🌸 Hi there, I am Stanley Xia 🌸

Stanley Xia 1997.7.27

I'm a kitsch painter and aspiring documentary filmmaker, born and raised in California to a Taiwanese mother and a Chinese father.

Since 2024, I've been walking across Japan, completing 1,200 miles of a 1,700-miles journey from south to north.

What began as a personal journey has become something far greater than I imagined, shaped by the landscapes, people, and unexpected kindness I encountered along the way.

Now, I'm preparing for the final 500 miles across Hokkaido , through the harsh Japanese winter, toward the northernmost point of Japan.

Through film, I hope to preserve these experiences and bring the documentary Walking Across Japan: What Remains to life.

❄️ The Final Chapter ❄️

where I have walked so far

the last 500 miles

From December to January , I will walk the final 500 miles across Hokkaido , enduring nearly two months of heavy snowfall, icy roads, and temperatures averaging around 23°F (-5°C) , sometimes dropping far below.

Pushing a fully loaded cart through the Japanese winter, staying warm and safe will be my greatest challenge.

Your support will help fund essential winter equipment, including an extreme-cold sleeping bag, insulated sleeping pad, protective clothing, and snow-ready cart modifications.

After 1,200 miles on foot, the final 500 miles may be the hardest of all.

🌻 Why I Walk 🌻

Why choose something so slow and difficult?

One answer is simple: I like a challenge.

But what truly pushed me to begin was feeling lost in this chaotic world.

Walking was how I survived myself. It gave me back my own time, away from the noise of the world, allowing me to slow down, listen, and have a conversation with myself.

To Meet Myself Honestly

Walking also gives me time to speak honestly with myself.

When the body reaches its limit, many of the shields we carry begin to fall away. There is no room to pretend.

Step by step, I meet myself more clearly, more quietly, and more truthfully.

A Quiet Wish for Peace

Born and raised in America, with Taiwanese and Chinese roots, I learned Japanese as a child through watching Doraemon , a Japanese animated series. In different ways, all four places feel like home to me. I carry a quiet wish for peace among them.

🌎 A Shared Dream 🌎

I began this journey on my own, but I could never have come this far without the kindness of strangers.

Along the road, people offered me food, shelter, encouragement, and help when things went wrong. Some I met for only a few minutes, yet their kindness stayed with me long after we parted.

What began as a journey to heal myself became something I never expected. Through this documentary, I hope to preserve these encounters and share with others the warmth that was once given to me.

I will continue contributing what I can. But completing the winter journey through Hokkaido, maintaining my equipment, and protecting the documentary footage now requires more than I can afford alone.

I will walk every mile myself, but the story I hope to tell belongs to more than just me.

Your support will help me complete the journey and share the kindness I found along the way.

🌲 Rewards 🌲

From left to right: Signed postcard, photography booklet, personal handwritten letter, pin set, signed photographic print, and travel sketchbook with your handwritten name. (Illustrative preview only ; actual items and their appearance may vary.)

Reward Fulfillment

Physical rewards will be prepared and shipped after the completion of my journey and reunion filming in Japan.

Estimated delivery: October 2027.

As each reward will be personally prepared, signed, or created by me, delivery times may vary. Thank you for your patience and support!

🎒 Use of Funds 🎒

$3,500 — Travel & Return Visits

Flights for the Hokkaido journey, followed by return visits to people I met along the way to document their stories.

$4,000 — Winter Gear & Filming

Winter sleeping equipment, shelter, cart maintenance and repairs, camera supplies, and reliable storage to protect the documentary footage.

$2,500 — Daily Living

Food and everyday necessities during approximately three months of walking across Hokkaido.

$3,500 — Winter Accommodation & Safety

Indoor accommodation for charging equipment, severe snowstorms, dangerous temperatures, or when rest and recovery are necessary. 

Total Estimated Budget: $13,500

Crowdfunding Goal: $9,000

The crowdfunding goal will go toward the essential expenses of completing the winter journey, including flights, winter equipment, food, safe accommodation, and reliable storage to preserve the documentary footage.

My priority is to complete the walk safely and bring this documentary to its final chapter.

 ⏳ Schedule ⏳

Year of 2026

Early December 

Resume the walking journey across Japan.

Year of 2027

January 27 

Expected arrival at Cape Soya, completing the walk to Japan’s northern tip.

Late January ~ February

Revisit people I met along the journey and film our reunions.

Early March

Brief trip outside Japan for visa arrangements.

Mid-March ~ Mid-April

Return to Japan to continue filming the remaining reunions.

 ⭐ Final Words ⭐

I know the road ahead will not be easy. There will be hardships, uncertainties, and moments when I must find the courage to continue.

I started this journey without knowing where it would lead or what I might discover.

But I have come too far to turn away from something I believe in so deeply.

Now, with the final chapter within reach, I want to see it through.

Not simply to reach the end of Japan, but to create something that will endure long after my footsteps have faded.

I will give this journey everything I have, with determination, humility, and gratitude.

⭐ I hope you will join me in bringing this dream to life ⭐