7/20/2012

Day 42: Ono-Iwaki

I always love the local routes, where traffic is not so heavy even though the shoulders are narrow.
Prefectural Highway Route 41 is one of the kind of my favorites.

It runs along JR Banetutousen and the Natsui River runs along the highway.

Quiet and comfortable to enjoy running into the central Iwaki City.

I didn't notice I had been running with a doggy until it barks just beside me!

Usually I stop running as I see the dog and walk quietly so as not to scare the dog.

But this time the situation was different.

So I kept running for a while as fast as I possibly could.

After I ran about 2 miles (about 3km), the dog gave up running after me and it went away.

This is not America! All the doggies should be leashed.















*Distance today: 28.6miles (46.0km)

*Total Distance from Wakkanai:1038.9 mlies (1671.56km)


More photos on KAY'S BLOG

http://kaytaka.blog35.fc2.com/blog-entry-2033.html

7/19/2012

Day 41: Towa-Ono

Following mountain route 349.

There are not always sidewalks and shoulders.

They sometimes disappear and appear again.

Traffic is busy with trucks and trailers, which work for reconsturcution of tsunami affected area.

Abukuma Highland lies at 3000 feet above sea level.

It's been cool enough since it's cloudy.


I have run from north to south of the Pacific coast line to see what's going on around Tsunami affected area.

But I have noticed the fact I have never ever known, which mass media have never reported.

Mass media don't tell us everything we want to know.

We sometimes have to go and get what we have to know.

Those who are not the victims of 3.11 have to see anything from the point of the victims' view.

Seeing is believing...That's absolutely true.

Everything has both causes and results.

Earthquake caused Tsunami.

Tsunami caused fatal accidents of the nuclear plants and then radioactive contamination.



*Distance Today: (38.9 km)

*Total Distance from Wakkanai: (1625.56km)













More photos on KAY'S BLOG

http://kaytaka.blog35.fc2.com/blog-entry-2032.html

7/18/2012

Day 40: Minamisoma-Towa


I took DeTour route to avoid the area contaminated by radioactivity.

Minamisoma is just 10 miles from the area.

We still cannot go farther south.

Following the Fukushima R-12 and National Highway R-349.

After I crossed the Yagisawa Pass, I entered Iitatemura Village.

Iitatemura Village now open to public after


But there are few people who come back.

Most of the young generation have moved to different places such as Iwaki, Fukushima or Koriyama.

I felt as though I had been running in the ghost town, which I often saw in the Mid-West of the US.

They didn't want to move out but they had to.

All of sudden people were gone.

City hall, post office, stores and houses are all empty except a few .

I saw a signboard on the door of the store which said 24-hours OPEN, which made me feel sad.

I entered Kawamata Cho next to Iitatemura and talked with a woman at the grocery store.

She moved from other town which now belongs to the radiation warning area.

"Without Nuclear Plant...everything would be OK...people, houses and business..."

But it's too late.

"Fukushima would not be what it used to be if nothing had been changed."


*Distance Today: (54.0 km)

*Total Distance from Wakkanai: (1586.66km)























More photos on KAY'S BLOG

http://kaytaka.blog35.fc2.com/blog-entry-2030.html

7/09/2012

Day 31:Kamaishi-Rikuzentakata

Today I had a partner who ran with me all the way.

A friend of mine, Mr.Yamamoto is a ultra-runner who has already done 70km-marathon in May.

And a photographer Midori drove to Kamaishi with him.

The route was full of variety, tunnels and climbing hills here and there.

Long way to Rikuzentakata.

We had a scattered rain in the afternoon.

I said goodby to Mr.Yamamoto and Midori at the supermarket in Rikuzentakata.

Pitched my tent after the supermarket was closed.






















*Distance today: 36.5 miles (58.8km)

*Total distance from Wakkanai: 795.miles (1279.26km)



More photos on KAY'S BLOG

http://kaytaka.blog35.fc2.com/blog-entry-2022.html

7/08/2012

Day 30: Miyako-Kamaishi

Route 45 is a National Highway, which is hard to travel because of lots of hills and tunnels.

A typical coast line of Sanriku Kaigan annoys me everyday.

Towns lie just between mountains.

I was shocked to see the railway tracks torn apart...where there was just a plat form there.

But people have to go on living.

A barber's shop was open on the third floor even though the first and second floor was broken by Tsunami.

There are convenience stores open 7-11 but the building were prefabricated.






















More photos on KAY'S BLOG

http://kaytaka.blog35.fc2.com/blog-entry-2021.html

7/07/2012

Day 29: Tanohata-Miyako

Hill climb in the rain...

No time to dry my rain suits.

More than a year has passed since 3.11 Earthquake but there are so many places which look the same as the very next day of 3.11.

There used to be a town, a house, a store somewhere around here but suddenly everything was gone.

I don't know what to say at Tsunami affected area when I pictured the schene on my mind.

Many people still live in temporary houses.

Most of them are built in the playground of  the school.



















More photos on KAY'S BLOG

http://kaytaka.blog35.fc2.com/blog-entry-2020.html

7/06/2012

Day 28: Kuji-Tanohata


The day after I ran 43 miles, I feel OK.

Climbing hills again.

I saw the aftermath of Big Earthquake in Tohoku 3.11 last year.

There are so many things we have to do for the Tsunami affected area.

It's going to be hard to find a place to stay around here because many construction workers come around this area.

So I pitched my tent at Michi no Eki Tanohata.

When there's no rain, it's OK to camp out.














More photos on KAY'S BLOG

http://kaytaka.blog35.fc2.com/blog-entry-2019.html

7/05/2012

Day 27: Hachinohe-Kuji

Took a ferry boat from Tomakomai to Hachinohe.

Woke up to find myself in Aomori Prefecture.

In 9 hours I was not in Hokkaido.

Started  to run at the port and Koyachi-san was waiting for me.

We ran together till we got to the entrance of Route 45.

Kind of humid and warm.

It was totally different from the climate in Hokkaido.

R45 led me to Kuji, Iwate Prefecture.

As I go down in south, I will see more places affected by Tsunami of 3.11.

Ran the longest stretch since I left Wakkanai today 41.1miles (66.1km).

Hard time will go on for a while here in Honshu Island.


*Distance today:41.1miles (66.1km)

*Total distance from Wakkanai: 666 miles (1071.56km)






















More photos on KAY'S BLOG

http://kaytaka.blog35.fc2.com/blog-entry-2018.html

7/04/2012

Day 26: Tomakomai-Hachinohe

Today is the final day I spend in Hokkaido.

I got to take a ferryboat to Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture.

The second stage starts in Honshu Island.

Had a late breakfast at Cycling Terminal.

Checked out about 10 am and walked around Midorigaoka Park.

Cool and dry climate here made me feel comfortable but as soon as I enter Honshu Island I have to suffer from humidity and heat of the summer.

I noticed I had lost my cash card of Yucho Bank at the post office in Tomakomai.

A officer called the post office of Shari, where I used the card last.

I didn't know I had left it there until the officer told me so.

I asked him to send the card at the post office where I am going to stop by in Honshu Island.

Fortunately nobody thought of something bad.

I sometimes do something I cannot imagine.


My ferry left Tomakomai Port at 9:45pm.



*Distance today: 5.8 miles (9.26km)

*Total distance from Wakkanai: 624.9miles (1005.46km)




















More photos on KAY'S BLOG

http://kaytaka.blog35.fc2.com/blog-entry-2017.html


7/03/2012

Day 25: Tomikawa-Tomakomai

Final day of running across Hokkaido Island, which is the 1st stage of my PEACE RUN 2012 Running Across Japan.

Raining a bit as soon as I started the day.

Tomakomai is also one of the biggest cities in Hokkaido.

I can't say it's no more wild land in Tomakomai.

Big trucks and traffic lights here and there.

I know this is the city!

3:20 pm, I arrived at JR Tomakomai Station, my goal of Hokkaido run.

25 days, (960km) journey.


Next stage in Honshu Island, which starts in Hachinohe, Aomori to Kobe, Hyogo.

The longest stretch but there are major cities of Japan such as Tokyo, Yokohama, Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka.


Wondering how many people I'm gonna encounter.

Wondering what kind of run I'll have...


*Distance today:  32.5mils (52.3km)

*Total distance from Wakkanai:  594.5miles (956.6km)



















More photos on KAY'S BLOG

http://kaytaka.blog35.fc2.com/blog-entry-2016.html

7/02/2012

Day 24: Shizunai-Tomikawa

Cloudy,  some scattered shower but I didn't mind it at all.

Yasuko, the daughter of Samani Station Inn(Ekimae Minshuku)'s Okamisan (Owner) and Miki, Yasuko's friend came and see me on the road.

A guy stopped his car just in front of me and gave me a canned coffee, when I thought of sipping some coffee.

It's kind of miracle, isn't it?

Another guy also stopped his car and asked me if I was an Adventure Runner of PEACE RUN.


Tomorrow is the final day of running across Hokkaido Island.

I'll finish my run in Tomakomai, then take ferryboat to Hachinohe from Tomakomai Port.


Funny how time flies.



*Today's run: 25.5 miles (41.0km)

*Total distance from Wakkanai:  562.0 miles (904.3km)






















More phoitos on KAY'S BLOG

http://kaytaka.blog35.fc2.com/blog-entry-2015.html

7/01/2012

Day 23: Samani-Shizunai

Had a day off yesterday.

Ekimae Minshuku was the one of the best inns in Hokkaido.

Warm hospitality and wonderful food treated me a lot.

Owner's wife, Okami-san took good care of me while I was staying there.

I showed up on today's paper.

On the way to Shizunai, three men said that they had seen the article.

Two days to Tomakomai, the goal of running across Hokkaido Island.

Tonight I am staying with the Okami-san's daughter and her husband.

How nice of Okami-san to have shown the best care to a traveler!

I really appreciate her kindness and realized how lucky I was to stay in Samani.


*Today's distance: 37.9 miles (61km)

*Total distance from Wakkanai:536.5 miles  (863.3km)




















More photos on KAY'S BLOG

http://kaytaka.blog35.fc2.com/blog-entry-2014.html