We appreciated a later start after farewelling our hosts, but were even more pleased to see blue sky and the sun out again after yesterday’s all-day rain. Stopbank trails to start took us out of town and then across a wide valley with a shinkansen viaduct in the distance. Plenty more flood protection work ongoing.

Thirty kilometres of rural riding was pleasant before we hit the suburbs of and then skirted Sendai, a city of a million, as best we could.

Into the suburbs…

From a distance, understandably, we spotted a prominent white statue. Our route down a busy arterial road took us right past it – a giant buddha, one of the largest statues in the world at over a hundred metres tall.

Midday by now, our search for lunch inadvertently took us into a large pachinko. We didn’t find food in here, but interesting and depressing to finally see inside one of the many machine gambling parlours.

Amusingly lunch was in another of the family restaurants of the same chain as we ate in last night. At least we knew the drill with limitless free tea and the menu. Out of the city we were quickly onto small rural roads, climbing slightly.

One road to keep us off a highway was closed to cars in part, but thankfully we got through gates and so forth without having to back track around this lake.

I finally saw a live Japanese racoon dog, tanuki, run across the road – they look quite different to how the popular folklore figure is portrayed on many small statues (think garden gnome sized, but far less disturbing). Saw one on a stormwater cover too.

I was impressed first by this rural house, but then more so by the topiary and the obvious effort involved.

Town signs returned for a bit (not nearly as many in Honshu as Hokkaido) as we found a busier road between Kawazaki and Zao.

Stocking up with fresh veges at a large roadside produce shop, just a short climb to an onsen town and a camp ground where at least there was at least some other people camping – a Japanese family.

Nice to get some daylight and see our night’s carriage-skeleton shelter, kept us dry and somewhere to sit – happy with that.

There was also some war memorials in the park.

Off the hill, west took us alongside a water race initially.

First konbini after five kilometres of countryside, on the edge of a town that seems to have sprung up around a picturesque gorge. More fading glory beside a glass factory matched the mood as drizzle set in for the day.

The walk alongside the gorge was closed, so we made do with short stops at bridges trying not to get too wet too early.

Remainder of the day spent riding in the rain, but it was warm – so not uncomfortable, just soaked through by the end. Still beautiful rural countryside though. Trying to get out of the weather at times lead to our day of most decent interactions with locals.

The one time it started tipping down there was an open shed right next to the road, so we sheltered there for a bit. We must have been spotted as the farmer came down to see what was going on – we enjoyed learning of his family farm and trying to explain what we were up to (Rachel’s polarsteps map, as always best, for that). He even went back into the house and brought us cold soft drinks, snacks and fizzy electrolyte tablets (those I particularly liked).

His farmhouse; only fifty years old, we thought it much older.

On the outskirts of Kurihara, it was getting towards lunchtime and time to find somewhere warm inside to eat. The cafe we found was recently opened in the bottom of an old house that a young couple had renovated. The only customers, we enjoyed both the food and conversation with the young man.

As well as tea from a pot.

Having been told about a large temple complex nearby, we had to check it out – far less touristy and just as good, if not better, to us than the one we’d seen the previous day.

Seems the only thing I took photos of for the rest of the afternoon were covers that were just as soaked as we were.

The only time we used airbnb in Japan, we were very well looked after by Ken and Aya – they welcomed two drowned cyclists and provided everything we needed. Ken was a retired Japan Rail station manager, plenty of rail memorabilia around the house. Once we were dry and warm, more good chats.

They drove us across town for dinner, introducing us to family (chain) restaurants – plenty of food and reasonably priced, good to remember for hungry cyclists.

Tasty and filling breakfast buffet in the morning, even if the seating arrangement felt a bit too much like school.

An easier day in store for us riding down the Kitakami valley. Even though it could have felt reasonably built up, we found plenty of cycle trails, including a former tramway, to keep us away from traffic.

Police vehicles tend to drive around with beacons flashing as a matter of course; when they’re this cute, probably helps with visibility.

Plenty of traditional grain stores today.

Sake making seems to be big around here.

Checking to see how super the drugs were.

There sure were a lot of them, along with groceries too.

Vaguely menacing bridge guardians.

Our trail took us through a large park; unfortunately far too late for blossom season.

Never mind attaching a snow plough to the locomotive, just make the whole locomotive the plough.

Not a snow plough.

Over the road we found an extensive open air museum where many buildings, mostly thatched, had been moved to site. We happily wandered around checking them out.

Back on the bikes, finding plenty of rice growing, harvesting and processing – amongst other curiosities.

(Rachel’s photo.)

Pheasants! This must be a good town.

This was the first time we’d seen rice drying in this particular manner – we saw the poles being installed, and the layering of the bundles on the poles.

Another good town.

Where vending machines come to die. Although alarming visions of them coming to life were easy to conjur.

In this field we could see one of the small rice harvesters in action. Small enough to go on a trailer and be towed by a kei truck, they cut the rice and then thresh the grain – before depositing it in the hopper on the back of the truck. The farmers thought us a bit odd for taking such an interest.

In Hiraizumi we walked around the 800 year old, UNESCO listed, Mojitsu Buddhist temple complex. Most tranquil and intricate buildings.

Some leaves starting to turn.

Finding somewhere to camp was a bit more a challenge than usual. The only campground we knew of in the area was into the hills a bit and reported to have no water. After checking out a couple of parks and finding them unsuitable for stealth camping, we loaded up with water and preprepared soba noodle bowls and climbed to the deserted old campground. Not that we could see much as we arrived in the dark and light drizzle. But we could see enough to pitch our tents in an old railway carriage – no walls, but bench seats down the sides and a very handy roof.