Henro Plod へんろプロッド
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| Henro |
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| Plod |
Henro is the Japanese word for a pilgrim, with Shikoku Pilgrims being respectfully referred to as O Henro-san.
Plod is an informal name for a Police Officer.
To plod is to walk slowly with heavy steps. In the 19th Century the British ‘Bobby’ walked an average of 20 miles each shift. He walked his beat at a steady pace of 2.5 miles an hour, and was forbidden to sit down or lean against anything, and ‘walking the beat’ is a common element in most policing traditions.
I like to find connections in language. As I was preparing for this pilgrimage I found that the Japanese word for a pilgrimage junrei 巡礼 shares the same Kanji as Police Constable junsa 巡査 。
The Japanese word for Police Constable is junsa 巡査。
The first Kanji 巡 refers to travelling around, touring, or circling.
The second Kanji 査 refers to assessing or checking.
So as a Police Constable, I am someone who walks the beat, checking that everything is in order, a junsa 巡査 。
