【Day1】Masuda to Hagi in rain(G-9)⭐ ‘24.2nd,Nov
This route G-9 is in Area-G “Chugoku". See Area-G map/ See Japan map
Sight & Entertainment ⭐
Foods & drinks ⭐⭐⭐
Easiness *No judge due to heavy rain
Road condition ⭐⭐
Safety ⭐⭐
From 2nd Nov, we had 3 day holidays and I’d planned to go cycling in the West remained region and to complete the one round of JPN main island finally. My original plan was to start at Hagi-Iwami airport(pic.1) and come back to Masuda city(near Hagi-Iwami airport) by train after reaching Nagato city on 1st day. And on 2nd day, my plan was cycling 140km to Izumo city and coming back to Japan on 3rd day after cycling 60km to Yonago city. Then all my routes would have been connected around JPN main island.
But an unseasonable typhoon made landfall on 2nd early morning in this reagion. So when I reached Haneda airport(Tokyo) in early morning, ANA(airline) announced my flight might come back if it can’t touch down at Hagi-Iwami airport. Fortunately the airplane could land at the airport at AM10:40 in the heavy rain(pic.1). And I relied on the weather forecast that the rain would stop afternoon.
After starting at the airpot, the rain seemed weakened and when I came to the coast on R-191, I could see a slight blue sky in West(pic.2).
The pace was not so bad until reaching a road side station, Tamagawa, after 20km from starting point. I took a lunch there. They served a fried local famous chicken, Daisen-Jidori(pic.3) at around \1000-.
But, tragedy started after lunch time. I couldn’t take any picture until reaching Hagi-city(pic.4) for 60km due to heavy rain. After 10km from the road side station, a guard man was standing at the junction of R-191 and R-315 which goes South in mountains and told me that R-191 ahead was closed due to a risk of landslide. He told me that I sould take a detour to go West but it would be impossible to go R-315 by a bicycle. I could not give up there and was confident to overcome the situation, I deviated to R-315 after wearig a rain coat. After climbing up on R-315, I turned left toward prefectural R-14(R-10).
But, there were many up & downs and it rained much harder all the way. My wearings and bags became heavy despite of wearing the rain coat. Very few cars were passing by. Creeks became muddy rapids. I thought a risk of landslide when I passed near a slope of mountain. Gradually I felt chill though I was pedaling so hard.
It was PM4:10 when I came into Hagi city. My route, prefectural R-11 led me to Shouka-son-Juku, very famous late 19C enlightment school. Though I felt chill heavily, I entered there (for free to see this old house) since it was first time for me. Hagi city and those late 19C people there played an very important role in Japan revolution. So there are many remnants of 19C remained in this city.
I wanted to enjoy much more of those remains there but due to chill, I had to take a rest in a hotel. Though my original plan was to go back to Masuda city, due to the detour and rain, I had to stop at Hagi and cancel my hotel at Masuda and book one there. Furtunately I could book an old hotel.
After warming myself at hotel’s bath, I searched a restaurant and found one. I expected a special local cuisine but the master told me that there were nothing so special in this city. So I ordered Daisen Jidori again and Yamaguchi prefecture’s Sake(pic.5).
I roamed around the city after my dinner. Near my hotel, Hagi Meirin-kan, also an enlightment school and old Samurai’s town though it was too dark to take a photo. And I had to worry about next day’s route since I had info about stoppage of trains which should take me to East after reaching Nagato city in the morning.
<transportation info>
Tokyo to Hagi-Iwami airport: AM8:55 ANA725 → AM10:40 \53,370-
<Connected routes>