The trip back

Hachirogata, on the Odate side of Akita City. It used to be
Japan's second biggest lake but was reclaimed post war to
have space for rice farming. The government now pays farmers
not to farm.  The area is unusual for its scope of its flatness and the
straight lines that divide the rice fields. Both features have contributed
to making it Japan's centre for solar car trials. (though not their
development)

The Japan Sea Coast from the train

 

Lots of towns have enormous public buildings - often local govt.
that are much more imposing than any other building in town.
I guess it's a contemporary Japanese equivalent to a
mediaeval church in a European village....

Not very crowded

The Uetsu sen follows along the coast with occasional inland
meanderings.

The Coast

The bus to replace the Rikuu sai sen going east from Sakata.
Apparently JR is not required to give seishun 18 ticket holders
alternative transport in the event that the trains aren't running. 
I am very glad though that they did.

There are quite a lot of windmills for power generation in the
area - that said I am not sure I would be impressed with living in
a "windy town" as Tachikawa has labelled itself.

Along the Mogami gawa from the bus - this part has been dammed.

Shinjo station - cold.

          After missing my connection due to the substitute bus, it was so
tempting to catch a Shinkansen from Shinjo... I restrained myself and
saved myself more than 12,000 yen.

Snow on the tracks always impresses me.



Travelling south from Shinjo

The long road home