Fukushima Meltdown and the 5 Miles Dilemma Tunnel Count =7 If you look at the map of today's ride you will instantly see it wasn't planned this way, I set off with a plan to cycle to Yanaiza which is in the middle of the island in the mountains. The day was going well, weather was good and I had a rhythm to my cycling that was just perfect - I was cycling at what felt like a lower cadence than normal and I was just gliding along. I passed loads of people working the fields, removing balck matting which presumably protected valuable crops through the winter. As I started to climb into the snow capped mountains I entered the Prefecture of Fukushima where the Nuclear Power Plant was consumed by a Tsunami and exploded - I started to pass snow canopies over the road and tunnels. There were waterfalls and tress and snow by the sides of the road. But it was a glorious Spring day and although I had a 10 mile climb ahead it was only 2500 ft at the top - I had this one .. easy ! Then after 25 miles ... BARRIERS ... The road was closed, I checked for alternatives, there were none, this was the National Route 252 ... How could it be closed ? I did what you would expect .. Assumed all was good ahead and sneaked around the Barriers ! The translated sign did say Road Closed for Winter and April 20th is not Winter in my book. I cycled past a few workmen on the adjacent railway line which gave me hope but deep down I suspected this wouldn't work. I hit a snow canopy section and my chain fell off for no reason, I put it on and it felt odd and sure enough 10 yards further it fell off again... was it trying to tell me something ? Chain back on and it felt fine and worked fine ... maybes I had picked up a piece of debris into the chain which had now cleared. I hit a red steel arched tunnel with an 8% gradient and a few workers .. I was again encouraged. Then with only 4 miles to the top of the climb there was a squad of workers and cars ahead ... Fingers crossed. They said it was shut and I had to go back ... I said there is no other route, how am I expected to get to Yanaiza. After looking at Google Maps I think they too realized there was not practical other way for a bike ! So they suggested i head back 3 miles and catch a train in 2 hrs which would go through the mountain to Tadami on the other side of the pass. I thanked them and cycled to the station within 5 minutes. I had a 2 hr wait for a small train which would get me to a small village by about 3pm with 40 miles in the mountains to do before sunset. It also would leave me with an unacceptable problem ... I am cycling Japan end to end and if there was a 5 mile gap somewhere ? Well that just isn't End to End is it ? As I sat at the station I knew I couldn't make Yanaiza on an alternative route as any route would add 50 miles plus and I didn't know how high the passes were or if they were open ! I had only one option left ... Go somewhere else tonight ! I quickly started planning - looking for available hotels in locations that would give me a chance to get to Tuesdays destination at Yamagata. Hotels in the mountains are few and far between so my only viable destination was back down to the West Coast ... Somewhere near Niigata. There was a Route Inn Hotel to the north where I know they have an excellent restaurant which does great Tofu Salad and Katsu Chicken Udon Noodles. That would revive me after a long ride ! The new route was 65 miles ... I had already done 30, but it was only 12:30 and although it would be touch and go getting there before dusk, I would actually be in suburbs after only 40 miles so I booked and set off. It was disheartening recycling roads but soon I reached a point where I left this mornings route and tracked North - I had 1 decent climb which I sailed up and then entered a 1 mile dark tunnel , lights on, traffic was light so I stayed on the road rather than balance on another narrow side path ! As I approached Sanjo I had 4 hrs daylight and about 45 miles to do ... Job done I thought as it was flat from now on. A Billiard table opened up in front of me, criss crossed with small roads across the rice fields, what also opened up was a wind from the North West, suddenly this easy 40 miles didn't quite feel the same - my hurried route too wasn't helping and with proper planning I would have been on better roads - I had routed to the river where a road seemed to follow it all the way to a bridge over the river 9 miles form my hotel ... perfect .... NOT ! The perfect road was quite narrow and had little verge, there was no adjacent path as normal, it was busy and worst of all it was on top of the Dyke getting the full force of the wind, Every time an option opened up to take a side road or path, they became dead ends quickly. I set myself as target to do 10 miles an hour which would get me 5 miles from the Hotel at sunset and I should get there before proper dark ,,, And that;s exactly what I did ! And now I need to plan tomorrows route to avoid a day like today !