Having your own little Kei in the inaka of Japan is gold – they’re cheap, easy on petrol and, like all cars, you can jump in on a whim and go wherever the road takes you. The downside? They aren’t really built for frequent, long road trips. This, I was reminded of as I opened my eyes and let them slowly adjust through the polka-dotted window onto a grey, misty parking lot. “Where are we? What’s wrong?” I asked, looking around trying to get my bearings. Mark laughed nervously, “The engine’s overheated.”
I had been taking my role of backseat passenger (read: napper) very seriously, while Mark drove and Ken navigated us to Fukuoka. Our first stop was supposed to be Nanzoin Temple in Sasaguri Town, just outside of Hakata. But now it looked like we might not make it. When we stopped again at a petrol station further up the road, the attendants agreed that something was very wrong. “There’s a car shop off the next exit.”
The Honda service station was in a place called Asakura, 50 min from the temple. The mechanic confirmed our worst fears: the engine was, essentially, fucked.