9:00 am — TSH, day 18

くんま水車の里 かあさんの店

I’m out of my words how great this family is. I woke up around 6am, at the same time Sizan-san and Norimichi-san started chanting in the temple.

Later Sizan-san invited me to keep him company during morning exercises (radio-exercises) and let me make a few strokes with a calligraphy set. I believe I like calligraphy, I should try to practice it sometimes.

The breakfast they treated me with was fantastic and Keiko-san was kind enough to give me a bento for lunch.

Norimichi-san commented that this is a busy season at the temple because it is hot and a lot of people are dying. Then he brought me a hat to protect from the sun-rays.

I’m really grateful to this family, they are great people.

View from temple veranda with bamboo blind overlooking Japanese garden
Tabby cat sleeping on concrete in sunlight
Traditional Japanese breakfast tray with rice, miso soup, and side dishes

9:30 am — Random encounter

The Frog

Large warty toad facing the camera head-on in grass and pine needles, hiking boot visible at the edge of the frame
Brown toad sitting among grass and pine needles
Hiking boot next to large toad for size comparison

11:00 am — The border

くんま水車の里 かあさんの店

Yep, right now I’m sitting at the border. Ready to leave Shizuoka prefecture and to enter Aichi prefecture. It is not the first border I’m passing yet Shizuoka is the first prefecture I’ve spent that much time in.

Loaded hiking backpack on a wooden picnic bench with a conical straw kasa hat strapped to it and trekking poles leaning beside

2:30 pm — Another random encounter

Thanks to these guys and their hard work I am able to hike the trail. Tokai Shizen Hodo workers on the patrol.

Two Tokai trail maintenance workers posing by their truck in forest

5:30 pm — Course of the day

Just a normal hiking day along the beautiful rivers with gorgeous waterfalls. It is hot yet sometimes windy and thus totally ok for me. My feet hurt badly after the previous two days and also I’m two days ahead of plan. And since it might be rainy tomorrow I’m staying at the same spot near Horaiji mountain for the next three nights, giving rest to my feet and probably visiting some nearby onsens.

/Watch Kino no Tabi if you haven’t seen it yet/

Small waterfall cascading into clear pool surrounded by green forest

8:00 pm — Wrapping the day

You know these bridges they put over highways to allow animals to cross the road without being hit by a car? They have things like that for hikers here in Japan!

At the end of the day I arrived at my booked place and after spending like half an hour trying to find the place (gps mark was incorrect) I was finally able to check-in and also met Suzuki-san in person. Before that we only communicated via airbnb chat.

This is the place I’m going to stay for three nights to both rest and wait for a typhoon to pass.

Weathered concrete staircase climbing to a pedestrian overpass that spans a quiet forest road
Rocky stream cascading through mossy forest