Shiroishi

 One of the cool things about having done these cycling trips over so many years (16 to be exact) is seeing how much has changed since we first blindly struggled our way across Hokkaido in 2008. The technology is so vastly superior than 16 years ago we often don't even know the exact route we're taking the morning we leave. We have a general idea, but things change as we go. One of the downsides to the modern reliance on technology is that sometimes technology is dumb. Numerous times over the last few days we were following the route Maps had planned for us only to told to turn off of an nicely paved, mostly empty road to one like this:

And sometimes the roads don't exist any more, We had a phantom bridge that Maps believed was there that either never was there or was removed years ago. But overall being able to have fully interactive maps downloaded onto your phone is something I wouldn't want to live without anymore.

Today we took an easy ride from Fukushima to Shiroishi, a small-ish town with a lot of history. This was one of the favorite places for Masamune Date to stop on his way to Edo, to the point where the castle had a special entrance reserved just for him. Speaking of the castle

Shiroishi Castle

It's a smaller, 3-story castle that has less dramatic history than many of the others. They did have a big cast iron bell once. During the Meiji Restoration it was sold to a temple. During WWII the temple managed to not have it melted down for the war effort. Like I said, less dramatic.

The ride to Shiroishi was quite pleasant, though a bit windy. We were on a bike path that followed the Abukuma River for a long stretch with no trees or buildings around us and 15-20 mph winds. All in all, though, a nice ride through some old farmland.

Peaches? Sure, why not.

A bell that was not sold to a temple...

Another bell. This time an old (still functioning) fire tower

We got to the hotel quite early, so our room wasn't ready yet, but we were able to drop off our backpacks there and bike to the castle. Biking without a 30 pound weight on your back feels remarkably easy, I must say.

After visiting the castle and an old samurai residence in a beautiful neighborhood (samurai were apparently upper middle class) we headed back to the hotel where the room would be ready. Now, I've made mention several times this trip that we had some really large rooms at ritzy resorts and that they were not normal in Japan. Our room here was much more normal in size, but they were very clever with how they packed everything in such a small space. Here's an example.

Open Desk

Closed Desk. Lower arrows got weird, sorry.

Used Desk...

The hotel had a decent-looking restaurant, so we decided to splurge tonight

Lots of fresh veggies

Thinly sliced high quality beef

Sukiyaki!

Easily the best food we've had since we got to Japan. The broth was tasty but not too salty, the beef was excellent. We had an hour for free "refills", but we were stuffed after 30 minutes. We waddled back upstairs to our room and got stuff ready for tomorrow's trip to Sendai.

And here is a small collection of pictures that amuse us.

A (copyrighted) Pokémon manhole cover. In the castle.

This shrine is dedicated to "Academic Recreation". This guy recreated a bit too much.

At the train station. All the signs say "No Bike Parking"

Totally not Mini Oreos. They are "Bite-sized Noir Minis"

A Day Off

 Really not much to say other than that. It rained pretty steadily starting last night and throughout this morning. We had planned this rest day anyway, so it lined up well. We took care of mundane stuff like laundry and repacking and shipping our cases out and did a lot of planning and booking rooms for the next several days.

We also went and tried out the "Wheel of Gyoza"!

Definitely not 4 dollar signs

Enban Gyoza Terui is in the train station in Fukushima, and mainly servers...well...Enban Gyoza.

The Wheel of Gyoza, now with salad

Enban Gyoza, at least the gyoza at Terui's, is lighter than typical gyoza and more cabbage to pork ratio. It can be made like this, where it is lightly pan fried, but there are some places that make a "soft" gyoza that is more like a regular dumpling. Either way, you could order a wheel of 11 or 22. We ordered 22. If you can count, there are more than 22 on the plate.

Essential addition!

The size of the spoon is an indication of how potent the chili oil was. I used two of these in my little saucer of soy sauce and it was plenty to give it flavor and a tiny bit of spice. We were not prepared to ingest this much fried food, but it would have been rude to leave anything, so...

Tomorrow we have a short cycling day to Shiroishi, where there's a few temples and things to check out before we head into Sendai.

Walking to Fukushima

 OK, not entirely, but it kinda felt like it.

Had a less than auspicious start to the day this morning. First, we were awoken by kids screaming and running up and down the hallway. At 6:45. Luckily we were going to be getting up anyway, but it was not the alarm I would have chosen. We packed up and hit the road before 8 and made it about a mile or so before Sumi got another flat tire. Upon further inspection she ran over a tiny metal piece that lodged into the tire and punctured the tube. So, using the second (and last) spare we had with us (the rest were shipped to Fukushima with our luggage), we finally got back on the road and started making our way north.

After a quick stop at Lawson to buy food for the day, as we were going to be in the middle of forest for most of today, we set out towards Fukushima. The biking was decent for the first few miles, but the ascent had already begun. We had 2500 feet to climb (we were already at about 2000 feet), and it was all in the first 15 miles. To put this in perspective, the Sears/Willis Tower in Chicago is 1450 feet. So there was a LOT of slow cycling/walking up the mountain. For hours. This is basically what we saw all day:

Really pretty scenery and I loved being in the forest, but we didn't have the presence of mind to take a lot of pictures. At about 11 we stopped for a snack break at a roadside rest area that had a ramen shop and outdoor seating. There was no way we were eating ramen with how hot and sweaty we were, but we were able to sit at a shaded table and have some apple juice.

For some of the way up, there were resorts along the way, most of the functioning, some of them deserted. There was a big hotel boom in the 80's and many of them failed. You can see them dotting the countryside all over the country. The ones we saw have likely been deserted for over 20 years.

Fabulous fixer upper in a secluded neighborhood

Hwy 115, the main (and sometimes only) road between the two towns was very busy with often very little shoulder for us to stay out of the way of traffic. Occasionally we would get a short bike path along the side of the road, when there were active resorts. 

So...run over pedestrians. Got it.

Since 115 was so bad, we spent most of the day slowly climbing up winding paths on back roads. It meant a lot less traffic, which was good, but almost always meant riding OVER mountains rather than around or through them. But finally, after 5 hours of climbing,

What a view.

we finally made it to the top of the mountain. Now the fun part begins. We had spent the last two days climbing up to an elevation of 4400 feet. After a quick lunch break were now about to coast down all of it. Over the next 15 miles, we didn't pedal. With all the sharp turns and debris on the forest roads (branches, etc) we had to ride the brakes, but it was quite exhilarating letting gravity pull us down. It was quite a mental switch from the slogging, one foot in front of the other, pace for most of the day to the hyper-focused speeding down the mountain, watching the ground for obstacles and keeping turns under control.

After a very fast and less pleasant few miles back on 115 to get into the city, we took a bunch of back roads and snaked our way through the suburbs to finally arrive in Fukushima city. We booked a place right next to the train station in case we want to do some exploring tomorrow, a chain hotel Toyoko. The rooms are decent size, breakfast is included, and it has covered parking. This is important because there is a big storm blowing up from down south tonight and we're getting rain tomorrow. We had already planned for a day off, so we'll be sheltering for a day and figure out our plans to get to Sendai.

Again our dinner plans were thwarted. Practically nothing is open in downtown Fukushima on Sundays. This makes sense, but we had totally lost track of the day. Being too tired to walk or take a train away from downtown to get a meal, we ended up at the 7-11 Bistro.

"Homemade" sandwiches on whole wheat bread!

A main priority tomorrow will be to find some real food. There are a number of Thai and Indian restaurants in the downtown area, as well as the fantastically named "Italian Kitchen Mugibatake". I have never seen less Italian-looking Italian food in my life. Imagine Japanese food on spaghetti.

Oh, they have Margherita Piz...Why? Just, why?

Also the first 4 dollar sign gyoza restaurant I've ever seen, though I think it may be an error on Trip Advisor. Gyoza Terui is open 5pm-9pm each evening and serves Enban-gyoza, or as I like to call it, The Wheel of Gyoza.

Enban-Gyoza

This isn't something Sumi and I could eat ourselves, but I'm certainly curious.

Aizuwakamatsu to Inawashiro

 With the prospect of being in a real city for the first time in several days, we decided to start a little late and have lunch in Aizuwakamatsu. The plan was to take mostly side roads up to the city and leaving Ashinomaki, the first thing we did was head into the mountains.

Our route is the little road between these buildings

Five minutes later...

After a bit of small mountain roads, we descended into the valley and had a very flat, very easy ride into Aizuwakamatsu. We got a good glimpse at the snow-covered peaks of Mount Iida at various points throughout the day. Apparently there's a shrine at the very top of the peak.

Mount Iida, about 35 miles away

Our bike path

Yet another roadside shrine

These casks are huge, and we have no idea what they are for

Finally in a real city! Our first stop was to check out Tsuruga Castle. It was restored after being essentially decimated by cannons during the Meiji Restoration. When we arrived at the castle grounds there was a rather unique concert going on. As near as we can tell, there is a music store in Aizuwakamatsu where one man teaches people how to make (as in from clay, by hand) and play an ocarina. His students were having a recital on one of the grassy areas outside of the castle. 

Nice backdrop for a concert

We dropped our packs off at a coin locker and bought our tickets to the castle. It was five stories plus a basement, and each level had a different subject, ranging from the clan leaders that ruled the castle throughout its history to the prominent members of the Aizu clan. It was very well done, and of course had some rather amusing translations. The one that got me was Kato Yoshiaki and his helmets.

Bad photo aside, this was the helmet he rocked during the battle of Tsuruga Castle

Not, unfortunately for us, his Mount Fuji-shaped helmet...

We now know the real source for the Nike "swoosh"

There was also a neat display about Nisshinkan, a surprisingly progressive samurai school during the 1800's. It was the first school to have an indoor pool (the logistics of which I don't even want to think about) and also the first school to have lunch provided for the students. Along with various martial arts, the students received a fairly intense education as well. 

Nisshinkan floor plan

Mount Iida from the top of the castle

At the end of the tour, there was an online questionnaire that one could take and, if chosen, received a free Akabeko charm. What is Akabeko, you ask?

Meet Akabeko

Akabeko is a legendary red cow (yes, you read that correctly) that was present at, and in some legends somehow helped with, the construction of the Enzou-ji temple, a rather spectacular series of buildings in Yanaizu dating back to 807. During the Toyotomi Shogunate, the general in command of the region heard of the legend and commissioned a papier-maché toy with a head and neck that move independently from the body. These toys are famous across Japan and are believed to ward off smallpox because of course they are. Anyway, Sumi filled out the questionnaire and won two Akabeko charms, so it looks like we are now protected from smallpox.

Sumi with Akabeko and...Koakabeko?

After the castle, we had two things on the agenda that we had to accomplish. Eat a real meal for the first time in days and replace some of my old, falling apart biking gear. Our first stop was

A sign of true culture

Did you really expect anything else?

Yes, our first trip to the famous Curry House CoCo Ichibanya, or CoCo Curry. After two days of living off of fruit, nuts, and convenience store food, it was really, REALLY good. They have a new summer special going on and Sumi and I were trying to decide if it was worth trying. We gave Google Translate a try to see if we were missing something from the description. We weren't.

The translation makes it sound even more appetizing

It's actually what looks like a brisket slathered in garlic cloves, then add curry. Could be interesting. Also, lest I forget:

There is a bet on how many times we will visit the sacred shrine of curry during our cycling trip, so we are keeping the gamblers updated.

After the much-needed meal, we walked across the street to a bike shop. At this point my helmet had lost all padding and was chafing my forehead and the plastic wind visor was coming off, my gloves had holes in several fingers, and my saddle bag was not attaching to my seat properly, making it rattle and sometimes come unattached. Nothing that I couldn't deal with, but since we're finally in a place that actually HAS a bicycle shop and it's across the street from the restaurant, we figured we'd give it a try

I swear this is what all cycle shops in Japan look like

From the outside it looked like a bicycle factory threw up. There were narrow walkways between the floor-to-ceiling stacks of gear and bikes. Needless to say, EVERYTHING I wanted was in there. I now have a brand new helmet with padded, very nice lycra/mesh gloves (I feel quite swanky wearing them now, not gonna lie), and a new saddle bag. My quality of life has improved greatly.

After a quick stop at 7-11 (which was ALSO across the street from CoCo Ichi) we were ready to hit the road again. As we walked back we saw this gem, Japan never fails to amuse us with their signage.

There has to be a copyright violation somewhere in this

So, with 25 miles left to go and some pretty steep climbs, we were back on the tiny, rural back roads of Fukushima prefecture.

A view from a mountain path overlooking Aizuwakamatsu

Pavement is now optional

Some of these roads were...well barely roads. One in particular was about a mile of gravel. Our little Bike Fridays ride are awful off-road with their 20" wheels. We did a lot of walking. This particular area was important historically for the region where a group of very young (under 18) samurai-in-training fought with the Meiji troops. They were all killed, save one who actually tried to commit seppuku, but was found and saved, which is how we know the details of the battle. 

One of several informational signs along the path

Further down, there was more off-roading, now accompanied by signs warning of aggressive bears. Awesome. As we got close to the Aizu Recreational Park, which I'll get to in a moment, we passed through an area that reeked of bear. Anyone who has ever smelled the musk scent of a large animal knows exactly what I mean. There was nothing we could do but keep going. Luckily, our bikes were making so much noise that there's no way we were surprising a bear, which is usually the most dangerous part of an encounter. As it was, we didn't get eaten, so that was good.

Finally back on paved roads, we stopped at the Aizu Recreational Park. This is supposed to be an open area for families to come picnic and play. It is also about 800m from where we smelled the bear den. This is what we saw when we got there

Translation "Beware of Bears"

At the entrance to the park

So, we ate our snack on the pavement in front of the park.

Finally, after more climbing and a lot of walking, we descended into Inawashiro where our hotel was. We spotted the hotel when we were about three miles away.

Bad photo aside, it looks like a set piece for a Star Wars movie.

It is huge. The Hotel Listel is at the base of a popular ski slope, holds over 1300 guests, and takes up over 700,000 square meters. It has a moat. It has a fairy tale garden out front with statues and, at this time of year, tulips. It is a small city. 

Stock photo showing the mothership in the background and the garden

The garden today. Note the bunny and horse statues.

It also had a parking lot for bicycles. Like, a special section, complete with LED lights and astroturf, called CYCLE STATION. With its very own QR code so you can share in Instagram. I don't understand any of it, but we have a real place to park. Usually the hotel staff struggle to find a place where our bikes don't get in the way or make their very expensive hotel look bad.

Inaichi Cycle Station

Our room is so big it has both beds and futons.

I really can't stress how large these rooms we've been getting are in Japan. Usually it's a room with a bed that takes up about 90% of the floor space and a closet that doubles as a bathroom and shower. This will be the last luxury resort we'll be at for a while, though. Tomorrow we bike into Fukushima itself, a major city where the hotels will be significantly cheaper and smaller.