Weekly Topics/Archive
April 2012
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Kaizu-osaki lakeside area of Lake Biwa is known as a prominent cherry
blossom
viewing spot.
For a long time I wanted to visit there during the cherry blossom season once at least
as one of the residents of Shiga Prefecture.
Since the weather information company, Weathernews, declared that cherry blossoms had opened
in Kaizu-osaki on April 13th, I visited there today waiting till the time
is ripe.
Kaizu-osaki is located in Makino town in the northwestern part of Lake
Biwa and has been selected
as the 100 best cherry blossom viewing spots in Japan.
During the season, you can enjoy cherry viewing walking through the tunnel
of the blossoms
on the 4-kilometer road lined with about 600 someiyoshino which are 70
years old.
( Someiyoshino are the most common type of cherry trees in Japan.)
Please click the following URL to see the cycling route.
I ran through the cherry tree-lined road twice, this year and last year
when I cycled round Lake Biwa.
However, none of them were in season.
Today, it was a clear and sunny day with 17 degrees C and an ideal day
for cherry blossom viewing.
It was around 1 p.m. when I arrived at Makino station by JR Kosei Line
via Yamashina station from
Kusatsu.
Shuttle bus services are available from the station to Kaizu-osaki.
But we had to wait for a bus for about an hour because of lunch hour.
Since I heard it takes about 30 minutes by foot, I decided to use rental
bicycle.
The rental fee was 500 yen for three hours.
The rental bicycle was the granny's bike.
So I feel uncomfortable because I couldn't shift up a gear.
The narrow prefectural road was very crowded with people enjoying the blossoms and had a heavy
traffic jam by their cars.
I hope the movement of cars will be restricted to a one-way route during
the season, but I think it may
be unavoidable because this road is the only community one.
It was getting quite crowded with people enjoying the blossoms around Osaki-Namikiguchi.
As you can see from the photo below, on the road stretches the “tunnel” of
the cherry blossoms in full bloom.
The pink blossoms create a beautiful reflection in the lake and in the
blue sky.
How wonderful these views are !
Please click on the small image to enlarge it.
Some pleasure cruiser for cherry blossom viewing run and also some people enjoyed them from
canoe on the lake.
I took a leisurely bike ride through the promenade under the “tunnel” of
cherry blossoms up to Osaki-ji
temple.
At the same time I stop in Osaki-ji temple on the cliff in Kaizu-osaki.
I saw the notice to request visitors a donation of 100 yen per person for
conservation of the temple and
its scenic beauty.
And so I threw one coin into the offering box and prayed for early cure
of my backache.
Should I have thrown more coins ? ( )
Please click the small image to enlarge it.
Osaki-ji temple on the cliff
in Kaizu-osaki
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The view of the cherry blossoms below me from
the temple approach
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The main hall of Osaki-ji temple
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The view of Tikubuzima island on Lake Biwa
from the temple path
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After I made a U-turn around Kaizu-Osaki where Osakiji temple is located,
I putterd around to JR
Makino station while enjoying the cherry blossoms in full bloom very much.
Last of all, please see another picture of the cherry blossoms in full
bloom.
[Note] prominent cherry blossom viewing spot；桜の名所、 once at least；一度は
residents of Shiga Prefecture；滋賀県民、 wait till the time is ripe; 機が熟すまで待つ
the 100 best cherry blossom viewing spots；桜の名所100 選
street (road) lined with trees；並木道、 someiyoshino；ソメイヨシノ、 tree-lined road；並木道
granny's bike；ママチャリ，婦人用自転車、shift up a gear； 速度を上げる
the road has a traffic jam ； 道路が渋滞する
restrict movement of cars to a one-way route ；車の動きをを一方通行にする
community road；生活道路、 promenade；散歩道，海岸遊歩道
take a leisurely bike ride；のんびりとサイクリングする(自転車に乗る)、 cliff；(主に海岸の)絶壁
a donation of 100 yen per person；一人100 円の寄付金、conservation；保全, scenic beauty；景観, 美観
offering box；賽銭箱、 cure；治癒、 made a U-turn；Uタ−ンする、 putter around；ブラブラする, うろつき回る
last of all ；最後に
 Picture / Pilgrimage to old temples / 「滋賀・高島 石立寺 大崎寺」 (Japanese)
Japanese Diary / No.439−2012.04.18 / 「海津大崎お花見」
Today I return to my home in Kusatsu from the Green Hotel in Nagahama.
Now then I debated whether to go back home by train or bike.
I made a decision to do that by bike because the weather was fine and I
thought I could still run.
I can also save the effort of puting my bike into a rinko-bag and then
sending it via parcel delivery
scervice.
I was anxious about whether I could pack all my things into my back-pack.
Actually, after my finish, when I looked at the result of the fun drawing
that had been announced,
my uniform number was a lucky number.
So, it was because I had to pack bulky packages of soba noodle as pictured
below.
As I decided to run not in cycling wear but in everyday wear, I managed
to pack all of my things
into my backpack.
After breakfast at the hotel, I checked out around 8:50 AM.
It is a clear day but the cold wind blows.
Today, I can run easily without the time limit.
First, I came to the cycle road along Lake Biwa and then run in the clockwise
direction.
Unlike the public road, I can pedal safely on this road.
I enjoyed the view of the lake and the rural scenery, while pedaling toward
Kusatsu.
On the way I wanted to take a coffee break but there wasn't a coffee house
in the village along
the lake and in the rural areas.
I remembered that there was a cafe near Chomei-ji in Omihachiman city,
while pedaling.
It's the place where I dropped in to take a coffee break when I made a
biwaichi trip with friends
last year.
Anyway, I have to put up with inconvenience until I get there.
Rakuichi Rakuza, Mizuguki-yaki, Togei-no-sato / Cafe |
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It was 11:05 AM whenI got to the cafe.
I could find the cafe immediately because it had a feature in appearance.
I took a seat at the same table as last year and enjoyed a set menu of
an apple-pie.
I left the cafe for Kusatsu at 11:35 AM.
I dropped in at a familar stand on the Karasuma Peninsula in Kusatsu,
but it was unfortunately
closed.
I had no choice but to have a can of coffee from a vending machine and
take a break.
It was at 1:19 PM when I get to my home.
Today's measurements by my cycle computer are as below.
・Trip Distance ； 66.68 Km
・Elapsed Time ； 4 hours 49 minutes
・Net Trip Time ； 3 hours 48 minutes
( Time after subtracting the total break time from Elapsed Time )
・Average Speed ； 17.5 Km/h
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My bike is covered with mud and dirt.
It's because I overused it during the two-day long ride.
So, shortly after the break, I wiped cleanly, lubricated the chain, etc.
and overhauled my bike.
My bike, ESCAPE under the overhaul |
The 2012 cycling around Lake Biwa finally come to an end.
That was really an epochmaking long ride.
[Note] now then ； さて,ところで、 debate oneself whether to A or B；A するかB するか思案する
save the effort of 〜；〜の手間を省く, rinko-bag；輪行袋
send 〜 via parcel delivery service；〜を宅配便で送る
be anxious about whether 〜；〜かどうか心配する, one's things；持ち物、 bulky；かさばった
everyday wear；普段着、 manage to do 〜；何とか〜をする(やりとげる)、 drop in；立寄る
make a biwaichi trip；琵琶一(旅行)する、 put up with inconvenience；不便を我慢する
have no choice but to do 〜；やむを得ず〜する, 〜せざるを得ない、 a can of coffee; 缶コ−ヒ−
shortly after the break；少し休憩した後、 lubricate the chain；チェ−ンに注油する
overhaul；点検整備する、 come to an end；閉幕となる
Japanese Diary / No.432−2012.03.19 / 「びわ湖一周ロングライド2012 (3/3)」
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