Epilogue
Epilogue
I referred this journey for some predecessors. They did not recommend to walk Tokaido by foot within few weeks. I absolutely agreed with their opinions. I know, ordinary people have never thought doing so. Landscapes does not change dramatically. Current point on Google Map remains. Strong pain on legs and sudden rain.
Yes, you can experience extraordinary things, such as only few people walk R1, only few young people in town on daytime on weekdays.
But, I strongly recommend dividing journey or walk 20km every day. Some people walked Tokaido every weekend, so they move week by week, It’s better for their health. Others walked 20km every day, which means they walked about 8 hours each days. 40km is too much.
I wrote down some tips based on my experience for someone who walk Tokaido in the future and for my future challenge.
Belongings
Better to have
Mobile phones: for taking pictures, navigations. It’s better to bring spare batteries.
Sunscreens: walking whole days, so it’s important to protect your skin from sunshine.
Vantelin: To relief muscle pain and quick recovery.
Running shoes: thick soles are better, because walking whole day.
Trekking poles: useful not only for walking passes, but also for flat road. They support your walking.
Depend on situations
Household medicine: If you stay at business hotels, they would share you.
Jeans: I recommend trekking pants, because jeans are hot.
Day 13 - Konan to Kyoto -
- 5:00
Woke up. No free breakfast served by this Manga café. No pain on my legs. Only 40km left.
- 5:28
Weather is sunny, but temperature is cool. It’s the best weather.
- 6:30
Ate breakfast at Sukiya. I have taken several photos of foods, but I’m too hungry to take photos before I ate…
- 7:27
Entered Ritto-City.
- 8:00
I felt asleep, so I charge Red-Bull.
- 8:50
I find a Nisshin’s factory. I’d like to eat cup noodles…
- 9:13
Entered Kusatsu-City.
- 9:38
Kusatsu Post Town. Only few houses are left.
- 10:42
Entered Otsu-City. The last Post Town of Tokaido.
- 11:45
Lunch at Steak Gust. Buffet style is nice. I charged meat and vegetable.
- 12:30
Along the Biwako-Lake. At a glance, it looks beach resort area. It’s getting hot.
- 13:55
Looking for Otsu Post Town. During that time, I found a monument about the Otsu incident.
Finally, I found the monument of Otsu.
- 14:14
Osaka-Slope. I’m tired to see the slope.
I find Semimaru-Shrine. I’m interested in that, but stairs are the problem.
- 14:53
Shower comes. As usual, I sheltered under a high way. After a quarter hour, the shower is gone.
- 15:22
Finally, less than 10km left to Sanjo-Ohashi.
- 15:26
Entered Kyoto-City, but the cityscape is modern…
- 16:31
I find Sanjo-Ohashi at the traffic signal.
- 16:45
This is the place related to Ryoma Sakamoto.
This is a McDonalds’ but the colour was different from cordially one. Maybe, it obeys Kyoto’s rule.
- 17:02
Finally, finally, I arrived at Sanjo-Ohashi! I did it!
I looked for any monument related to Tokaido, but I couldn’t find any of those.
Today's route
Day 12 - Seki to Konan -
- 8:00
Woke up. It’s drizzling. I heard heavy rain yesterday midnight, but it’s getting better now, nice.
- 8:54
The rain had stopped! Today’s first goal is to cross Suzuka-Pass. I will decide today’s final destination after that. Ishigaki-Ya has such a nice room which has full of Japanese antique.
I did sightseeing at Seki-inn. Over the houses, I see Suzuka-Mountain.
A nice, retro post. It matches the scenery of Seki-Post-Town.
- 10:18
Eat breakfast. This bread contains much calorie. I need calorie to cross the peak.
The traffic signal says how many kilometres there are from Osaka. Osaka is closer than Tokyo from here.
The traffic signal indicates the remaining kilometres to Osaka.
- 11:05
Google navigates to use this road. The sign says old-Tokaido, but it looks like an animal trail. There is stone pavement, which is almost the same to the one in Hakone, but it ended soon. Good for my leg.
Walking along the old-Tokaido, I find stairs made by concrete. Before reaching this point, the road is like an animal trail. How different they are!
The atmosphere of this place is like “Princess Mononoke”
- 11:51
Entered Koka-City. I imagined Suzuka-Pass was very similar to Hakone-Pass, but it is far moderate than Hakone.
- 13:22
Eat lunch at Michi-no-Eki Aino-Tsuchiyama. I wondered to eat Omi-beef or Ninja-combo. Finally, I decided to eat Ninja-combo because it sounds nice. I also decide today’s destination, Kosai station at Konan-City.
- 16:56
Entered Minakuchi Post Town.
- 18:32
Entered Konan-City.
- 19:28
I looked for restaurants, but all of them were full of people, so I eat dinner at Komeda Coffee which is a café, not a restaurant.
I rethink today’s goal, because Suzuka-Pass was not steep as I had expected, so I have extra power. I change today’s goal to Ritto-City, but when I go out from Komeda, it starts raining. I change my mind again and stay at the nearest Manga café.
- 20:52
Arrived today’s Manga café. My legs are quite well, only little pain on my ankle and soles. It is possible to reach Sanjo-Ohashi, which is the last point of Tokaido, tomorrow.
- Today's route
Day 11 - Yokkaichi to Seki-Post-Town -
- 8:15
Woke up. My physical condition is well. This Manga café doesn’t serve breakfast for free, so I prepare to go out.
- 8:51
Depart. Go to Seki-Post-Town at Kameyama-City. Weather will be rainy after cloudy. Recently, weather is always sunny, so I wonder it would rain or not.
- 9:23
I found a laundromat, so I decided to do laundry. Near the laundry, I also find a café which provides buffet style breakfast. So I go there and enjoy breakfast.
- 10:09
After laundry and breakfast, I departed. It’s getting cloudy.
- 12:16
Entered Suzuka-City.
- 13:01
Rain starts, but not heavy.
- 14:04
It has been pouring. My shoes and socks are soaked. Rain was so strong that I decided to stay under a highway. There are no adequate places to shelter from rain near here, so I had no choice. According to a rain radar application, rain will stop within an hour.
- 15:22
The rain got moderate, I depart. I tried drying them during my break under the highway, but it didn’t. I feel creepy.
- 16:10
Entered Kameyama-City. There were many traditional Japanese houses between Kameyama and Seki.
I found a signal about Tokaido. Seki Post Town is the 47th Tokaido station. I feel keenly walking so long.
- 18:57
Entered Seki Post Town. Only few meters left to today’s inn, guesthouse Ishigaki-Ya.
- 19:52
Eat Ramen for my dinner. Today was a bit cold, so hot Ramen is delicious.
- 20:30
I communicated with other guests. If guest worked some hours for Ishigaki-Ya, it set off their accommodation fee.
According to weather forecast, it will rain tomorrow’s early morning, so it’s better departing this guest house around 9AM. Many people say the most difficult point of east side of Tokaido is Hakone, and the most difficult point of west side of Tokaido is Suzuka.
- Today's route
Day 10 - Nagoya to Yokkaichi -
- 7:00
Woke up. Pain on my leg remains, but it does not hinder my walk.
- 8:00
A bit of rain, but no problem.
I plan to cross Suzuka-Peak next tomorrow, so staying at Kameyama tomorrow is better.
Considering this situation, today’s destination is at least Yokkaichi, at most Yokkaichi.
- 8:13
Departed, but soon I went to a café, because it started raining.
Nagoya-morning is nice. When I order drinks, it also provides bread.
When I order a drink at a café, it also provides food. It is ordially thing in Nagoya.
- 9:00
Rain stopped, restart walking!
- 11:19
May be the big wheel is Nagashima-Spa-Land.
Today’s sunshine is strong as usual. Saying the least, I hate such strong sunshine.
- 14:26
Entered Yatomi-City. Why the font of City is different? What’s happened?
- 14:41
Eat lunch at Katsu-Ya. The roads around here are wide, but there are only few food shops.
- 15:43
Entered Mie-Prefecture. There are a lot of tracks, so I feel I’m a bit sooty.
- 17:00
Cross three bridges. Sky is clear, no clouds. Where is the rain season?
I found a prefectural road 400s. Those numbers look like errors, it’s my occupational disease. Luckily, I am not employed now, so I do not have to fear them.
- 18:35
Entered Yokkaichi-City. I found a restaurant, named Debu-Ya(Fat man house)
- 20:30
Today’s dinner. Meat!
- 21:03
Arrived at a Public Spa. I go to Spas three days in a row. This spa is cheap, but I regret this spa closes at 1AM. If it opens 24hours, I could sleep there.
- 23:45
Depart from the spa. I enjoyed spas. Furthermore, I slept a bit after taking bath.
- 0:02
Arrived at today’s Manga café. I have pain on my soles, but pain on my knee is recovered and my shin is recovering. Yesterday, muscle pain is the biggest problem, today’s biggest problem is heat and sunshine.
- Today's route
Day 9 - Okazaki to Nagoya -
- 7:00
Woke up. This Manga café provides breakfast for free, so I ordered Japanese style breakfast.
- 8:00
Depart! The weather is cloudy, nice for walking. My pain remains, but looks it crossed the peak.
- 10:01
Entered Anjo-City. It was a shower on the way to Anjo-City, but it stopped soon. I feel hungry so I have two rice balls and take a rest at a convenience store.
- 11:37
Entered Chiryu-City. It’s getting hotter.
- 12:37
Entered Kariya-City.
- 13:41
Entered Toyoaki-City. Sunshine is strong, I’m almost died. I have pain on my soles.
- 15:44
I take a rest at a convenience store. I stay at my senior’s house today, but I’d like to drop by a SPA. So, I have to walk faster than now.
- 18:00
Arrived at a Public Spa, Miyano-yu. There are several kind of spas. After taking bath, my shin pain gets well. I can bend and stretch my ankle.
- 19:30
Moving to my senior’s house. It starts raining.
- 20:15
Arrived at his house. When I got to his house, the rain was pouring. We ate pizza and talked.
- Today's route
