A former regional press journalist who completed a 16-month trek across Japan has written a book about her experiences, which will be published later this year.

Mary King, (41), previously worked for a number regional papers, including the Derbyshire Times and Wokingham and Bracknell Times, before leaving the UK to live and work abroad.

In May 2001 Mary, and friend Etsuko Shimabukuro, began a 7,494km trek which took them from Cape Soya, Japan’s northernmost point, and finished on the southern island of Yonaguni.

Dubbed Japan on Foot, the walk raised money for the HELP charity, a Tokyo refuge for women and children who are victims of domestic violence.

During their journey the women wrote various newspaper and magazine articles about their adventures, including a monthly column for LOOK JAPAN magazine, as well as maintaining a website in Japanese and English, and the book will reveal more about their journey.

Japan on Foot: Tales of the Unexpected, will tell how during a zigzag route through Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu and Okinawa, their paths crossed with bears, pilgrims following the circuit of 80 temples in Shikoku, a scientist who plans to resurrect the woolly mammoth, and more.

Mary said: “The book will include rigours of the walk, the adventure aspect, Japanese culture, both past and present, history, politics and social issues, interviews with many people as well as some pretty wild stories.

“There will be plenty of laughs and some real eye openers.”

Mary trained as a reporter and press photographer in Britain and began her journalism career as a reporter on the Dudley Herald in the West Midlands.

She later worked as a photographer at the Derbyshire Times and Wokingham and Bracknell Times in Berkshire, and then moved to London to work for the London Newspaper Group.

Since leaving Britain, Mary has worked in Jerusalem, Cairo and Sudan, before settling in Japan.

In May, she will take up one-year’s Zen studies at a temple, and work on a second book.