Route 345 in Niigata Prefecture along the Sea of Japan

Helicopter pilot Lt. Abe who took me to Tsuruoka

Midori, Marie and Nagisa who took me to Noshiro City.

The Shoji family who went 100 kilometers out of their way to take me to my destination, Hirosaki.

Mr. Tateyama who rescued me from what he deemed a dangerous place to stand on Route 4

Dr. Masegi who took me from Bandaisan SA on the Banetsu expressway to Niigata City.

Highlights of this trip

• Mrs. Fujiwara, the fish market lady, picked me up for the 4th time to date. It’s likely I’ll see her again unless I change my route.
• A helicopter pilot, Lt. Abe who serves in the Self Defense Force took me to Tsuruoka in Yamagata Prefecture. He says he can also fly light aircraft.
• Approached at a highway rest stop between Akita City and Noshiro by two sisters, Midori and Marie. They offered me a ride to Noshiro City.
• Got stuck for 2 hours in Noshiro City! One possible reason is I let Midori and Marie take me further to Noshiro Minami rather than Hachiryu which is the beginning of the free expressway where it was more likely to get a ride further past Norshiro. The expressway entrance at Noshiro Minamri is narrower and harder for drivers to stop.
• Rescued from my plight by a man who took me to Higashi Noshiro station. I approached him at a convience store parking lot asking him where the closest train station was, and he offered me a ride. From there I walked to Higashi Noshiro IC. I knew was only 10 minutes away by foot. The next train was an hour later which meant I had plenty of time to both hitchhike and walk back to the station if I didn’t catch a ride in time. But afher only 10 minutes wait at Noshiro Higashi IC, I caught a ride from the Shoji family who were on their way to Kita-Aikita City. At first they said they would take me to Fatatsui just past Noshiro, but then they decided to take me all the way to my destination, Hirosaki in Amori! It was at least 100 kilmeters out of their way.
• Pioneered a new way to get out of Sendai. Took a train from Minami Sendai to Tategoshi and hitchhiked on National Route 4 which leads to the Shiroishi interchange of the Tohoku Expressway. Mr. Tateyama took pity on me because he thought the place I was standing on Route 4 was too dangerous. It was indeed narrow and hard for cars to stop.
• Got a ride on Route 4 by an elementary school teacher on his way to Aizu, the very direction I needed to go. Moreover, he took the expressway from Shiorishi which saved me the time I would have needed to hitchhike there.
  Dr. Masegi, a professor at a university in Niigata, took me back home to Niigata city. One of his hobbies is wind-surfing.

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