'Kintaro Walks Japan' takes low-tech look at our shrinking world

(Editor's note: This is the first in a series of reviews by Chuck Jaffee of films in the sixth "Wild & Scenic Environmental Film Festival" in Nevada City, Jan. 11-13.)



Important aspects of the "Wild & Scenic Environmental Film Festival" are adventure and extreme sports.

You might think of a film in the festival called "Dog Gone Addiction: Women of the Yukon Quest," which is about a 1,000-mile dogsled race in temperatures way below zero. Or another film in the festival called "Coast to Coast," which is about flying across Africa in ultralights - those hang gliders with engines on them. Or another film called "King Lines," which is about a true spiderman of free climbing.

In "Kintaro Walks Japan," we are still talking about an extreme: Kintaro walks more than 2,000 miles in 145 days from the southernmost point in Japan to its northernmost tip. We are talking about adventure: He treks across a foreign land and seeks the place where his father was born, with only a sketch of a coastline landmark as a clue.

"Kintaro Walks Japan" is both goofy and respectful, cross-cultural and peculiarly all-American. It's even kind of romantic since his girlfriend, half-Japanese, lives in Japan. She, not incidentally, is the daughter of George Meegan, who spent seven years walking from the southern tip of Argentina to the northern tip of Alaska.

Tyler McNiven gets tagged with the name Kintaro, who was a legendary, golden boy spirit in Japan, lovable and known for wrestling and riding bears. McNiven, tall and gangly with orange-red hair, is very noticeable in any group of Japanese people. He becomes something of a celebrity with quite a bit of coverage in Japanese TV and newspapers.

More significantly, he becomes a guest in many Japanese households, the recipient of wonderful hospitality. People readily take to his outgoing style because it is entirely without guile. It also helps immensely with communication and mutual respect that McNiven takes the trouble to learn a fair amount of Japanese.

He wills himself to make progress, step by step, mile after mile, day after day, 2,000 miles, with a heavy backpack. Experiencing Japan at a walker's pace, McNiven traverses coastlines, mountains, the countryside and urban centers.

There are slicker films than "Kintaro Walks Japan," but this is a satisfying way to watch a low-tech extreme adventure and an individualized look at our ever-shrinking world.

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Chuck Jaffee lives in Nevada City. Find links to his other articles for The Union at www.startlets.com.