Karatsu Sightseeing

On Saturday after my run in Kabeshima Island, I spend the morning sightseeing Karatsu.

The Port of Yobuko's cuttlefish-catching boats.

Yobuko Asaichi (Morning Market) sign.

There were many sea-product-selling stalls at the narrow street of the market.

I then drove to the ruins of Hizen Nagoya Castle - the fortress built in 1591 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, then ruler of Japan to invade Korea and China.

A picture of the castle that used to be.

The area that led to the main castle buildings has big trees now.

Old rock steps.

A monument stands at the area where main building stood.

This is where Tenshu tower stood.

Looking down at the walls of the castle from Tenshu area.

I squeezed in visiting the area of Cape Hado - the tip of the peninsula where the fortress ruins are.

There was a nice public beach there.

The lighthouse at the tip of the cape and a Torii that leads to it.

A view from the tip of the cape - two islands are Matsushima and Katoshima Islands to the north - about 3 km away.

The monument of Heart - "Hado" sounds like "heart" pronounced in Japanese.

A Run in Kabeshima Island

Kabeshima is a little island in Karatsu, Saga Prefecture.  I stayed over night across a nice bridge and had a very nice run on the bridge yesterday morning.

Running on Yobuko Ohashi Bridge - there were kites (Tombi in Japanese) flying around.

A view from the observatory - the Port of Yobuko and the bridge are seen.

Former Kabeshima Elementary School - closed in 2011due to not having enough students.

Kabeshima Port - Tabe Jinja Shrine on the other side.

Cows roam at the ranch of the northern edge.

Dragon flies over rice fields.

Rice looked very healthy.

A farm road.

Terraced rice fields.

There were many unpaved roads.

Yobuko Ohashi Bridge from the island side.

The island was quite hilly - it felt as if I was either going up or down all the time.

An Otaru Run

On Tuesday morning, I could go for a run in Otaru.

Otaru Station seen from my hotel room.

The railway south of the station.

Lavenders on the side of the road.

Pretty yellow flowers.

A sign says this is a protected forest.

The view from the observatory 3 km from the station - could see the whole city.

The sign of the observatory - 190 m altitude.

The road that led to the observatory.

Pretty yellow flowers.

Pretty pink flowers.

Otaru is famous for sushi.

An old inn was established 10th year of Meiji (1877).

An old railway is no longer in use.  Otaru used to be a booming town.

A shotengai by the station.

A Run by Lake Shumarinai

I spent the long weekend staying by Lake Shumarinai in Hokkaido.  I could take a nice run in the area on Sunday.  The lake was made in 1943 - with the completion of Uryu Dam during the Pacific War.

A sign shows the way to the lake and camp sites.

There are many farm product fields near by.

A little bus stop.

The road has an arrow overhead that shows the edge of the road when snow covers the area.

A nice creek.

A memorial for the victims of forced labor to build the dam.

Uryu Daiichi (No.1) Dam.

A levee that closes the dam.

A bird's eye view map of the area.

A monuments for the dam completion.

The lake as seen close from the dam.

One of the campsites.

The number (-41.2) is the lowest temperature in Celsius recorded in Japan.

Row boats.