THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST

Sean Hiller

It’s nearly midnight on a Thursday night in mid-July when a young

Japanese traveler begins strumming his guitar.

Just as the faint sounds echoing from the instrument become

recognizable, Nao Shinohara begins to sing the lyrics from a classic

Eagles tune. The youth hostel’s living room in Huntington Beach falls

silent and all attention turns his direction as the 22-year-old traveler

from Tokyo goes into the chorus, singing “Welcome to the Hotel California

/ Such a lovely place / Such a lovely face / Plenty of room at the Hotel

California.�

Living out the lyrics of this song, Shinohara traveled from Tokyo

early last month to begin the journey of his life. He set out for the

California coast to shoot some hoops and play a little guitar.

It was not long before that the song he would often sing was becoming

his reality. The words “On a dark desert highway / Cool wind in my hair�

became exceptionally real for Shinohara as he found himself hitchhiking

from San Jose to Los Angeles with little money in his pocket.

With the option to go home, Shinohara chose to make the best of his

visit to the state. Sleeping on bus benches and pitching tents in parks

became routine for him.

Shinohara stumbled into Huntington Beach seeking shelter at Bolsa

Chica State Beach. He soon learned that camping on the beach is illegal.

So Shinohara continued his search for a resting spot.

The youth hostel in Huntington Beach became his shelter for a few

nights, where he could wash and even catch a good night’s sleep.

But then, when he became unable to afford the hostel, Shinohara

pitched his tent near the City Gym and on the baseball field at

Huntington Beach High School. Taking advantage of the tranquillity of

Surf City, compared to the streets of Los Angeles, Shinohara finally

found a place he could rest.

“Los Angeles is very dangerous. Huntington Beach is good. I got some

good sleep here,� he said.

Using the streets of Huntington Beach and its public facilities like a

hotel, Shinohara made himself at home in Surf City for much of his

two-month visit to California.

By day, he played basketball at the local courts. By night, he

strolled behind a fence, set up camp and called it a night.

Unable to find a job and his money running low, Shinohara headed out

of town Aug. 5 en route to San Jose, where he caught a flight back to

Tokyo with the open-ended ticket he kept tucked away in his guitar sack.