Kumagaya and Higashi Matsuyama

Disappointing delay in vote reform February 23, 2012

The political parties will likely miss an important deadline in their efforts to reapportion Lower House seats. In March 2011, the Supreme Court ruled that the August 2009 Lower House election was held unconstitutionally because of a large disparity in the value of one vote between depopulated rural areas and populated urban areas. Under a relevant law, Satu […]

Ikea to open first Kyushu outlet February 23, 2012

Ikea Japan, the Japanese arm of Sweden's Ikea self-assembly furniture group, said Wednesday it will open a store in the city of Fukuoka on April 11, its first retail outlet in Kyushu. The sixth store to be set up in Japan will offer 9,500 items on its 30,000-sq.-meter floor space, according to Ikea Japan, based in Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture.

Test faulty; no warp speed yet to disprove Einstein February 23, 2012

Researchers have found a flaw in the technical setup of an experiment that startled the science world last year by appearing to show particles traveling faster than light. The problem may have affected measurements that clocked subatomic neutrino particles breaking what Nobel Prize-winning physicist Albert Einstein considered the ultimate speed barrier. […]

Rare earth recycling bill in works February 23, 2012

The government has drafted a bill requiring consumers to make efforts to recycle used electronic products containing rare earth and other metals essential in producing hybrid motor vehicles and precision electronics, official sources said Thursday. The government intends to secure the supply of rare earth, rare metal and precious metal resources through the […]

Researchers locate birthplace of eels February 23, 2012

Japanese researchers said Thursday they have located an area where "ma-anago" (real Japanese conger) lay their eggs, retrieving young fish 380 km south of Okinotorishima Island in the Pacific Ocean. The egg-laying site should be along a ridge at the bottom of the ocean about 100 km south of where the fish were found, based on the direction of the c […]

Kumagaya and Higashi Matsuyama

Posted on January 16, 2012 by dannycycle

In my second attempt to follow the route in Jitensha Sanpo, which highlights beautiful farmland and unique historical points in and around Kumagaya and Higashi Matsuyama, I missed a few turns so a 45 kilometer ride became 61. I will go again next week to find Jigoku Numa. It is offroad in the woods and its the only spot I haven’t found. It looks like I missed it by about 2 or 3 hundred meters. My next map will be less haphazard and perhaps it will be a ride I can recommend. I’ve given up on following the exact route of the guide book and just hit the main spots. My bicycle seems to be handling some of the offroad stuff well enough.

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Here are some shots.