TNT Day 41 - plus one to the TNT hiker tally

 1 Nov

Map 28: (inn) tabist ryokan, Suizawacho -> tsubake grand shrine -> torin-ji -> Minegajo Cemetery -> Sakamoto rice fields -> kamoshika plateau -> Suzuka pass rest area (tent)

Sunny, high 10s/low 20s, evening rain (the edge of a typhoon)

The sunrise was pretty spectacular from my nice warm bed at the tabist ryokan.

After a fight with some vegetation to cross an agriculture canal, I found myself at tsubuke grand shrine. The shrine has a large sprawling complex  with multiple enshrined kami, and many people were here bright and early to visit the various buildings.

Temple workers were out in full force with their brooms and rakes, making the gravel sit in perfect lines - just for people to walk right on the gravel.

The next temple I passed, torin-ji was tucked away at the edge of the suburbs.

It had a pretty great outlook, the morning sun was glinting of the waters of ise bay, but those clouds were looking ominous.

Around the back and across a bridge (with more hidden storage underneath, but no motorcycles this time) was Kogishidai Shrine.

More solar panels, and open cut gravel mines.

Up a hill I found myself in a cemetery,

with a fantastic view down the valley to yokkaichi. There were plenty of empty plots if anyone wants to invest.

I left the cemetery behind and entered the forest, where I saw a man walking his dog from his scooter and another Tokai nature trail hiker! I had ruled out seeing any other hikers due to how late in the year it was getting, but Zack had started in Osaka approximately a week earlier and was churning through the miles at nearly double my pace. After a brief chat and knowledge exchange we said our farewells.

The forest road gave me glimpses of the countryside as I made my way south along the outskirts of yokkaichi. This was the view from the Sakamoto rice field view point, most of the fields had already been harvested, so it was actually just the Sakamoto field view point.

I was finally given some trail to walk at anraku pass.

It led me up to kamoshika plateau, part of Suzuka Quasi-National Park.

Down the other side and I was into a new valley. There was a car parked at this dam, but not a soul was to be seen.

Further down the valley, I passed through a couple of farming villages and the fields that surrounded them.

The track around the back of the fields eventually turned into a wall of vegetation so I detoured onto some more frequented (and mown) tracks.

The little detour also meant that for the last 1km of the day I was walking on the Tokaido instead of the Tokai nature trail. I ended the day at the tokaido Suzuka pass rest area. I arrived at 4:30, which was perfect timing as the light sprinkle of rain turned into a downpour which lasted most of the night.

26.6km, highest point: 549m, elevation: +1173 -1039