SW D5 More art

Route: Valley of Tokamachi
Bicycle: 48 km
Total ascent: 554 m
Average speed: 16 km/h
Riding time: 2:58 h
Weather: very humid, some rain, and warm, 30 C

Today’s weather forecast had some rain, some non-rain time. I managed to pass the rain time under the roof of a 7/11, but still got kind of wet: road spray and an incredible humidity. Like in a botanical garden subtropical green house. 

I had decided to stay in the valley and look for some new artwork in the area. Luckily the app of the Tsumari Echigo festival has a google map where one can filter for new artwork. I should also remeber fit the next time that the indoor events are all closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. 

Most of the art work I saw left me pretty indifferent …

Except these cubes in the forest on a very soft ground in a very wet forest. 

But I also went to see some long time favorites:

I think here the official art work is the blue metal construction (an English terraced house) but I like the enormous torii in the rice paddies. 

This was the furthest I got today from my accommodation . Rain was already visible in the distance but I made it to a 7/11 comfortably in time and has lunch under their roof (outside) while waiting out the rain, before returning and going towards Tokamachi. A new piece of art that has been recommended was this:

A man powered snow plow, which wouldn’t work, which is clear from looking at an actual snow plow right next to it. 

Checking the weather it weekend it wouldn’t rain soon, so I continued to the farest spot in Tokamachi , where these two pieces of art awaited me:

I had seen pictures of it, where the ball was still green, but I think even with the withered leaves it still looks nice. 

These two pieces were next to a shrine at the feet of a hill behind the local sports ground. 

This shrine had a sumo ring, but this wasn’t where I watched sumo today. Instead back in my accommodation I watched the autumn (!) sumo meeting and how Oo-no-sato did win his 10th match in a row, on his way of winning this tournament with two wins advantage over the next 3  competitors. 

SW D4 more art and a castle around Tokamachi

Route: Tokamachi area
Bicycle: 44 km
Total ascent: 582 m
Average speed: 12,9 km/h
Riding time: 3:24 h
Weather: hot and humid, some rain, 30 C

Today’s highlight was not art, but a castle.

And I nearly missed it for the third time. I have been here now three times once in 2015 by car and then two years ago in 2022 by bicycle and both times I was really close to this castle, but both times I did not make it up to the castle. The year we came by car, we went to a part of the art installation that is only a few hundred meters below the castle, but if I remember correctly, it started raining, so we probably didn’t drive up to the castle. Two years ago, I came again to this area on a very hot and humid day and had struggled up the hill to a certain point, not actually with the goal to reach the castle, but those aren’t installations below it. But I gave up on the road junction and rode downhill instead. Today again, I was at risk of not reaching the castle. The initial road is crazy steep so I pushed up the bike for most of it. Then at the road junction where I had given up the last time, it levels off a little bit, but at that point it started raining. Not the first rain of the day but the first strong rain. Luckily, I made it under a tree and in combination with my rain, jacket and helmet cover I stayed reasonably dry.The rain didn’t last very long, which was kind of clear from the type of clouds today. So I waited it out for maybe 10-15 minute, And then restarted my ride. Originally, I hadn’t even planned to ride up to the castle, instead, I was interested in the art installations.But once I reached the entrance to the art installations, I remembered that I had been here already back in the day. So no need to repeat this again that instead, I continued uphill and was greeted by this very asiatic view. One can easily imagine it as an ink drawing.

But let’s start the day at the beginning. The first artwork was really close to my ryokan, So I kind of felt compelled to go and see it.

Well, I would say that the bear alert sign on the road leading up to it was more artistic than this piece of art.

After that, it was down through the rice and soba fields and the next stop was this artistic parking lot, which I kind of like and have visited in every single visit to this area.

This time I even saw how it looks from the side.

The next stop was one of the artworks I had been recommended the other day at the museum. And it was nice, but didn’t make the highlight of the day. While I was there it rained a little bit on and off, very light rain, but still I did hide below some trees and waited it out.

At this point, I had become rather hungry, and I had missed to buy some snacks at a conbini. So I decided to ask Google sensei for some restaurant recommendations, and it came up with a very good suggestion for a soba restaurant. Both tasty and very nice settings. I would say this was highlight number two of the day.

What definitely did not feel like a highlight, or even vaguely interesting, was the artwork right in front of the small castle. I get it, that the stone is formed like the mountains in front, but with all the clouds, the mountains weren’t visible, and overall the stone just seemed a stone among other stones.

 

From here it was mainly downhill. I made a stop at the local golf course which hosts another big part of the art exhibition. But even the outside artworks were today closed. Not really sure why that would be necessary.

SW D3 Matsuyama and Matsudai art

Route : Tokamachi - Shikawatari - Matsunoyama - Matsudai
Bicycle: 43 km
Train: 15 km
Total ascent: 739 m
Average speed: 13,7 km/h
Riding time: 3:10 h
Weather: sunny and getting hit again, 32C

Yesterday at the Monet museum I asked the friendly lady at the reception for suggestions of art work to see plus I had seen a picture of a old house from which an enormous bubble emerges which I found curious. 

Today I didn’t start that early and while a few hours extra sleep where nice it also meant that I was still out there when it really got hot. although truth be told, while it is hot, it isn’t unbearably hot, just about bearable. When I looked at the map yesterday to plan the ride,  I saw a a street on the other side of the valley, which seemed to have potentially less traffic than the road on this side. So I decided to take it, and it was great, part of it was actually kind of closed. Maybe not really closed but definitely again the road that isn’t been transited by anyone. Luckily, I also did not run into a bear. 

From Shikawatashi I started uphill, but soon found the first artwork.

Actually, only the first of these shows an artwork. And only a small piece of that picture is a artwork. Mostly it is a Tepco installation for Hydro power. And frankly speaking, the industrial installation was much more interesting than the art. The second picture isn’t art at all. It is a damn against landslides and avalanches. But in the context of the art triennial anything can seem art. While some of the art doesn’t seem right at all.

I continued further uphill and found three other small exhibition, places within close proximity. I have the impression that except the two purpose built, museums in Tokamachi and Matsudai, anll exhibitions are either in abandoned school buildings, or abandoned houses.And abandoned school houses are very abundant. In general in Japan, and in this area that is very rural, and not well-connected even more so. In one of the buildings, there was a long explanation about the history of the school building, it started as a small school at the end of the 19th century, then grew and grew before reaching its peak shortly after the second world war. From there, it was a continuous decline and probably from the 90s onwards bottomless fall. Number of students diminishing so far that school got combined and closed. I read somewhere recently studied by the Japanese government that says that about 40% of all Japanese municipalities will disappear. 

The other sort of venues are abandoned houses, of which there is no lack in the countryside in Japan. This artwork here with a web of strings through the entire building kind of captured this feeling of loss. 

I’m not sure, but I suspect that some of these houses will only host this one installation, will not survive until the next annual, and no one will remove the installation. This house here already in Matsudai, at the end of my ride today, felt like a capitalist nightmare. The entire house covered in fake gold, Mahjong tiles, game automat, and more gold.Removing all the decoration to reuse this building for something else would seem a total waste of time, knowing how many abandoned buildings there are in this area and in general in Japan.

But back to the house with the bubble. Curiously called China house.I have no idea why it has absolutely no obvious connection with China. This is how the bubble from the inside looks.

Close by there was another abundance school now used as an exhibition facility. Unfortunately, the school was abundant before it got installed air-conditioning so it was actually quite hot inside.

There was a bath inside, but not off refreshing water, but instead of wooden balls. Much harder to get out than the IKEA balls.

I have been recommended another Place in the area, called “the teachers house”, But by the time I had finished with the exhibition and the schoolhouse, I felt quite hot and decided to just ride downhill to Matsudai. The museum there looks a little bit like a spaceship that landed in the middle of rice paddies. In the coffee, I had a cold drink and a small piece of cake, but in an art project even that can look like art.

And thanks to the advancements in AI technology, I was even able to raise my foot that was standing in the picture and disturbing the artistic vibe.

But it was also nice landscape today…

 

… some even without any art in it.

Even at this museum, I was still feeling relatively hot and why it was getting a bit more bearable outside. I also saw that there’s a very long tunnel between Matsudai and Tokamachi, and I have no idea if it is nice to ride with a bike or not. So I gave into the temptation and took the train back to Tokamachi and then only cycled back the last few kilometers to my ryokan.

SW D2 Yuzawa - Tokamachi

Route: Yuzawa - Karekimata - Tokamachi
Bicycle: 62 km
Total ascent: 1007 m
Average speed: 13,8 km/h
Riding time: 4:30 h
Weather: sunny in the morning, rainy after lunch, 30 C

On my second day of this trip I made it over the mountains to Tokamachi. I started extremely early today, not so much because of the heat, but because there was rain forecast starting in the early afternoon, and I didn’t want to be still in the mountains when the rain started.

I had planned a ride on what seemed to be a relatively small road up into the mountains. It wasn’t only small, it was not frequented at all. In the entire time I climbed up I met only one person. 

On the top of the mountain, the small road joined what I thought was going to be a little bit of a bigger road, but it was still very small and very remote. So remote that the school in the village has closed many years ago, but it’s now being used as one of the venues of the art festival.

There is an exhibition inside. But it only opens at 10 o’clock and I was there around probably 8:30 in the morning. But there was also a small shop, if you can call something a shop where as a customer, you are also responsible for collecting the money. But it was perfect. I got a bottle of mugicha, had a second breakfast close to a round rice paddy field/artwork and then climbed up a few meters to a very small shrine in front of which there were some more art works.

From there, it was mainly downhill, except the parts where it was uphill. On the way, I passed a few other artworks some of them didn’t tell me anything.

And some others were simply fun, but it’s probably saying too much that they are art.

On Google maps I had seen a recommendation for a viewpoint over rice paddies, and while I had already seen nice landscape and rice paddies from my small roads, I still went there. The road was quite loose gravel so after pushing the bike for a while I gave up and left the bike on the side of the road and continued by foot uphill until the viewpoint. 

The next art stop was Ubusuna an old kominka straight from a Ghibli film. 

Where some energetic elder ladies have a small restaurant and prepare very good and filling lunch. The artwork itself inside was so so, I would say any school project given sufficient time would be able to produce something similar.

Right after I finished lunch, the rain started. And it started with a downpour. I waited a little bit, but it didn’t seem that it would stop raining very soon so after a while, I donned my Castelli jacket and the rain cap for the helm and started riding downhill to the next Art installation. 

I had bought the ticket for the art festival online, but you still need to get the actual ticket, and it’s only available in a few locations and none of them was in Yuzawa  which would have been very convenient. So at Ubusuna they made me pay again, while at this house already down in the valley the guard took pity on this solitary cyclist in the rain and let me in anyway. 

Finally I made it to the Monet, the main art museum of the area and got my actual ticket. I also looked around a little bit but decided against actually going into the museum. Thinking about doing this on Friday as weather seems to be unfriendly then. 

Last time I was here I remember this enormous pool in the middle. I remember it was a very hot day and it was refreshing to sit on the shores of the museum relaxing and cooling down a bit. Today instead I decided  to go to the onsen that is in the same building. One of the few museums with onsen, I am sure. But not the only “strange” installation with an onsen. In Tsunan station is also an onsen. 

SW D1 - Jomokogen to Yuzawa through Mikunikaido

Route: Jomokogen - Naeba - Yuzawa
Bicycle: 72 km
Train: 170 km

Total Ascent: 1100 m
Riding time: 4:40 h

Average speeds: 15 km/h
Weather: hot and sunny, but just about bearable, 33 C

An other long week of vacation. Next Monday and the Monday after are local holidays (Respect for the Elderly and Autumn Holidays) so with only 4 additional days I am off for 10 days. 

This year again is the Art Triennial in Echigo Tsumari and I both like the type of art exhibited there and the landscape so I planned my trip here several weeks ago. I did plan an alternative trip to Akita and Aomori as well, just in case if the weather here is going to be dreadful for the entire week. but the weather here seems to be OK until at least the end of the week, so a few days ago, I canceled the reservations up in the north. 

For the first day, I went by Shinkansen to Jomokogen. One of the small Shinkansen station that one wonders why they exist, but actually quite a lot of people got off at that stop. From a very full Shinkansen, where there was only standing room and even that was relatively limited.

My end goal of the day was a little beyond the next Shinkansen stop so probably if I would have remained on board, I would have been here 10 - 15 minutes later but instead I assembled the bike, had a second breakfast and then did start the ride over the Mikuni Kaido. 

Mikuni Kaido is one of the historic routes in Japan that the daimyo took to Tokyo (Edo). The modern Street is well maintained and does not have too much traffic. It’s not a remote road, but quite OK to ride. The real traffic now goes through a long tunnel on a highway through a different mountain, so only the more local people and a lot of motorcyclist use this road for local transport and sightseeing. 

 On my way down I came through this ski village outside of ski season, which just looks terrible. Maybe it is my imagination, but European ski villages don’t look that abandoned in summer. 

This picture instead is on its way down. Actually already midway down, but still a great view. 

I am staying in the same village, but different Hotel, as 2 years ago when I last came here for the triennial. Reading back through that post I realize how much I got used to the rinko bag. Now it takes me about 8 min or probably less to get it into the bag. It did help that I bought a new bag that is slightly bigger and much easier to fit. 

For tonight the bike can sleep with the skis. 

O-bon cycling

Day 1

Route: Hashimoto - Miyagase Dam area - Hashimoto
Bicycle: 57 km
Train: 70 km
Total Ascent: 784 m
Average Speed: 16.5 km/h
Riding Time: 3:14 h
Weather: Hot and sunny

Thanks to the very hot ride with ICON in Hungary this year, I discovered a way how to ride also in summer. Not in the total heat... but in somewhat more moderate heat: soak the entire t-shirt in cold water, put it on cold... and repeat every hour or so. 

And well... getting up very, but very early! 

It has been too much time without cycling, so today I got up really early in the morning (around 4:30) took the second train of the day out to Hashimoto and was on the bike already at 6:45 before it is getting way too hot in the plains to cycle. And up I went to Miyagase dam. Stopping by the conbini in front of Ogino pan, which at that early morning hour wasn't open yet. And then further up to the dam. 

I would have wanted to ride up to Yabitsu toge, but unfortunately the road is closed since a few weeks (I kind of knew from people I follow on Strava). So instead I went to explore further some very small roads a bit behind the dam. Roads that lead to absolutely nowhere but are very nicely in the shade and thanks to not leading anywhere have very little traffic. They do get a bit of traffic though as there is a fishing spot which seems to be quite popular. 

I have since been back in this area later in August... but not only wasn't the road to Yabitsu toge yet repaired (they had it closed for quite some time in the winter this year to repair it... just to close it again in early July... probably due to a land slide), nor was the other road cleared yet of the landslide that had come down there back in June/July. Actually when I went again at the end of August, that  road was closed even further down. So while I like the area and these small roads, I'd like the climb to be a bit longer. Let's hope they don't give up on that road and repair the landslide... but not sure... I am not having high hopes, as that small road doesn't lead anywhere... so not sure if the local government really wants to invest money into it. At least the one over Yabitsu toge, I guess will be reopened again, as that one is a proper road. 

I came down the mountain, had an obligatory fried sweet bread at Ogino pan and then down to Hashimoto on the big road (probably not the best decision) and back home where I arrived to a cool shower and air conditioning before 13:00 and then had a good long nap. 

Day 2

Route: Ome - Kosuge - Saruhashi
Bicycle: 56 km
Train: 130 km
Total Ascent: 856 m
Average Speed: 17.6 km/h
Riding Time: 3:12 h
Weather: Hot and sunny

After the success yesterday, I decided to go for mountains again today, this time to the Okutama region, again knowing the roads are nicely in the shadows of the forest. 

Today I got up even earlier than yesterday, as I had a longer train ride and was in the saddle with my soaking wet t-shirt shortly before 7:00 heading up the road to Okutama. I didn't have a precise plan and but thought that if it wasn't too hot on the lake side, I would continue up to Kosuge and then through the long tunnel and down the Otsuki side. I had done that ride with a friend last year, and remembered that the tunnel didn't have a lot of traffic and that the descent on the other side wasn't too steep and on a well maintained, wide road. 

In Kosuge, there is a small shop that sells filled buns, with a surprisingly large variation of tastes. I got myself one and ate it nearly on the top of the mountain in a nice a shady location sitting on some huge sandbags on the road side. 

Before the descent I came by this small shrine on the hillside: 

Surprisingly the descent was quite hot. I had stopped at a toilet on the descent but opted against soaking again the t-shirt (something I had done multiple times on the way up), thinking that a descent shouldn't be so hot with all the wind and not much pedaling involved, but hot air is still hot. Anyway, I made it down to Saruhashi station, where I arrived in good time to pack up the bicycle and head back home for an other long nap in the afternoon. 

Overall very enjoyable and to be repeated.