Takayaki – my host in the small city of Toyama – a musician , cyclist and great guy 

Rained all night but was forecast to improve by midday so I delayed leaving till it eased. Promised to be a dramatic section of coastal highway , and it certainly is , but the weather Gods did not cooperate and photo op’s were few with light misty rain falling 

Heavy truck traffic for the first 20 kms tested the nerves , plenty of tunnels too. The target 115 kms was abandoned as more rain set in. Eventually stopped , mildly hypothermic , at 72 kms and found a spot in a park in a small town 

Great thing about Japan is the ease in which stealth camping is possible. Local parks all have good toilets ( never trashed – unhygienic or graffeti’d ) and shelters like this one. Erected the tent in misty rain but with knowledge that a fine morning was promised.locals don’t bother you and the strategy is arrive and set up late , depart early and leave no trace 😊

Needed to play catch up with over 150 kms to get me to Toyama  and an interesting Japanese host – a guy about my age who cycle tours all over the world. Takayaki.

For the first time the snowy backbone of the Alps could be seen on the distant horizon . Cycled away from the coast and thru a major area of rice padi’s . Not unusual to see cemmetaries in open fields , surrounded by water , no doubt these people actually worked in the rice fields for a lifetime – now custodians .

Inside Takayaki’s incredible home – an old Japanese style that used huge timber beams. Takayaki cooked a lovely meal , played my some music from one if his banjos ( great player ) and we swapped cycle touring yarns. 

Photo up — setting sun on Toyama city 

The kms are starting to rack up now , over 1700 kms and about another 600 kms to get to the top of Honshu and Aomori where I will board a ferry for Hokkaido. Met a French cyclist coming down from Hokkaido and it seems that I may run into much colder weather – may need to buy some extra warmth