The Great Final Drive

Sate, deha the great final drive  no hanashiwo shimashouka.
 You have told stories about yoriko-san by my request but i have never 
told you a long story or an episode. maa amari katahiji harazuni kirakuni 
ikimashou. since we both were quite busy after this occasion, I didn't 
really have a time to report you about it. It seems it has been a long 
tome since then. At the same time it seems like it was just yesterday.
 Maeoki ga nagaku narimashita. It was on the 18th of June last year (1993). Asa 
no 4ji, geshini chikai toittemo mada makkura, we started off onken box 
with Nakagawa civic. Yamadashi no unten de 367 dattakke nasake nai kotoni 
annnani mijika datta kokudo no no. made wasurete shimatta. anyway, yamada 
shi no kyoto bus navigation no hanashi wo kikinagara ohhara kara sarani 
hokujyo. tochuu ha tunnel ryokin goya ga kurai nowo kakunin shite free 
pass. hanaore wo koete. konohen de akaruku natte kita. umenoki wo sugi, 
367 shindo ha ugan kara sagan ni wataru ga soko wo watarazuni ugan zoi no 
kyuudouwo. kutsuki de ski jyo houmen ni usetsu. touge no temae ni 
ski-jyou. tunnel wo nukeru to biwakoga ganka ni. First kyuukei. keido 
chikai no kyuushamen wo oriruto adogawa fan. fan no jyoubu wo yoko ni 
kouiki noudo type no michi de traverse. kyuu161 ni gouryuu. Kokode 
watashi ni unten koutai.
 161 wo hokujyou. imazu de 161 kara makino houmen he bunki. Ishida gawa 
wo kuguru. I talked about kasen soudatsu and tenjyou gawa. Yamada said 
why don't we try to drive along the bank of ishidagawa. So kuruma wo 
tenkai shite tenjyougawa no levee (taiseki ni yotte dekita kouchi) ni 
agaru. Kokono tenjyou ha kanari hiroi. Sayuu no level no sa wo 
tanoshiminagara ishidagawa wo jyouryuu he. Bunjyou bessouchi ni ikiatari, 
sokode road ha end. Nanka hennna bessouchi datta. hikikaeshite reino 
makino cho no straight road he. Fuyu no houga fun iki ga atta youna kiga 
suru. sarani arihara (where narihira was born dattake? fuyu ni Mr morita 
ga shashin wo totta tokoro. Fuyu ni sekisetsu notame toorenakatta tokoro 
wo tootte 161(desuyone) ni fukki.


Arihara kara 161 ni fukki shita tokoro made ikimashita ne. Start shitekara oyoso 93km desu. 161 wo tsuruga houmen he. Tsuruga by-pass kara reino Hokuriku sen ato ni hairu. Kokudoh shoukaku shite route #476 ni natte imasu. Yamada shi no navi de Habara shakoh he. Yoshikawa san ha itta koto arimasuka? 476 kara sorete, Habara no shuuraku no urate kara ayashii michi wo zutto ikuto arimasu. Banana wo tabete haragoshirare wo shite (breakfast desu) sassoku hairu. Kashimagari de daitai yousu wo shitteru kara kowakunai to omotteitaga, Yappari kowai. Naraku ni oriteiku fun'iki. LA no downtown at night ha betsu to shite (joke) I think it's one of the most scary place I've experienced. Hopefully it wasn't naraku and Kashimagari no youni senro ni souguu. Strange thing is senro wakini belt-drive no shingata no Bicycle ga nanndai mo tometearu. Tsuruga hosenku to kaite atte, douyara hosen surutoki tunnel nai no idou ni tsukau mitai. But it seems like there lives a chiteijin who also rides bicycles or There are people who ride down the shakoh every morning to take the train to work or school. (how can they climb up with their bike?) Chijyou ni agatte ikutoki ni omoshiroi koto wo taiken shita. Kukkiri mieteita Deguchiga ikinari mienaku naru. Shibaraku ?? dattaga, shakou deguchi deno dannetsu bouchou niyoru suijyouki no gyouketsu da to hanmei shita. Atode shakou deguchi wo mitetara kanketsutekini suijyoukiwo fukidashite ita. Sate Habara shakou wo ato nishite Henna michi #1 no homare takai hokuriku sen ato wo imajyou houmen he. Itsu toottemo yappari iidesune. Imajyou ekimae de kyuukei. Hi wa takaku nattekitaga Mada asa desu. shibaraku yasunda nochi Yamada shi ni driver koutai shite shuppatsu. Mr yamada no teian ni yori, Takakura pass wo koete tokuyama mura ni dete, Minamikara nukumi wo semeru kotoni. Takakura pass he ikuto omowareru michiwo higashi ni hairu. Mata route 476 datta. Seto to iu tokoro kara 476 wo soreru. Michi ha tachimachi dirt ni shibaraku dirt wo ganbaru to Haison ga atta (tashika Imo-daira toiu). Mada sonna ni abandon saretekara higa asai rashiku, taoreta kabe ya okkochita yane nado ga gorogoro shite iru. Ichibu kireini seibisareta jinjya ga atta. Kono contrast ga futsuriai. Yamada shi ha koresae nakereba to nageite ita. Mada hito ga dokokakara detekitemo okashikunai youna (koremo kawoi desune) haison wo ato nishite sarani dirt wo gambaruga, road condition ha sarani hidoku nari, dannen. Tenkai no shiyou mo naku kanari kurou shinagara motoe modoru.
Zenkai ha haison he itte modotte kita tokoro made. Shuppatsu kara oyoso 146 km deshita. Takakura toge ha dirt de toorenai to iu koto ni natte, Nukumi ha kitakara semeru kotoni nari mashita. Mazu #476 ni modoruto, mata Mr. Yamada no teian ni yori, 476 ga dokomade itteruka mitemiyou toiu kotoni narimashita. Kekkyoku seto kara 2.5km kurai okuhe haitta Somaki mata (ki hen ni yama, tree, between two legs no mata) toiu shuuraku wo by-pass shikaketa tokorode koujichuu ikidomari. Sokomade ha taihen yoi michi de buttsuri kirete ite koremo mata hen. Kekkyoku 476 wo Imajyou made modoru. Imajyou kara Takefu houmen he hokujyou. Yoshikawasan kara kiita hokurikusen no mijikai tunnel wo chanto tootte, Nanjyou mura de Hino river no Ugan he wataru (kokudou 422 dattakke? ha sagan. Hokurikudou ga ugan) hokurikudou no sokudou mitai na michi wo hokujyou. I remember den-en fuukei with beautiful rice paddy fields. Takefu no temae de sagan ni modoru to #8. Untenshu koutai. #8 wo takefu by-pass ni haitte sugu usetsu. Gobuichi houmen he. 1972 map dato railway ga hashitteiru. The route we took was not the actual haisen ato. Konohen de Yamada shi ha nete shimau. Mijyuku na watashiha chizu wo omoi ukaberarenai. Tonikaku ikeda-chou houmen he ikuto kanari kyuuna touge ga atte sore wo koshite mata shibaraku ikuto fairly large scale na waterfall ga ari mashita. Kuruma wo stop. Yamada sensei ha very find of waterfall (Yoshikawasan mo soudesu ne) de "i-idesune-e". Nakanaka yokatta. Michibata ni hyokkori aredake no taki ga arunomo mezurashii. Sarani ikuto karaki-pass ni sashi kakaru. Koremo one-side steep (keidou chiaki deha nai to omou) na pass de, touge kara yukute ne nagame ga subarashi katta. Toge wo oriruto kadoma (angle between). Nanto futatabi #476. Ikeda chou houmen he. Kono tani (Ajimi gawa? (taste, see) ha hikakute ki tanisoko ga hiroku akarui kanji. Hinabita fun'iki mo yoi. #476 no hokani kyuudou ya Kouiki-noudou ga heikou shiteiru fun'iki nanodaga, Navi ga utsura utsura shite irunode shikatanaku sonomama iku. (Doushite kurumawo tomete chizuwo minain dehsoune, watashiha - hansei) Yokokoshi to iu tokorode Oono houmen he bunki. Toge wo koeruto Managawa fan ni deru. Konohen de Yamada shi is awake again and I got so tired driving, thus koutai. OOno city is located at the foot of the fan. We traversed the fan in the middle with kouiki-noudo. Kono kouiki noudou mo tochuu de buttsuri kiretari shite, azemichi wo kushi shite route 157 ni deru. Yukute ni ookiku hida sanmyaku ga sobiete iru. Konohen de time ha 12:30 kurai. Kyoto kara 8.5hrs, 226km.
Ohno made kita wake desune. Yamada shi no unten de #157 wo kuzuryuuko houmen he. Etsumi hokusen to heikou shinagara jyouryuu he haitte iku. Halfway to kuzuryuu kurai de "Ama gozen no taki" toiu hyoushiki wo hakken. Ittan touri sugiruga, yappari kininaru toiukotode modotte 157 zoi ni car wo park. hyoushiki ni sotte yamawo agarukoto 15fun. Honeori zon no kutabire mouke kana to kangae dashita tokoro de taki ni tadori tsuku. Kanari ookii taki de kokomade nobotte kuru kachi ga aru toiu mono. Yamada-shi "koreha nattoku ga ikimasu ne!". 3dan no taki de tsuyu no uryou mo atte suiryou mo houfu. Nakanaka hakuryoku gaaru. Shibaraku nagameta nochi kuruma he modoru. Sarani 157 wo okuhe to susumu. Kuzuryuuko no aru Izumi mura no shuuraku wo ikutsuka sugi, Kuzuryu-ko eki he. Kono eki ha gozonji no toori sou mokuzou de nakanaka shareta mono. Let's have lunch to iu kotoni nattaga, Kankou-center no sansai okowa yara soba yara ha from Yamada shi's point of view it was kankouchika sarete ite unauthentic (authenticity is one of the important criteria for his aesthetics) so, we went to a Sakaya ken Combini (Yamada-shi was planned to buy some Jizake) and ate Cup-o-noodles (rahmen) and kashi pan etc. talking with the obasan (politely, a onhesan) of the store. Jyubun kyuukei wo totta nochi my drive de shuppatsu. Konohen ha bonchi ni natte ite omottayori hirakete iru. Shibaraku ikuto Kuzuryuu dam. Earth fill dam to shiteha nihon deha saidaikyuu. I showed interest but Yamadashi wasn't (I think you aren't interested in dams and other human interventions to natural landscapes as well) this might be partly because I had to study some parts of doboku when taking undergraduate course in eisei. Kuzuryuu kono kohan wo hashiru. Yamada shiha neteru. Kuzuryuuko no shippo no hou ni aru "rainbow bridge" janakutte "Niji ni kakehashi" (former is the one built between Shinagawa and Harumi in Tokyo) wo watatte, Kuzuryuu ko nangan ha michiha semai wa curve ha ooi wa ikedomo ikedomo komakai wan wo detari haittari. Yamadashi ha neteru shi.. Taikousha ga mattaku konai node watashi to shiteha kanari mubou na unten wo shinagara iyoiyo kanete kara no kennan datta ise-toge linearment ni tori kakaru. Tto kokode ikinari sansai tori no obasan pair no kuruma ni dekuwasu. "Dokkara kitan?" "n-kyoto kara" "Nanishini?" "Iya- betsu ni...." "Antara daigakusei?" nod "Himaga atte Iine- heijitsu ni konnnatoko made kuru nannte" (Kyou ha ichiou souritsu kinenbi de gakko yasumi nanndakedo.."
Zenkai ha sansai tori no obasan ni atte, "shizen chirigaku no excursion desu" tomo iezuni maitta tokoro made deshita. By the way, Yamada shi and I brought in some music tapes to listen while driving. I was amazed by Yamada shi's broad taste of music. I remember, right after leaving Habara, we tried chinese music. (korega mata i-ndesuyo-, he said) It was too kyouretsu after coming back from the exciting shakou. I hope you can imagine the characteristic "vibrato" of chinese music. We agreed it was kyouretsu sugiru and changed the tape to Kura-kura (another yamada taste). Hanashi ha moto he modotte Ise-toge linearment. Tonikaku massugu na tani nanodesu. East side ha tanisoko ga kekkou hiroi nodesuga, jinka ha mattaku nai. Yamada shi ni unten wo kawatte moratte dansou chikei wo sagasou to suruga, amari kencho na monoha mirarenai (shikashi kitto dansou dato omou). Ise toge ha east side ha hotondo noboranai but west side ha tanimo semaku, tsudura orede shamen wo orite iku. Kono contrast mo nakanaka na mono. Taniga semai tameni, michimo tokoro dokoro semaku, tayorinai hashide ugan to sagan wo ittari kitari. Soukou suru uchini Sasao dam (bamboo born) lake ni nari, (Not impressive at all! even I agree). 157 ni fukki. Sasetsu shiyouto suruto ikinari drumcan type no red and white (yellow?) striped barricade ni dekuwasu. Iwaku "Noumi-toge kouji no tame tsuukou dome". Shikashi, barricade ha shasen no katagawa dakedatta node tonikaku itte miyou to kyoukou. Kako no rei kara ittemo "Touketsu no tame tsuukou kinshi" no Tsubakizaka touge (hokkoku kaidou with mican box in the boot [british way of saying trunk - flea market is called "car boot sales" here. AT first I didn't understand]) (sorry for long diversion) no youni toureta rei ha ooi. Shikashi konkai ha muri kamo...
Sate, iyoiyo "zenjin mitou" no okuchi ni haitte ikimasu. Nanishiro kokokara toge made ha shuuraku ha naishi, tsuukoh dome ni natte iruno dakara daremo inai no mo atarimae. 1.2 kara 1.5 shasen kurai no michi ga jyunchouni tsuzuku. Mada toge made 30km ijyou arunode konosaki dou natteiruka wakaranai. Sokohe taikousha ga ichidai. Koreha moshiya tsuukou dekirunodeha to kitai wo idaku. (Ato de kangaete miruto kouji genba kara kaeri no kuruma datta) Jitsu ni futsuu no tani no michi (tokuni inshou ni nokotte inai node futsuu datta nodato omou) Dansou no tani ni hairu maeni hitotsu touge wo koeru katachi ni natte ita youni omou. Touge ni chikazuku ni tsurete tokoro dokoro dirt ga shutsugen suru. Iyoiyo ayashiku natte kita. hitotsume no koujigenba ha diversion ga shikkari dekite ite nan naku tsuuka. Korede owarika to omoikiya, dirt ha tsuzuki, sono sakiniha koujigenba ga. Diversion ha mienai. Tonikaku itte miru. Ichiou kouji genba no mannaka (tto ittemo taishite habano hiroi mono deha nai) ni 0.8shasen kurai no space ga dekite iru. Tonikaku haitte iku. Suruto ikuteha dorono kyuusaka. 30 do ha atta deshou. Kokode tomattaga 100 nen me toiu kanji, zuruzuru suberi ochite ikisou. Koujigenba no hitoga ibukashige or shinpaisouna kaotsuki de miteiru naka, wareware no Civic ha nanntoka sorewo nobori kitta (FF sha ha sugoi!). Tsugiha Paris-dakar no start dai no youna temporary bridge de oriru. Fuu! (tameiki) Iya- tootte shimai mashita ne.. Imadani watashi ha are ha jyouyousha no tame ni attanoka bulldozer no tame ni attanoka wakaranai. Kokokara ha honto ni massugu na tani. Tokoro dokoro kerunbatto tekina chikei mo mirareru. Masani dansou. tto mata kouji genba. Kondoha michino mannnakawo asphalt cutter de kitteiru. Kitto tanigawa ga egurete shimatta no darou. Tadadesae 1.5shasen aruka naika nanoni.. Banji kyuusu ka to watashi ha omotta. Ano kyuuna dorosaka wo douyatte orirunoka, daitai kokodeha tenkai mo dekinai.. Douyara yamadashi no houga shahaba kankaku ga atta youde, kekkou reisei ni girigiri no tokoro wo surinukete itta. Kouji genba no hito tachiha warewareno shutsugen ni kanari odoroita moyou. Kokoira hen koso honshuu de mottomo jinkou mitsudo no hikui tokoro to iu kanji. Tanisoko ga hiroku natta tokoro demo kawani jinkou tekina teibou ha mattaku naku, hanran gen wo bush ga ootteitari, hayashi ni natte itari. Yamada shi ni mukai kawa no o-ne ga kagijyou ni oremagatte iru toka, sankaku mattan men toka wo setsumei suru. Soukou suru uchi ni touge michi rashiku nari, shibaraku noboruto nukumi touge. Chanto "Gifu ken" "Fukui ken" nado no hyouji ga aru. Tenkou ga amari yokunaku, usui kirino naka. Konkai saidai no mokuteki (at least for me) ni touchaku. Kyoto kara 320km jikoku ha 4ji wo mawatta atari (datta to omou tashika 12h mo drive shiterunda to itta).
Nengan no nukumi toge ni toutatsu. Kiri no tame shikai mo waruku, kokomade kurunoga taihen na koto wo nozoke ba nannno hentetsu mo nai touge. Shibaraku yasunda nochi futatabi Mr.yamada no unten de kudaru. Kudari no houga kyuu dearu. Doumo watashiha keidou chikai wo taira na hou kara kyuu na hou he drive suru keikou ni aru rashii. Michi ha kanari iikagen. Tani bu wo cross suruto kanarazu to itte yoi hodo, michi no shitano suiro ga dosha de umatte, dosha no taiseki shita rojyou wo mizu ga nagarete iru. Kekkou fukai tokoro mo atta. Ikkasho wazawaza watashiga orite sakini watatte, kurumaga watatte kuru tokoro wo shashin ni tottaga, Foglamp wo tsukete ita koto mo atte, are de mousukoshi mizushibuki wo agete ireba sanagara rally no fuukei. Saka wo orikiru to mata massugu na tani ga tsuzuku. Kawa (West branch of neo river datta to omou) ha tochuude migi ni oreru ga, hantai gawa no anbu made zutto massugu. Kerun batto, kerun koru, sankaku mattanmen, one no zure nado, dansou chikei no houko. Shibaraku ikuto ikinari migigawa ni fukai sakeme ga detekite, michiha socchi ni hairu. Tani ha massugu tsuzuiteiru mitainanoni. Korede nukumi dansou niha sayonara. Kyoukoku ni sotte michiha dangai no chuufuku wo iku. sakki toha utte kawatta fuukei. Zutto irikunda kurai tani wo nuu youni susumu. Saigo no shuuraku kara 100km chikai. Neo (dattakke) no shuuraku ni deruto hotto shita kanji. Taikou shasen ni douro jyouhou hyouji ga atte, Ushiro wo furikaeruto '#157 Fukui houmen tsuukou dome". Tokuyama houmen ni iku yotei dakedo, toriaezu dansou made yorimichi. Neo-dani mitori dansou ha sonomae ni yoshikawasan to itta toki to onaji. Mada akarui node mawari wo miwataseru. (yoshikawa san to itta tokiha shinya deshita yone?) Zannen nagara, dansou hakubutsukan ha already shut. Driver ha watashi ni kawari, mazu gas station he (britain deha kore wo garage to yobu. Watashi no college no soba niha 24h open no TEXACO garage ga ari, sokoga yui itsu no "combinience store") Dansou kara Neo no shuuraku he hokujyou shite kitanode, gasoline stand (koreha Japanese expression) no oni-(oji)san ni "korekara dokohe ikuno, kokokara saki #157 ha tsuukou dome dayo" nigawarai shinagara "Iya- tokuyama no hou ni ikimasu". Yoshikawa san tono drive wo furikaeri nagara zenkai to ha gyaku houkou ni tadaru. Umasaka toge wo koete Tokuyama no tanini deru. Kokoha mou shibaraku suruto dam lake no soko ni naruno darouka... Watashito shiteha kaichou ni ano kekkou semai michiwo nanka. Yoshikawasan to kita tokiha kokorahen de taiya ni ishiga tsumatte henna oto ga shita to ka, ano henna 4WD no choushi ga okashii lamp ga tsuita to ka omoidashita. Ano 1 oku yen no Fujihashi castle wo toori sugiru. Yosoudouri Mr Yamada ha disgusting to itta. Sarani ikuto Yokoyama dam. Kono dam no kohan ha ujigawa line ni niteiru. Yokoyama dam de kyuukei & driver koutai. of course mr Yamada is not impressed with the dam.
Sate, Yokoyama dam kara #303 wo hassou toge he. Itachi? no jikogenba no hanashi ha sudeni mention sarete shimatta. Souieba watashiga hajimete shinya drive de drive shita noha yoshikawa san to Neodani fault ni itta toki datta. Neodani wo kudari, sekigahara no temae made to kousoku wo Hikone kara Otsu? made. Kousokude oikoshi wo shiyou to shite, shasen henkou ni kiwo torare sugite, kiga tsuita ra nukou to shiteita kuruma ga haruka sakini itte shimatta to iukoto wo oboete iru... I was happy because you trusted my driving (or else you wouldn't let me drive). Motohe modotte. Zenkai ha kouji chuu datta tokoro ha kakufuku sarete kanari kaizen sareta. Soredemo semai yamamichi wo enen to noboru. Toge niha reino kokudou shoukaku kinen no hi ga aru. Chinamini 1972 ban deha Hassou toge ha #303 dearuga, Nukumi toge ha mada #157 ni natte inai. Toge ni tsuita tokiha kasuka ni yuugureno higa nokotteita. Kokokara sakiha 0.8 shasen shika nai to hajime kara yokoku shite ita node, semai koto ha semai ga taishita koto ha nakatta (nukumi no ato to iu kotomo aru). Kanaihara made ikuto totsuzen michiga hiroku naru. konomama sunaoni #303 wo kinomoto he ikeba iimonowo, aete yogoko houmen ni bunki suru. Kono bunki wo mitsukeru noga muzukashiku, watashi toshiteha mezurashiku, Sugimoto toiu jitsuni chiisana shuuraku wo acchi ni haitte ikidomari, kocchi ni itte motoni modoru, to hijyouni awkward na koto wo kurikaeshita ageku, yatto hashimoto to iu tokoro he iku michiwo mitsukeru. Koreha kanari muzukashii bunki. Cannon ball ni torikomu kotoga dekitara critical point ni naru dearou. Shibaraku tanizoi ni hashiru to toge wo noboru. kono toge ha marude railway ato to shika kangaerarenai youna tunnel ga aru. Tanyu toiu tokoro wo sugite, Yogo ni deru. #8 wo iku noha omoshiroku nai node, kinomoto no temae de gouin ni heikou shiteiru hokurikusen wo oudan shi, azemichi wo tsukkiri yogo gawa zoi ni deru. Dote no ue wo hasshitari, shitani oritari. Kouiu tokoro ha hotaru ga itemo yoi hazu, tto itteru tokoro de zenpou ni nandai ka kuruma ga tomatte ite douyara kazoku zure rashii hito tachiga dote ni iru. Wareware mo kuruma wo tomete mini ikuto yappari hotaru. Shibaraku gensouteki na fun iki ni hitaru. Hotaru to iu noha watashiha sukida, also mr yamada. Taikyo shite meiji shinkyu daigaku (in kameoka) made hotaru kenbutsu ni kuridashita noha kono mou 1 nen mae dattakke? 1993 june ha watashi ha "rainen ha mirenai" to bakari ni kono atomo sosui ni hotaru mini nandoka itta. Yonakani sho-ninsuu de hotaru wo mini ikuno tte i-idesune-. Mata dassen shite shimatta. Driver ha watashi ni kawari, #303 wo kosei homen he. Ikinari thunderstorm ga kite maeha mienai wa, hyo- ga furu wa de menkurau. Kaizu ni kita koro niha sukkari agari, kogan doro wo nanka. Konomichi ha nanndo mo nanndo mo ironna drive de, ironna hitoto, ironna kurumade tottana-. Imato naruto kangai bukai. Fuukei (tto ittemo shinya no) ga meni ukabu. Dokodattaka de unten wo yamada shi ni koutai. 161wani kara tochuu he. Korede loop ga tojita kotoni naru. Kondo ha jimichi de oohara houmen. Kokode futo momoi houmen ga 477 ni shoukaku shite hyoushiki ga mirareru kamoshirenai to omoitachi, kodeishi de usetsu. ano kyuusaka wo nobotte momoi, soshite kurama kaido he. 477 no hyouji ha mada doko nimo nakatta. Mou owari ha chikai. Seikadai deha naku sandai no hou kara kamokaidou wo hashiri, imadegawa, higashi-ohji, higashi-ichijyo. Waga onken box Touchaku ha 10ji sugi, 18hours no GFD de atta.