‚T�jSaturday, September 2006 Weather: Cloudy Visiting temples in Ohme City by jogging

• The weatherman said the last two of the coming three consecutive holidays would be rainy. Thus I decided to run 40 km on Saturday. I planned to visit the Shiofune Kannon temple, a famous temple in Ohme City, by running alongside the Shin-Ohme Highroad after an interval of several years..
• I left home at 5:30 AM. It was cloudy and cool outside although it had been hot just one week ago.
• Soon I entered the Shin-Ohme Highroad and I continued to run on the sideway.
• A lot of cars were running at a blistering speed emitting exhaust fumes in early morning. The course was not good for running.
• My running condition was also not so good owing to lack of sleep. The running pace was very slow from the beginning. Although it was cool, I was graduallay getting sweaty. I continued to run frequently drinking water. The scenery alongside the Shin-Ohme Highroad was monotonous.
• I entered Ohme City after running 25 km and I still continued to run alongside the Ohme Highroad.
• From the intersection of Nogami, I entered the road to Shiofune Kannon Temple.
• I finally arrived in Shiofune Kannon temple around 9:00 AM. The running distance was around 32 km.
• No one was in the precinct of the temple. It was quiet. It is said that Ensen Kannon temple is the oldest temple in Ohme City.
• After passing the temple gate roofing with thatch, there existed the Amitabha hall. The Amitabha Tathagata was enshrined there.
• Going further, you can see small Yakushi Hall, where wooden anti-senility Yakushi Tathagata was enshrined.
• Finally climbing up the stone stairs, you will reach the main temple roofing with mossy thatch. The one-thousand-hand Kannon is in the shrine. The substitute Kannon in front of the shrine was small and a little bit colorful.
• Soon the reading of the sutras by priest and believers in the vicinity started in the main temple.
• The temple was surrounded by forest and the atomosphere was very good. I could understand that the temple is said to be the Chusonji Temple of Musashino. (Chusonji temple in Miyagi Pref. is very famous for gorgeousness and spectacle.) There are lots of azalea trees in the garden. It would be wonderful when the flowers of azaleas are in full blossom. You can reach the viewing platform if you walk up 200 m from the back of the main temple. The signboard said you could see Mt. Fuji from there. But I could not see since it was cloudy.
  
  
  Entrance of Shiofune Kannon Temple Gate
  
  
  Amitabha hall Yakushi hall
  
  
  Stone stairs to main temple Main temple
  
  
  
• The running distance did not reach 40 km and I still had spare time. Thus I decided to go to next temple, Tenneiji Temple.
• Then the sun sometime appeared from the cloud and it became hotter. Furthermore, I was getting hungry although I ate two rice cakes with bean-jam in the morning.
• I bought two rice balls at the convenience store and ate them. I felt satisfied.
• The precinct of Tenneiji Temple was spacious. The temple gate, Deva gate and the main temple were so big and gorgeous.
• Then I headed to JR Higashi-Ohme Station of the Ohme Line. It took around 15 minutes to the station.
• I bought the Sake one cups of Sawanoi, locally brewed sake, at the convenient store in front of the station as suvenior.
• I came back home from Higashi-Ohme Station by train. It took much time to get home by train than I expected. (It took one and half-hours.) Ohme City is far away from Higashi-Kurume!!
  
  
  Jizoson Entrance of Tenneiji Temple
  
  
  Temple Gate Main Temple Jizoson
  
  
  
• The running distance was 39 km today. It was just one kilometer less than 40 kilometers.

4)Saturday, September 9, 2006 Weather: Cloudy Helianthus strumosus (Yellow flowers of chrysanthemum family)

• I left home at 5:00 AM. It was cloudy and was not cool even in the early morning.
• It was a tropical night and thus I could not sleep well last night. My running condition was not so good although I was heading to the bank of Arakawa River to run 40 km. Immediately after running, I started to sweat. It is already September, however, it's still summer in early September.
• I met a lot of walkers while running alongside Ochiai River though it was still dark around 5:00 AM.
• I finally reached the bank of Arakawa River at 7:00 AM via Ohizumi Central Park and Shirako River.
• I could see Helianthus strumosus grew in clusters on the bank as I saw last year.
• Clusters of yellow flowers looks like yellow carpet when viewed from a long distance.
• I feel that the autumn has come when I see these yellow flowers.
• At any rate, it seems that Helianthus strumosus are growing proliferously. I can see the yellow flowers everywhere lately. They must have strong survival powers.
• I came back home alongside Kurome River and Ochiai River, but I felt exhausted after 30km distance.
• The temperature was rising although it's still cloudy. I slowed down and continued to run with several breaks for drinking water.
• I managed to come home. The running distance was 41 km. It was a hard running today.
  
  
  Helianthus strumosus & Arakawa River
  
  
  

3)Saturday, August 5, 2006 Weather: Fine Running around Sayamako-Lake

• The rainy season finally finished on July 30 this year.
• Even after the rainy season of this year was gone, it had been a little bit cool for a while. However, finally, the summer temperature has come by this weekend.
• After a few years intervals, I decided to run around Sayamako-Lake.
• I left home at 5:00 AM. It was fine and a little bit cool.
• Soon the sun appeared. I saw the sun rise after a long interval.
• The buzzing of cicadas was so noisy in the forest of Sayama Park.
• I heard lots of robust cicadas buzzing when I entered into Tamako Circular Cycling Road.
• The temperature rose when I arrived in Sayamako-Lake.
• However, to my relief, when I entered Sakaya Circular Road, the trees provided shade and it was not so hot. The course is good for summer training.
• The problem is the road is not paved and graveled path. The undulation is not so big.
• Anyway, I continued to run in the shaded path.
• I could come across only several runners, walkers and mountain-bikers while running.
• I could see a few demon frying dragons. It seems that there exist lots of natural surroundings there.
• When I came back to the starting point of Sayamako-lake, the scorching sun was shining.
• When I arrived in the Seibu Amusement Park, the running distance exceeded 40 km, which was my planned distance.
• I judged it was impossible to run more under such a high temperature. I decided to go home by train.
• When I reached Musashi Yamato Sation of Seibu Line, the running distance was 45 km. I thought I could run very well under high temperature.

2)Saturday, July 22, 2006 Weather: Drizzling Running on the bank of Tama River toward upper reaches

• This year, the rainy season still continues after July 20. A large amount of rainfall causes many damages in the middle and western part of Japan.
• In Tokyo, however, yesterday, the weatherman man said it would not rain on Saturday. Thus I decided to go long distance running again.
• Last time, I ran down the Tama River, so I tried to go up it.
• I left home around 5:00 AM. The forecast was cloudy, but it seemed to burst into rain shortly.
• It was considerably cool in the early morning. However, since the humidity was 100%, I started to sweat immediately after running.
• Then it started to drizzle. I was worrying that the drizzling might change to rain. Anyway, I lost my fighting spirit from the beginning.
• Anyway, I headed the bank of Tama River in the drizzling via Koganei High Road and Shin-koganei High Road.
• I lost my way after passing under the Chuo Highway Road.
• I detoured and finally managed to reach the bank of Tama River. (The distance from the sea is 33km.)
• It was still at 7:00 AM. It was still drizzling. But I was surprised to find a few groups of runners and many individual runners on the bank. The flowres of oenothera tetraptera were wet with rainfall.
• It seemed that the drizzling would not stop, but I continued to run on the bank as far as I could.
• Owing to continued rainfall, the amount of water of Tama River increased.
• The drizzling misted over my eyeglasses and I felt uncomfortable while running, but I tried to continue to run.
• As I went to the upper of the Tama River, the number of runners decreased since the weather was not so good.
• When I entered Akishima City, I found a lot of display stand saying "Be careful for vipers!!". I wondered if there were actually a lot of vipers.
• I finally reached the point of 50km from the sea. (There is a sign every 1 km.) I check the map there. My running distance was almost 40 km.
• The drizzling finally stopped.
• Of course, it is impossible for me to return to my home by running. I found Ushihama Station of JR Okutama Line was the nearest station from there.
• I arrived in Ushihama Station and took on the train. I changed the train at Haijima Station to Seibu Line.
• I got home at 10:45 AM. It took much time than I expected.
• Today's total running distance was 44 km. My target was 40 km and thus I am satisfied with the result.
• I didn't feel tiredness since it was not hot while I was running.
  
  
  Oenothera tetraptera Tama River Be careful for "Viper"
  
  
  50km from sea
  
  
  

1)Saturday, July 8, 2006 Weather: Cloudy Nogawa River - Futago-tamagawa Bridge - JR Kawasaki Station

• On Friday, the weather man said it would be cloudy on Saturday and thus I decided to run more than 40 km next day.
• The method is to run alongside Tama River toward the Tokyo Bay as much as possible.
• I left home past 5:00 AM. It was cloudy and a little bit cool. However, I started to sweat shortly after running.
• I first headed Nogawa River running alongside the Koganei High Road southward. On the way, I dropped in the Koganei Park. A several joggers were already running in the park.
• I came across a lot of walkers around the Musashino Park and Nogawa Park alongside Nogawa River.
• Soon the soft sunlight was coming and it became humid and hot. However, I continued to run.
• There are several small parks in the course. However, only a few toilets are available.
• Finally I reached the Futago-tamagawa Bridge. It took almost 3 hours. The distance was around 28 km.
• I came across the bridge and arrived in the Kawasaki City. I found the guide plate saying the distance to Kawasaki Station is 13 km. Thus I decided to go to the Kawasaki Station at least.
• It was breezing on the bank of Tama River. I felt relieved for a while. I could see the community of red clover on the bank. I also saw the flowers of yellow day lilies. However, the shape of flowers was not so good and thus I did not want to take photo.
• My running pace slowed down after 30 km. More over, It was getting hotter.
• It took much time to reach the iron bridge of Tokaido Line. I had to run more than 4 km from there to reach the Tokyo Bay. I did not have any energy and I gave up.
• Thus I was running to JR Kawasaki Station. I visited Kawasaki Station after a long interval. Several big buildings were being constructed in the north part of the station.
• The running distance to JR Kawaswaki Station was 43 km. I decided to go home by train via JR Nambu Line.
• I got home around 11:30 AM. I have to go to the Tokyo Bay next time.
  
  
  Futago-Tamagawa Bridge Red Clovers Iron Bridge