revealed themselves since I started running around 12 months ago.

What first seemed like a biological desert of hedge and lawn, with planted Sakura and pine trees, has turned out to be far from it. The Nijojo circuit provides homes for many.

As the seasons progress different plants and animals present themselves, often in subtle ways. It is important to have your eyes and mind wide open so not to miss them.

My most exciting discovery has been the thousands of spiral orchids (Spiranthes sinensis) growing between the moat and the hedge during tsuyu, the rainy season.

Thousands of spiders use the hedge as habitat, their flat extended webs catching the raindrops like ephemeral jewels.

In the heat of summer the cicadas sing. The hedge provides resting spots for their metamorphosis. They are beautiful to behold.

Along the front of the castle, where there is a fence rather than a hedge, myriad mushrooms complete their life cycle and disappear until the next suitable season.

On the water two herons hunt, ducks swim above and carp below, water-striders lightly touch the surface. In summer, water plants are profuse.

Profusion is also found in abundance in Spring as the Sakura burst forth with their canopy covering floral display.

And then there is the entrancing interplay of light and shadow, changing with the time of day, the amount of cloud and the position of the sun. The shadows of the pine trees in the bright light are striking. So too the glorious orange/pink bark touched with the morning rays.

Pine trees also feature in my favourite conditions to run – just after it has rained. There is something very special about water droplets on pine needles.

The castle, the moat and the hedge. My ‘go to’ place for running and revelation when I find myself in Kyoto.

Perhaps it is in the blood after all. My brother Rod ran a world peace marathon in Russia in his youth. Now it is my turn to pound the pavement.

All photos taken by Jann Williams on her runs around Nijojo.
For other experiences see:  https://elementaljapan.com/.