TNT Day 38 - monkey business

29 Oct

Map 26: (tent) kawahara baseball field -> inabe shrine -> Hoshokaku temple -> Ryugezan Zencho Temple -> seiho-ji -> nishi-fujiwara station // train to yakkaichi (hotel)

The sky was looking especially gloomy this morning - it was forecast to start raining at 11am and not stop until tomorrow morning.

Left my nice little camp only to find that there was a huge power substation right next door.

Lots of boar traps around the rice fields, this one looked armed and functional - not all of them look in such good shape.

One of the most eye catching pieces of scenery around is the big mine on the side of fujiwaragatake. One has to wonder how much mountain there used to be there.

One part of town had flower fields instead of rice (or solar panels).

A troop of monkeys had staked a claim to this bit of road. There must have been 20 or so of them in the trees and on the road. whenever a car would go by they would wait until the last second to scamper only to move straight back onto the road.

I went on a little detour to Hoshokaku temple which I had stumbled upon when google map scanning. It had a huge main building and then some very arty religious instillations.

Back into the streets.

Ryugezan Zencho Temple

As I was having a sit outside the temple, when this man and his tractor came chugging up the road and into the plot next to me.

The Hana noodle shop had a very cute mascot and a matching vending machine with the 'drink best selection'.

A waterfall at seiho-ji.

Coming down the 250 steps from the upper temple, I arrived at the lower temple and found these fitting statues waiting for me.

Back to the streets, and the clouds were closing in.

I got to nishi-fujiwara station just in time for the heavens to open. There is an exhibition of some old engines in the park next door - this little kid was dragging his mum around in the rain to look at them.

My train out of the rain and to yakkaichi.

11.3km, highest point: 234m, elevation: 281m -347m