Naoetsu to Nagaoka(E-6)⭐⭐⭐ ‘23.3rd.Sep
This route E-6 is in Area-E, “Chubu-Hokuriku". See Area-E map/ See Japan map
Sight & Entertainment ⭐⭐
Foods & Drinks ⭐⭐⭐
Easiness ⭐⭐⭐
Road condition ⭐⭐
Safety ⭐⭐⭐
As usual, in order to catch PM12:49 train from Nagaoka, I started AM6:00 from my hotel(pic.1). After eating a brief breakfast at convenience store, I started cycling on R-8(pic.2). As usual Sunday morning cycling in rural towns, very few cars were running.
I had thought R-8 would carry me to Nagaoka city quickly but according to google map, the R-8 would be a motorway, so I had to deviate my route from R-8(pic.3). There were not clear route to my destination, so I had to turn many corners to go right direction.
Honestly speaking, I didn’t expect anything for this route toward Nagaoka since there seemed not any special sight on the way. But Niigata prefecture is No.1 rice production area and I had to cycle in the paddy field since I had to deviate the main routes. So unexpectedly I was hailed by paddy green and mountain far away(pic.4) which healed me.
The fatigue still remained so I felt tired even just after 20km. But from this point, a hill climbing started. 300M climbing in 10km hill climbing, so it should not be so steep but sometimes a steep slope continued and I felt very toughness there. Has my body become weak recently??
Finally I reached the pass where a small basin view can be seen(pic.6).
After comfortable but steep meandering down hill for a while, I came to a paddy field again(pic.7). I wanted to have a rest at cool spot since the temperature had been over 35C already. But since that was a rural area, so I could not find any.. Finally I found a convenience store just before the final short hill climbing, which salvaged myself.
Thanks to the rest, I could carry the climbing through(pic.8) and came to Nagaoka city(pic.9).
Finally I crossed the Shinano river, the longest river in JPN. In summer, a very famous fireworks display is held there. Nagaoka thrived from the past, so if you have much time, I recommend you to hang around this city.
I could reach Nagaoka station at AM11:15, so I had much time to eat a lunch. In the station, there was a nice local cuisine restaurant, “Kojimaya", who served “Hegi Soba", a special Soba in this area. I prefer Ibaraki’s Soba(ref. S-10 article) but this Hegi soba’s taste which includes seaweed was also good.
<Transportation info>
My train from Nagaoka to Tokyo: Joetsu Shinkansen, Toki No.320, Nagaoka PM12:49 → Ueno PM2:22, \8,200-
<Connected route>
E-5: Itoigawa to Naoetsu, Kubiki cycling road
E-7: Murakami salmon