The resolution of the big cliffhanger! Yes, they’re headed to the Oigawa (I’ve marked the dam here, but the whole thing is the Oi River). I don’t know precisely where Aya lives, but it turns out if you join Hamanako-Sakume Station (the nearest station to Grandma’s house) to Kai-Tokiwa Station (the nearest station to Rin’s house) with a straight line, the midpoint of said line is pretty close to the midpoint of the Oigawa Railway. It’s even closer if you connect Grandma’s house to Nadeshiko’s house instead. (The midpoint as the scooter runs appears to be closer to Shizuoka city, though).
In any case, Nadeshiko starts on a Minobu line train, before disembarking at Utsubuna Station. The onsen Sakura mentions on page 83 is most likely this place, based especially on this photo. This area was already on my list of places to visit, but boy, does it look pretty.
On page 93, Rin is travelling somewhere along this road. It probably be tricky to pinpoint precise locations, but there are spots that look quite pretty, like this.
Page 95, Rin arrives at Senzu Station. If you’re riding the Oigawa Railway (which I want to), this is where you need to change from the Oigawa Main Line (which is serviced by heritage steam trains) to the Ikawa Line (Japan’s only rack-and-pinion railway). The whole thing looks so incredibly scenic, and I still would like to know if it’s possible, timing-wise, to get off at every station and look around. The main line also has a replica Thomas the Tank Engine train, which appears on pretty much all the advertising. And a few of Thomas’ friends.
Page 100, Aya mentions riding along national road number one, and presumably it’s somewhere along this section (assuming she’s coming from somewhere along the northern edge of Lake Hamana and not the southern edge).
Page 104, Aya proposes heading for Lake Hatanagi. Considering how far they’ve already come (Rin’s travelled 108km; Aya, assuming she lives near grandma, has travelled 104km, though Google’s suggesting she could have managed it in 90km and avoided highway one) it’s a fair way upstream of them.
Page 81, I kinda want to see how the English version renders the ソロソロソロキャン pun now…
Page 94, any thoughts as to whether the number plate on Aya’s motorbike has some sort of meaning in goroawase or something? (Or Rin’s, for that matter - 376-66 is almost the height of Mount Fuji (that’s 3776)…)
And… you’re just gonna leave us hanging on the subject of あのハンバーグ?
Proper nouns
Page 83
寸又峡=すまたきょう
Page 91
千頭駅=せんずえき
Page 104
畑薙湖=はたなぎこ
Page 105 is a big list of place names. Almost pondering if it’s worth leaving it as an exercise for the reader. Maybe finding them on a map will be the exercise.
島田=しまだ
金谷=かなや
牧之原=まきのはら
藤枝=ふじえだ
清水=しみず
富士宮=ふじのみや