June 11

Kakunodate - Kazuno


A marginally easier day than yesterday and tomorrow, but certainly not a day "off".  Nice temperatures again.  Mid- to high-teens in the morning.  A little cooler (and some rain) coming down from the top after our big climb up but warmed up again to the high teens by the end of the day.  Clouds all day in various quantities.

Riding out of Kakunodate we saw many of these wooden fences bordering the streets.


Here's what AI has to say about it:  "Kakunodate's famous black wooden fences define the aesthetic of the Bukeyashiki district, a historic samurai quarter. These charcoal-colored board fences provide privacy and a striking visual contrast to the area's weeping cherry trees, ancient firs, and seasonal foliage."  Apparently there are some old samurai homes open to the public, but I was in too late yesterday to go look at them.

The reflections in the rice fields never disappoint...........

Over the past few weeks we have ridden through many small villages that definitely seem in decline.  Many abandoned structures.  I don't usually take pictures of them, but here was one in one of the villages we rode through early today.  Japan has a lower-than-replacement birthrate, little immigration, and most young people are leaving the villages and moving to the bigger centres.  

Beautiful light this morning.


At about 20 km we came to Lake Tazawa.  The lake is Japan's deepest lake, plunging to 423.4 metres.  Famous for its pristine, cobalt-blue waters and the golden "Tatsuko Statue", it offers scenic sightseeing cruises, cycling, and summer water sports.  Due to its depth, the lake never freezes in winter.  The Tatsuko Statue is a prominent golden statue situated on the western shore, dedicated to a local legend of a beautiful maiden who was cursed and transformed into a dragon.  






 

A nice ride around the eastern side of the lake and then headed north.


At about 40 km we started through a series of 9 tunnels - everything from 200m to 1km.  Here's the entrance to the first.


In between tunnels we caught glimpses of Lake Sushen (formed by the Yoroihata Dam)..




Near the end of the tunnels we caught a glimpse of the Tamagawa Dam in the distance.  


Hosenko Lake has been formed by this dam.  








Next up - lunch!  Delicious, a usual.  And today we got to do a 15 km climb with full bellies.  RWGPS said the average grade was 3.9%.  I don't know where they got that number from, but there were huge stretches approaching double digit climbing.  Tough climb..........  Before the climb started, there was a nice bridge off to the right with this statue perched on top.


Another view of Hosenka Lake.


We were pretty much done with tunnels, but we had 13 snow sheds on the climbing section.



Lots of construction - on the roads and through the snow sheds.



Some nice views down to where we rode up.


Finally - up and over the top at about 75 km.  Just about all downhill from there.  It started to rain a bit (so the camera went away), so minimal pictures until we got down.  More of the same, though, once we were at a lower elevation.  Rice paddies and small village..  Oh - and a road-side shrine.





Into the town of Kazuno, which looks like it has seen better days.  The hotel tonight is a bit rundown, and many of us are in single rooms I'm guessing because they don't have rooms with twin beds.  Pretty cramped quarters even for one person.  I hope the couples have rooms that are a bit bigger.  Out to a nearby restaurant for dinner.  Traditional Japanese food, but very tasty and very plentiful.  Early to bed - another big day tomorrow..............



Stats for the Day:

Garmin:  105.9 km.  4020 feet up.  3798 feet down.

RWGPS:  108.0 km.  1783 m up.  1700 m down.



Kazuno

Population:  25,000

AI Summary:  Kazuno is a city in northern Akita Prefecture, bordering Aomori and Iwate prefectures.  Known for its rich history, the city features the ancient Oyu Stone Circles (a UNESCO World Heritage site candidate), the historic Osarizawa Mine, and popular hot springs like Yuze Onsen.  It offers a rural, mountainous landscape with cold winters and heavy snow.


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