Japan Summer 2024 - Day 15 • Ainan to Shimonada

June 10, 2024

Japan Summer 2024 - Day 15

June 12, 2024

Ainan to Shimonada 113 Km

Start 7:43 AM Finish 5:08 PM

Total Duration 9:25

Moving Time 6:07

Stopped Time 3:18

Ascent 952m

Descent 950m

Tour Total 1,546 Km

Details at: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/189496848

I slept great at the Yamashiro ryokan in Ainan. What's not to like about ryokans? You get special slippers and a robe. There's a large hot bath. And who doesn't love sliding doors and tatami mats? Early this morning the sunlight started blasting through the windows, and I got up and closed the drapes. I was able to sleep for another hour. I retrieved my dried kit from the outdoor laundry line. It was nice having a clean outfit. I was wearing my short-sleeve jersey, bib shorts, socks and UV arm covers. I rode out of town and began passing fishing villages. The turquoise water was crystal clear. I noticed fishery floats in the water arranged in a grid.

I was riding on a sidewalk adjacent to Highway 56 and came to my first cyclist / pedestrian tunnel. It had once been the main highway tunnel, and had been converted when they built a new larger one for the highway. It was decorated with aquatic themed mosaic. I then came to a second one. It was nice not sharing a tunnel with loud barreling motor traffic.

I stopped at a Family Mart for a Craft Boss latte, sweet treat, and lemon cream mochi. Out front I ran into Toshi from near Mt. Fuji in Honshu. He was doing the Henro 88 temple circuit in three weeks and camping. He had been to the United States three times on bike tours. He rode from Nebraska to Texas, did a ride through Arizona, and a cycled through Zion National Park. He also dealt with the rain on Sunday.

I continued forward on Highway 56, where I went through a 1600 m tunnel. It was hot and sunny, and it felt great to be inside a cool tunnel. My radar had stopped working. The rear light was flashing, but the radar wasn't functioning on my GPS. The shoulders are narrow here and I rely on it. I fiddled with the Wahoo, and couldn't get it to work. Hopefully tomorrow when I start my GPS it will work.

I rode through Uwajima, population 70,000, which was the end of my route segment. I stopped at a bike shop and asked for my tires being inflated. They had an air compressor, but not gauge. I could feel that they were well below 80PSI. In addition, my brakes were shot.

I stopped at Ryuukou-ji (Henro temple 41), and climbed a series of steps. There was a large cemetery adjacent to the temple. Uwajima was ringed by tall mountains. I had the temple to myself and did the routine. I could see the Uwajima Castle atop another tall hill. I rode back through the center of town and passed covered street arcades and porticos.

On my way out of Uwajima I stopped at a MOS burger for a cheeseburger, cola, and fries. MOS stands for Mountain, Ocean, and Sun. Leaving town I climbed a large hill following the Kokushi river upstream. I passed through a tunnel and then cut down to Iyo Yoshida, a small fishing village situated on a beautiful turquoise bay. I stopped at a vending machine for a cream soda.

The new ear pods solved the iPod problem and I was able to listen to my Duane Train tracks unhindered. The 6% grade climb out of included nine short tunnels. The first five were the Shiroura Tunnels and the last four were the Tamatsu Tunnels.

I got the wise idea to use the Varia app on my iPhone so that I could see cars coming from behind me with the radar. This proved that the issue was with my Wahoo. I don't fully trust these Wahoo devices with good reason. I then came to a 1,300 m tunnel and then a long downhill into Seiyo.

I then took a left on Highway 25. I was cutting west across a landmass and back to the coast. I rode through a wide valley with rice patties. I was taken aback when I encountered two large mammoths, the Wara Mammoths, created in 2011 by students from Musashino Art University out of leftover straw from harvested rice. The valley was ringed by steep ridges, and I was curious how the highway would exit. I then came to a 1,200m tunnel.

After passing beneath the first ridge I came to a 670 m tunnel and then enjoyed a downhill. I rode into Yawatahama port, and crossed the historic Meiji bridge over the Senjo river. I rode along the river to the port. It was a large fishing port that also had a ferry to Kyushu. Unfortunately, the seafood restaurants were closed. I could see a ferry departing as I circled. The steep hills were terraced, and I then rode through the 600m Suda tunnel.

I was now on Highway 378 which cut across the base of cape Sada. I climbed up towards the edge of the steep hills and then cut through the 2,200 m Goze tunnel. Following that I rode through the 600 m Kikitsu tunnel, that didn't have a sidewalk.

I rode through another tunnel and then enjoyed a long downhill. I was finally riding along the coast and it was splendid. I could see mountains across the water in the distance which were ostensibly in Kyushu. For days now I've relishing the giant cement jack-like forms that are placed along the coast as surf breakers. They're like giant's toys or Minecraft basic elements. I then came to a yard where they were being cast. It was a sculptor's dream come true. I crossed the Nagahama Large Bridge over the Hijikawa river and then entered Nagahama.

I had hit my 100km quota and began Googling parks. I stopped at a Lawson for provisions thinking that I had found something down the road. When I got to the 'park' I was disappointed to find large airplane models in someone's front yard. It wasn't a park. I continued along the coast and eventually spotted a recreation field, and I got a hunch. I found a place where I could wild camp behind some bushes on the waterfront near the sea walls at the port. I sat on a wall as I edited this report. The 5 o'clock chime oddly occurred here tonight at 6 PM. People were nearby fishing late into the evening.