Down the Japan Sea Side

Windmills are popping up along the Japan Sea Coast

It was baking hot in Sakata. The train was late, probably because the wires in the
signal box melted... I decided to take the next train terminating at Tsuruoka and
wander around there for 50 mins rather than spending 75 in Sakata, which I've already
been to several times.

A station in a rice field

 
Kita Amarume station - in a rice field.

It was baking hot in Sakata. The train was late, probably because the wires in the
signal box melted... I decided to take the next train terminating at Tsuruoka and
wander around there for 50 mins rather than spending 75 in Sakata, which I've already
been to several times.

The windows were filthy from Sakata to Niigata on all three trains.
It wasn't a cleanable dirtiness - I scrubbed at it with water from my waterbottle
& tissues to no effect whatsoever.  It made taking pictures unsatisfactory &
I could only really take them from the ipad pressed against the window.

A Shrine in a ricefield with mountains - very Shonai

Rice and mountains

More rice and more mountains

The Uetsu line also has stations by the sea.

It's a beautiful view.

Much of the train line between Sakata  & Murakami runs by the sea.
I am not sure which island this is - perhaps Sado?

Coming into Niigata - Japan Sea rice country.
Though presumably this is Koshikari rice rather than Akita Komachi