This is the entrance to the first tunnel you encounter on route 162 coming out of Kyoto. Tunnels are not a pleasant experience on a bicycle. There's usually no illumination, so you're less visible to traffic. There is usually no sidewalk so things feel quite cramped when traffic passes. Its also much noisier then I would have imagined. Engine and tire noise reverberates down the tunnel and it sounds like an army of cars is chasing you every time a little compact passes me by.

Luckily for me, this tunnel has an alternative road, blocked off to vehicles, which can be used by pedestrians to bypass the tunnel. This is helpfully indicated in the barrier. Unluckily for me, I am basically illiterate, so I went straight into the tunnel.

On the other side of the tunnel lies the sleepy and rather pretty Nakagawa village. Nakagawa can be read as 'in the stream', which is kind of apt, as a small river runs though the entire village.

Some homes seem to have their own personal bridge leading into their house. Apparently they come in handy as a driveway.

On the way out of Nakagawa, I passed this interesting bus type thing. It belongs to the right-wing political party of Japan. They rely heavily on their supporters' sense of patriotism in their campaigns. The flower-like logo on the back and by the driver's door is the crest of the imperial family.

Campaigning for many parties consists of driving their truck through neighbourhoods blaring out a continuous message like 'My name is so-and-so, please vote for me in the coming election'. Over and over. No handshaking or public appearances of any kind. That seems to be the tried and tested method of campaigning. The extreme-right party, which advocates keeping foreigners out of Japan and claiming disputed territory as Japanese land among other things, is the most audible. They have large black buses which go in convoy through the streets of Kyoto. You can hear them several blocks away. In the background they play old wartime music.

Route 162 is quite popular among motorbike riders. To the left of the biker dude, on the top part of the metal blinds you can make out the two kanji charachters for Nakagawa.

This sign was displayed at the exit of Nakagawa. It tells motorists to 'please drive home safely'.

This must be what it takes to claim a piece of land from the mountains.