Far south welcomes Japanese adventurer

The far south recently welcomed Japanese tour guide, TikTokker and adventurer Yuji “Gump” Suzuki and his 100kg rickshaw as he neared his final stop in Cape Town.

Mr Suzuki’s journey, inspired by the 1994 movie Forrest Gump starring Tom Hanks, started nine years ago to show the world how beautiful life is. He is affectionately called “Gump”.

His journey, on foot with his rickshaw, has taken him across continents from China to India, France to Spain, Australia to America, and now across Africa.

His most recent journey, which started in Nairobi, Kenya, and ended in Cape Town on Sunday January 26, was more than 6 400km, and he travelled through six African countries - Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa - before reaching the Cape of Good Hope on Friday January 24, where he was stopped and greeted by locals in Simon’s Town and Glencairn.

“Forrest Gump loved running, and I do too,” he said, adding that he does it with his rickshaw and it’s his unique way of moving through the world.

He said each push of the rickshaw was a metaphor for moving forward, no matter the obstacles, as he strove to give hope to the world.

Along the way, Mr Suzuki has been capturing the beauty of his travels and sharing them with his following on TikTok.

On Saturday January 25, Mr Suzuki made his way to Fish Hoek where residents and visitors were able to meet him and learn about his journey.

His final stop in Africa was at the V&A Waterfront on Sunday. He said he was working on a documentary to share his story with the world.