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The Tschiffely Literary Estate Articles by and about Tschiffely |
Aimé Tschiffely Memorial Ride The Swiss have woken up to the fact that they gave birth to a hero!
The connection between Japan and Switzerland is not instantly obvious! But just as Aimé Tschiffely was the greatest Long Rider from the West, the greatest Long Rider from the East was Baron Yasumasa Fukushima (1852-1919). This descendant of a noble Samurai family was sent to Berlin, Germany on military duty in 1892. When the time came to return home, the dashing Japanese horseman elected to ride his horse Gaisen, (Triumphant Return) 14,000 kilometers from Berlin to Tokyo, Japan. A fellow soldier, General Rafael de Nogales, described the equestrian explorer thus, "Fukushima’s courage, drive and exuberant cheerfulness were amazing. For a man like this nothing was impossible." Satoe is kindly looking for living Japanese Long Riders, and we hope that next year there will be some who can attend the Ride. We hope that this Memorial Ride will become an annual event: if anyone would like more information, please contact the Long Riders Guild.
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