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After spending three days at my Tokyo home handling “driver’s license renewal, bike greasing, and an early visit to the graves,” I set off westward again on National Route 20 on Sunday, September 17th. I’ll be riding through Yamanashi and Nagano Prefectures toward the Sea of Japan coast in Niigata Prefecture.
For me, born in Tokyo, Route 20 is more like the Koshu Kaido. Along with the Ome Kaido, it’s a familiar main road I often cycled on since junior high, heading to lakes like Sagami and Okutama.

After passing the Ootarumi Pass on the Kanagawa border and enduring car exhaust fumes through the 3-kilometer-long Sasago Tunnel into Yamanashi, I descended rapidly into the Kofu Basin. I camped by the riverbank near Katsunuma.

Route 20 runs parallel to the Chuo Main Line. Stations like Ryuo, Nirasaki, Kobuchizawa, Fujimi, and Chino were frequently used for bike transport even after becoming a working adult, heading to destinations like the Minami-Alps Super Forest Road, Yatsugatake Highlands, and Takato. Unfortunately, riding in light rain meant I couldn’t see Mount Komagatake or the Yatsugatake range.

After freshening up at a public bath in Kami-Suwa, the relief was short-lived. By the time I approached Shiojiri Pass from Lake Suwa, heavy rain set in. I had no choice but to spend the night in the Shiojiri station building. The station announcement, “The Chuo West Line is delayed by about an hour and a half due to lightning strikes,” was met with a resigned “Well, that makes sense.” The photo is of Shimosuwa City. Heavy rain followed shortly after.

「運転免許の更新、自転車のグリスアップ、ちょっと早めの墓参り」と東京の自宅で３日間過ごし、９月17日(日)国道20号線を西へと再び出発。山梨県と長野県を経由して新潟県の日本海側へ向けて走ります。

東京生まれの私にとって20号線というより甲州街道。青梅街道とともに相模湖や奥多摩湖へ中学生の頃からサイクリングでよく走っていたお馴染みの幹線道路です。
神奈川県境の大垂水峠、山梨県に入り長さ３キロの笹子トンネルを車の排気ガスを我慢しながら抜けると、一気に甲府盆地へと下ります。勝沼を過ぎたあたりの河原でテント泊となりました。

20号線は中央本線と並行する形で延びています。竜王、韮崎、小淵沢、富士見、茅野とこのあたりの駅は「南アルプススーバー林道、八ヶ岳高原、高遠」など社会人になっても輪行でよく利用していました。残念なことに小雨の中の走行で駒ヶ岳や八ヶ岳が拝めません。

上諏方で共同浴場に入りサッパリしたのもつかの間、諏訪湖から塩尻峠に差し掛かる頃には大雨に。やむなくこの日は塩尻の駅舎泊。構内アナウスンスの「中央西線は落雷のため一時間半ほど遅れが出ています」に「さもありなん」。写真は下諏訪市内。この後、大雨になります。

The next day, I passed through Matsumoto and headed to Shinano-Omachi via National Route 147, which runs parallel to the JR Oito Line. Due to the rain, I could only ride about 50 kilometers, so I stayed at the station building in Shinano-Omachi again that night. On this day, Typhoon No. 22, which had made landfall in southern Kyushu, was moving along the Pacific coastline of the archipelago. It made landfall again on the Izu Peninsula and the southern part of the Boso Peninsula, causing damage across various parts of the islands.

The year 1989, Heisei 1, was what was called a “typhoon-prone year.” A record-tying five typhoons made landfall, with four concentrated between late July and mid-September. Among them, Typhoon No. 13, which made landfall in Choshi, Chiba Prefecture on August 6, claimed over 30 lives, including both dead and missing.

Even before that, on August 1st, Typhoon No. 12 approached the archipelago, causing landslides in the Kanto region and rivers to overflow in Tokyo. At that time, I had pitched a tent beside a rice field in Katsuta City, Ibaraki Prefecture, and was unable to move even after dawn. Someone who came to check the rising water level of a nearby river took pity on me and offered to let me take shelter at their home.

Several typhoons like this occurred that summer and fall, approaching Japan without making landfall yet still causing significant impact, resulting in rough weather nearly every week.

After passing Omachi, Route 147 becomes Route 148, continuing straight to Itoigawa on the Sea of Japan coast. Routes 147 and 148 together are called the Chikuni Kaido (Itoigawa Highway). Along the highway past Omachi, three lakes lie from south to north: Lake Kizaki, Lake Nakatsuna, and Lake Aoki. Collectively, they are known as the Nishina Three Lakes.

翌日は松本を経て JR大糸線に並行する国道147号線で信濃大町へ。雨のために走れたのは50キロほど、信濃大町で連日の駅舎泊。この日、九州南部に上陸した台風22号は太平洋岸を列島沿いに進み、伊豆半島と房総半島南部に再上陸、列島各地に被害をもたらしていました。

平成元年の1989年はいわゆる「台風の当たり年」でした。当時としては最多タイの５つの台風が上陸し、それも７月下旬から９月の半ば過ぎまで４つ集中していました。中でも８月６日千葉県銚子に上陸した台風13号は死者、不明者合わせて30名以上と多くの犠牲者を出しました。その前の８月１日にも列島に接近した台風12号の影響で関東地方では崖崩れ、東京でも河川が氾濫していました。この時、私は茨城県の勝田市内の田んぼの脇にテントを張っていたのですが、夜が明けても動けずにいました。近くの川の増水具合を見に来た人が見るに見かねて声をかけてくれ、その方のお宅に避難させてもらいました。このように上陸しないものの日本に接近して影響をもたらした台風も数個発生しており、この年の夏から秋にかけては毎週天候が荒れていたのです。

大町を過ぎると147号線は148号線となり、そのまま日本海に面した糸魚川へと繋がります。147号線、148号線合わせて千国街道(糸魚川街道)呼ばれています。大町を過ぎた街道沿いには南から木崎湖、中網湖、青木湖と三つの湖があり、合わせて仁科三湖と呼ばれています。

This photo shows Lake Aoki, the largest of the three lakes in the Nishina region. At an elevation of 832 meters and a depth of 62 meters, it is also the deepest. When you leave the main road and drive along the lakeshore, you can feel the tranquil atmosphere surrounding it.

写真は仁科三湖で一番大きな青木湖です。標高832m、水深62mも一番です。街道を外れ、湖畔を走ると周囲の落ち着いた雰囲気を感じます。

The river swelled due to the typhoon. I believe it’s a tributary of the Himekawa River, which originates in Hakuba Village and flows into the Sea of Japan. Next, a photo of the landslide. Can you see how the debris has advanced right up to the car in the lower left? At that time, helicopters were circling overhead, and the JR Oito Line was suspended.

台風の影響で増水した川。白馬村を水源地とし日本海へ注ぐ姫川の支流だと思います。続いて土砂崩れの写真。左下の車の手前まで土砂が迫っているのがわかりますか。この時、上空にはヘリコプターが旋回、JR大糸線は不通でした。

During a brief break in the clouds, even a snake(?!) peeked its head out. The babbling brook swelled and sparkled like a small river. Both are snapshots from Hakuba Village. Afterwards, I took a quick dip at Otari Village’s municipal hot spring (¥200 admission).

That night, I camped at Miyama Park, just before Itoigawa and close to the Himekawa River, our first tent stay in three days. Miyama Park is on high ground, so you should be able to see the Sea of Japan and the Northern Alps… but unfortunately, the weather was no good.

つかの間の晴れ間に蛇(?!)も顔を覗かせました。せせらぎも増水して小川のように輝いています。どちらも白馬村でのスナップです。その後、小谷(おたり)村の村営の温泉(入浴料200円)でひとっ風呂。

この日は糸魚川の手前、姫川に程近い美山公園で３日ぶりのテント泊。美山公園は高台ということで日本海と北アルプスが見渡せるはずなんですが…　あいにくの天気でダメでした。

My journey back from Tokyo to the Sea of Japan coast was primarily aimed at the Noto Peninsula. I’d long wanted to visit it. I drove along National Route 8, which connects Itoigawa to Niigata and Kyoto.

The first sight was Oyashirazu, a sheer cliff where the Hida Mountains abruptly drop into the Sea of Japan. Until the Meiji era, when the national highway and Hokuriku Main Line opened, it was considered the most treacherous section of the Hokuriku Road. Before that, people traveled along the narrow strip of sandy beach at the base of the cliffs, and victims were sometimes swept away by the rough waves.

“With the surging waves, parents and children have no time to care for each other” – this is the origin of the place name. Officially known as “Oyashirazu, Koshirazu,” the section between Oumi Station (next to Itoigawa) and Oyashirazu Station is called “Koshirazu,” while the section between Oyashirazu Station and the next station, Ichiburi Station, is called “Oyashirazu.” The distance is about 14.5 kilometers.

The nationwide recognition of the Oya-shirazu place name owes much to Tsutomu Minakami’s novel “Echigo Tsutsuishi Oya-shirazu.” The story depicts people from a settlement near Oya-shirazu. It was adapted into a film by Toei in 1964, the year of the Tokyo Olympics, directed by Tadashi Imai. It was rated for adults only, so I, being a junior high student at the time, couldn’t watch it.

“Tsutsuishi” likely refers to Tsutsui, a coastal town between Naoetsu and Itoigawa. Tsutsui Station is also known among railway enthusiasts as a rare tunnel station. Both the up and down platforms are located about 200 meters down, accessible via stairs from the ticket gates – nearly 300 steps.

After passing through several tunnels on Route 8, the Hokuriku Expressway came into view on the right over the sea. This highway had just been completed the previous year, in 1988. With national highways and rail tunnels already existing inland, perhaps there was no space left to dig further, or maybe building over the sea was cheaper.

Either way, it became a rare example in Japan of a highway running over the ocean. The photo shows a side road near the national highway; half of it is a promenade. While the sheer cliffs rise over 300 meters from the sea elsewhere, here I think they’re only about 70 to 80 meters high. The weather remained the same; not only was the Noto Peninsula obscured, but even the sea was only faintly visible.

東京から再び日本海側へと向かったのは、先ず能登半島を目的地としたからです。以前から一度は行ってみたいと思っていました。糸魚川から新潟と京都を結ぶ国道８号線を走ります。

最初の見所は飛騨山脈がいきなり日本海に落ち込む断崖絶壁「親不知(おやしらず)」。明治になって国道と北陸本線が開通されるまで北陸道の最大の難所とされていました。それまで人々は断崖絶壁下の僅かばかりの砂浜を道として往来しており、時として荒波にさらわれる犠牲者も出ていました。
「押し寄せる荒波で親も子も互いにかまっていられない」それが地名の由来となっています。正式には「親不知、子不知」といわれ、糸魚川の次の青海(おうみ)駅と親不知駅間が「こしらず」、親不知駅と次の市振(いちぶり)駅間が「おやしらず」になります。距離にして14､5キロほどです。

全国的に親不知の地名が知られるようになったのは水上勉氏の小説「越後つついし親不知」によるところが大きいと思います。物語では親不知に程近い集落の人たちが描かれており、東京オリンピックが開催された1964年に東映が製作、今井正監督で映画化されています。成人指定のため当時中学生だった私は観ることが出来ませんでした。
「つついし」とは直江津と糸魚川の間にある海辺の町、筒石のことではないでしょうか。筒石駅は珍しいトンネル駅としても鉄道マニアに知られています。上下ホームとも改札から階段で300段近く、200ｍほど下ったところにあります。

８号線のトンネルをいくつか抜けると右手海上に北陸自動車道が見えてきました。この前年1988年に完成したばかりの高速道路です。すでに陸側に国道と鉄道のトンネルがあり、新たに掘るスペースがないのか、それとも海上を通した方が建設費がかからないのか、日本では珍しい海上を行く高速道路になっています。写真は国道近くの側道、半分が遊歩道です。断崖絶壁は海から300ｍ以上ありますが、この場所で7～80ｍだと思います。相変わらずの天気で能登半島どころか海もボンヤリとしか見えません。

Immediately after Ichiburi, you enter Toyama Prefecture. You’ll drive through the plains along Toyama Bay, passing Kurobe, Uozu, and Namerikawa.

市振からすぐに富山県になります。黒部、魚津、滑川と富山湾沿いの平野部を走ります。

This photo was taken in front of Toyama Station. After this, I headed to Himi via Shinminato on National Route 160.

Finally, the long-awaited Noto Peninsula! But due to heavy rain, I ended up spending two nights in the waiting room at Himi Station. What a bummer?!

Entering Ishikawa Prefecture, I took National Route 249. From there, following Route 249 would take me all the way around the peninsula. That night, I camped at Kujukubayashi Park on the Uchiura Coast.

At Suzu, I left the national highway and headed toward Rokkosaki, the tip of the peninsula.

写真は富山駅前です。この後、新湊を経て国道160号線で氷見へ。いよいよ待望の能登半島ですが、大雨のため氷見駅の待合室で二晩過ごすことに、ナンテコッタイ?!。

石川県に入り、国道249号線へ。後は249号線を走れば半島をぐるり一周できます。この日は内浦海岸の九十九湾公園でテント泊。
珠洲(すず)で国道から外れ、半島の突端、禄剛崎(ろっこうさき)へと向かいます。

The photo shows Mitsuke Island near Ukai Station on the Noto Railway, just before Suzu. Also known as Battleship Island, its resemblance to a battleship is clearly visible when viewed head-on. The Noto Railway was discontinued after the Heisei era began in 1989.

Noto is a region of half-farming, half-fishing, and it’s currently the peak of the rice harvest season. While Ishikawa Prefecture is known as a rice-growing area, its terrain, exemplified by the Shiroyone Senmaida terraces near Wajima, features many terraced fields and small paddies. This makes finding space to dry the harvested rice a challenge. Therefore, rice drying racks called “hasa” are built high in multiple tiers using logs and bamboo to efficiently maximize space.

Can you see the rice drying racks in the photo, stacked high with golden rice stalks? Incidentally, Shiroyone Senmaida is said to have exactly 1,004 terraces.

The next photo shows Rokkōsaki, overlooking the sea. Near the lighthouse stands a monument inscribed “The Center of the Japanese Archipelago.” Apparently, the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan determined the center of Japan lies off Toyama Bay, so Rokkōsaki, being the closest land point, was designated accordingly. The sign in the photo lists the distances to Tokyo, Shanghai, Busan, and Vladivostok, indicated by the arrows. This spot is also known as a vantage point where both the sunrise and sunset can be seen.

写真は珠洲の手前「のと鉄道」鵜飼駅近くの見付島。別名を軍艦島と呼ばれ、真正面から見ると軍艦の形をしているのがよくわかります。「のと鉄道」は平成になって廃線になっています。

能登は半農半漁、ちょうど稲刈りシーズン真っ盛りです。石川県は米どころとして知られていますが、輪島近郊の白米(しろよね)千枚田に代表されるようにその土地柄ゆえ棚田や小さな田んぼが多く、刈り取った稲を干す場所にも苦心します。そのため稲架(はさ)と呼ばれる稲干し場を丸太や竹で何段にも高く組み上げ、効率的にスペースを確保します。写真で高くまで黄金色の稲穂が干された稲架がわかりますか。ちなみに白米千枚田は本当に1,004枚あるそうです。
続いての写真は海を望む禄剛崎。灯台の近くに「日本列島ここが中心」のモニュメントがあります。なんでも国土地理院が日本の中心が富山湾沖にあるとしたとかで、ならば一番近い陸地の禄剛崎をということらしいです。写真の標識はそれぞれ矢印の先、東京、上海、釜山、ウラジオストクまでの距離を記しています。この地は朝日と夕日の両方が見られるポイントとしても知られています。

Perhaps because the weather had cleared, both the seashore and the surrounding greenery seemed to glow. Gone was the fierce, eerie image I’d seen in films as a child of Wajima’s traditional performing art, the Gojinjō Daiko drums pounded relentlessly in the darkness.

The Gojinjō Daiko drums originate from the villagers of Nafune, near Wajima. To drive off the invading Uesugi army, they wore masks over their faces, seaweed on their heads, and launched a surprise attack at night, beating their drums. It is said the strategy succeeded brilliantly, and the Uesugi army fled.

天気が回復したせいか、海辺も周りの緑も輝いて見えます。そこには私が子供の頃に映像で見た輪島の伝統芸能、暗闇の中でこれでもかと叩かれる御陣乗太鼓(ごじんじょだいこ)の激しくもおどろおどろしたしたイメージはありませんでした。
御陣乗太鼓は攻め入った上杉軍を追い払うために輪島近郊の名舟(なふね)の村人たちが顔に仮面、頭に海藻被り、夜中に太鼓を打ち鳴らしながら奇襲したことに由来しています。見事、作戦は成功して上杉軍は逃げ去ったといわれています。

After browsing Wajima’s famous morning market, I set off for my next destination: Tojinbo in Fukui Prefecture.

The national highway from Wajima to Hakui has more ups and downs than the eastern part of the peninsula, crossing several small mountain passes. Leaving the highway, I reached the coastline known as “Noto Kongo,” where bizarre rock formations and cliffs stretch for about 20 kilometers.

My destination for the day was Hakui. In Wajima, someone had told me, “Go see the Karatoyama Sumo in Hakui.” Officially called the “Karatoyama Shinto Ritual Sumo,” it’s a shrine ritual where sumo is dedicated at Hakui Shrine. The deity enshrined at Hakui Shrine, Iwatsukuwake-no-Mikoto, was fond of sumo. Every year on his memorial day, September 25th, amateur wrestlers gather from nearby areas to dedicate sumo matches. Fortunately, it was that very day.

Returning to the national highway, a front brought heavy rain accompanied by strong winds. I took shelter from the rain for about two hours starting in the evening. “This rain signals the arrival of proper autumn,” I felt.

Delayed by the rain, I arrived in Hakui past 8:00 PM. We’d heard the dedication sumo matches lasted from evening until around 10:00 PM, but considering the time, I decided not to go to the Karatoyama Sumo Arena. Instead, I waited for the wrestlers along the approach path leading to Hakui Shrine. They would come to report that the dedication had been completed safely.

輪島名物の朝市を冷やかした後、次なる目的地福井県の東尋坊へ向けて出発します。

輪島から羽咋(はくい)への国道は半島東部に比べてアップダウンが多く、小さな峠をいくつも越えて行きます。国道を外れ「能登金剛」と呼ばれる海岸線へ、20キロほど奇岩、断崖が続きます。

この日の目的地は羽咋。輪島で「羽咋で唐戸山相撲を見てごらん」と声をかけてもらいました。正式には「唐戸山神事相撲」と呼ばれる羽咋神社に相撲を奉納する神事です。羽咋神社の祭神、磐衝別命(いわつくわけのみこと)が相撲好きで、毎年その命日の９月25日に近在から素人力士が集まり相撲を奉納するのです。運がいいことにその当日でした。

国道に戻ると前線の通過で強風をともなう大雨に、夕方から２時間ほど雨宿りとなりました。「この雨で本格的な秋が来るな」そんな気がしました。
雨宿りに時間を取られ羽咋に着いたのは夜８時過ぎ。奉納相撲は夕方から夜10時ごろまで続くと聞いてきましたが、時間を考え唐戸山相撲場へ行かずに羽咋神社へ続く参道で力士を待つことに。無事に奉納を終えたことを報告にやって来るのです。

This is a photo from that time. About a kilometer from the sumo arena to the shrine, despite it being Monday night, many people wait along the approach for the wrestlers’ arrival. Two groups of horsemen arrived. The one being carried on shoulders is the Ōzeki who just finished the final bout, known as the Okuyumi.

The left photo shows them heading toward the shrine. The right photo shows them leaving after reporting and receiving various items passed down since ancient times from the chief priest. The photos convey the sheer intensity of the ceremonial sumo itself and the relief felt upon safely concluding the ritual.

Originally, the highest rank in sumo was Ōzeki. The belts worn around the waists of Ōzeki and Sekiwake, who were permitted to enter the ring, were called Yokozuna. In other words, Yokozuna was an honorary title. Even in the so-called professional sumo that began in the Edo period(1603-1868) for entertainment purposes, the initial Yokozuna were Ōzeki or Sekiwake. Modern sumo incorporates many elements from the ancient shrine sumo rituals practiced nationwide. Yokozuna as the highest rank was only established during the Meiji era(1868-1912).

The town of Hakui seemed electrified that night. I didn’t pitch my tent in the park until midnight.

これがその時の写真です。相撲場から神社まで１キロほど、月曜日の夜だというのに多くの人が参道で到着する力士を待っています。二組の騎馬がやって来ました。肩車されているのが奥弓(おくゆみ)といわれる結びの一番を取り終えた大関です。
左の写真は神社に向かうところ。右の写真は報告を終え、宮司から古くから伝わるもろもろを受け取って引き上げるところです。写真から奉納相撲そのものの気迫と無事に神事を終えた安堵感が伝わってきます。
本来相撲の最高位は大関です。土俵入りを許された大関や関脇が腰に巻いたのが横綱といわれるものです。つまり横綱は名誉位、江戸時代から始まった興業目的のいわゆる大相撲も当初の横綱は大関や関脇だったのです。現在の大相撲は古くから全国各地に伝わる神事としての相撲から多くを取り入れています。横綱が最高位として確立されたのは明治になってからです。
この夜の羽咋の街はテンションが上がっているようでした。私が公園にテントを張ったのも夜中の12時になってからです。

Back on Route 8 to Kanazawa. Kanazawa is a city with a calm atmosphere. To Kenroku-en Garden, its representative site, admission ¥300. Mattō, Komatsu, and then to Kaga. Katayamazu Onsen, Yamashiro Onsen – this area is a hot spring resort. I veered off Route 8 midway for a quick soak at the public baths of Awazu Onsen, then camped in a nearby park.

Just past Kaga, I entered Fukui Prefecture and headed for Tojinbo, Fukui’s representative tourist spot.

Tōjinbō was the name of a monk. He was a violent monk, so even his fellow monks disliked him. One day, Tōjinbō visited this area for pleasure. While drunk, he was pushed off a cliff by a rival monk, who had enlisted the help of his companions. This incident is the origin of the place name.

再び８号線を金沢へ。金沢は落ち着いた雰囲気の街、代表する兼六園へ、入園料300円。松任、小松、そして加賀へ。片山津温泉、山代温泉とこのあたりは温泉郷、途中で８号線から外れて粟津温泉の共同浴場でひとっ風呂、その後近くの公園でテント泊。

加賀を過ぎるとすぐに福井県、福井を代表する観光地東尋坊へ向かいます。
東尋坊は坊さんの名前です。乱暴者の坊さんゆえ仲間の坊さんからも嫌われていました。ある日、行楽目的でこの地を訪れた東尋坊は酔ったところを仲間の手助けを得た恋敵の坊さんに崖から突き落とされてしまいます。それが地名の由来となっています。

The area bustles with crowds of tourists. The third photo shows visitors watching a tourist diver’s performance from the rocky shore. The sightseeing boat pier is also located below the rocky shore—or rather, the cliff—making boarding a bit tricky. The rocky shore stretches about one kilometer along the coastline.

Next is a rare columnar jointing cliff, standing 25 meters tall. Is this where people jump to their deaths? Along with Fuji’s Aokigahara Forest, Tojinbo is also known as a notorious suicide spot. Signs urging people to reconsider suicide were placed in several locations.

Next time, I head to the “World Design Expo” in Nagoya.

大勢の観光客で賑わっています。３枚目の写真は観光海女さんの潜りっぷりを岩場から観光客が見ているところです。遊覧船乗り場も岩場というか崖の下、乗船するのにも気を使います。岩場は海岸線に約１キロ続きます。続いて世界でも珍しい高さ25ｍもある柱状節理の崖です。ここから投身自殺をするのでしょうか、東尋坊は富士の樹海とともに自殺の名所としても知られています。自殺を思い止まるように書かれた看板が数ヵ所に設置されていました。

次回、名古屋の「世界デザイン博覧会」へと向かいます。

That year, the World Design Expo was held in Nagoya for about four months, from July 15th to November 26th. After failing to secure the 1988 Olympics, Nagoya City was considering its next major event to commemorate the city’s 100th anniversary. At the time, Nagoya had a reputation for being clumsy in many ways.

That perception might have contributed to the decision to host this event, commonly known as the “Design Expo.” I have an interest in design due to my work. Assuming the event would have ended by the time I returned to Tokyo, I decided to head straight from Tojinbo to Nagoya.

この年、名古屋で「世界デザイン博覧会」が７月15日から11月26日までの約４ヶ月間開催されていました。1988年のオリンピック招致に失敗した名古屋市は、市制100年記念として次なるイベントを考えていました。当時の名古屋は何かにつけてドンくさいというイメージを持たれていました。そんなことが通称「デザイン博」といわれるこのイベントの開催につながったのかも知れません。私は仕事柄デザインに興味があります。東京への帰路ではイベントは終了していると考え、東尋坊からまっすぐ名古屋へと向かうことにしたのです。

One photo in front of Fukui Station, then from Tsuruga to Lake Biwa. Parting ways with Route 8 in Nagahama, heading to the Sekigahara Battlefield. Next, waiting beside the Nagara River, moored ukai-boat houseboats. With only two weeks left in the season, the peak has passed and things are relaxed. One photo in front of Gifu Station, crossing the Kiso River, then arriving in Nagoya.

The theme of the World Design Expo is “People, Dreams, Design… A Symphony Played by the City.” It’s a bit hard to grasp. The venues are divided into three, each with its own specific theme. Nagoya Castle Venue is “Discoveries from History,” the main venue, Shirotori Venue in Atsuta Ward, is “Encounter with the 21st Century,” and Nagoya Port Venue is “Departure for Joy.”

These are more concrete and easier to understand. At the Nagoya Castle venue, reflecting the local culture, pachinko and pachislot machines are on display. At the Shirotori venue, the Toyota Group Pavilion is the most popular. At the Nagoya Port venue, besides the Port Gallery, there isn’t really anything else…

福井駅前で写真を一枚、そして敦賀から琵琶湖へ。長浜で８号線と別れると関ヶ原古戦場へ。続いては長良川の脇で待機、係留中の鵜飼の屋形船。シーズンも残り２週間、ピークが過ぎノンビリしてます。岐阜駅前で一枚、木曽川を越えると名古屋へ到着します。

世界デザイン博覧会のテーマは「ひと、夢、デザイン……都市が奏でるシンフォニー」少々わかりにくいです。会場は三つに別れ、それぞれに個別のテーマがあります。名古屋城会場は「歴史からの発見」、メイン会場の熱田区の白鳥会場は「21世紀との遭遇」、そして名古屋港会場は「楽しさへの旅立ち」。こちらの方が具体的でわかりやすいです。名古屋場会場では土地柄パチンコ機やパチスロ機が展示、白鳥会場ではトヨタグループ館が一番人気、名古屋港会場ではポートギャラリーのほかこれといって……。

On the first day, I visited the Nagoya Castle venue and the Nagoya Port venue. The next day, I stopped by Nagoya Stadium before heading to the Shirotori venue. The photo shows “Hisho(flight),” the symbol of the Design Expo in front of Nagoya Station; this symbol was later removed. The final photo is the entrance to Shirotori Century Plaza (now Nagoya International Conference Center).

Attendance during the event exceeded expectations by over 1 million people, reaching more than 15 million. Initial reports stated a surplus of 200 million yen. However, it later came to light that Nagoya City had provided an additional 1 billion yen beyond the original budget, raising questions about whether the actual deficit was closer to 800 million yen.

Next time, I head to the ancient capital of Nara.

初日は名古屋城会場と名古屋港会場へ。翌日、ナゴヤ球場へ寄ってから白鳥会場へ。写真は名古屋駅前のデザイン博のシンボル「飛翔」、このシンボルはその後撤去されます。最後は白鳥センチュリープラザ(現名古屋国際会議場)の入り口です。期間中の来場者は予想を100万人上回る1,500万人以上、当初２億円の黒字と報道されました。後に名古屋市が当初の予定にない10億円を出していたことがわかり、実際には８億円の赤字ではないかと問題になりました。

次回、古都奈良へ向かいます。