All around Japan !!

日本 一周

[dadou-on-the-road]

As I keep working on my book project (cycling trip around Japan), I realized I never posted the global itinerary I followed, so here we go :

Rough global schedule and itinerary : May 2015 : Honshu ocean coast (Tokyo - Shizuoka - Hamamatsu - Nagoya - Kyoto), Honshu Japanese sea side (Koyoto - Tsuruga - Kanazawa - Noto peninsula - Sado island - Niigata - Akita – Aomori)

June and July 2015 : Hokkaido (Hakodate - Niseko - Sapporo - Rumoi - Wakkanai & Soya misaki - Asahikawa - Sounkyo - Abashiri - Shari - Shiretoko Toge - lake Kusharo - Akan onsen - Akkeshi - Nemuro - Kushiro - Obihiro – Tomakomai)

July 2015 : Honshu ocean coast (ferry Tomakomai -> Tsuruga, Tottori - Masuda - Shimonoseki)

August 2015 : West Kyushu (Kitakyushu - Fukuoka - Sasebo - Nagasaki - Kumamoto - Aso - Amakusa - Kagoshima) and Okinawa (ferry Kagoshima -> Naha, Nago - Kunigami - Hedo misaki - Higashi - Henza island / Miyagi island)

September 2015 : East Kyushu (ferry Naha -> Kagoshima, Ibusuki - Sakurajima - Miyazaki - Beppu), South Honshu (Hiroshima - Shimanami Kaido)

October 2015 : Shikoku (Matsuyama - Uwajima - Shimanto - Kochi - Muroto misaki - Tokushima - Takamatsu - Shikokuchuo - Tokushima), ferry Tokushima - Tokyo

Summary of distances : Honshu, Japanese sea side : 2 539 km Hokkaido : 2 719 km Kyushu : 1 865 km Okinawa : 621 km South Honshu & Honshu Pacific ocean coast : 1 256 km Shikoku : 1 150 km TOTAL : 10 167 km

Each star on the map is a place I stopped for the night (camping, people's place, youth hostel, small guest room, ...). The exact name of the places is on the Tumblr page. I'll work soon on a complete map with real itinerary, but I have to dig into the maps for that.

[dadou-on-the-road]

Grand finish :

All good things come to an end, and ... here I am, back home in Tokyo, exactly where it all started 160 days ago, a perfect illustration that it's not the destination that counts, but the journey.

Back at the same point but richer of incredible life experiences accumulted during these 10 167 km around the country. I travelled through mountains, islands, plains, rivers, gorges, hills, I cycled in bright sun, crazy winds, heavy rain, freezing cold, I met so many locals and travellers, I was attacked by hundreds of flies, mosquitos, bees, spiders, frogs, crabs, snakes, I felt the changing of seasons, not because of the Halloween corner of a supermarket or a green tea ice cream summer special edition, but because colors, smells, daylight, fruits on trees, cultures in fields, animals lurking around my camp changed as months passed. Distances and time got a new meaning, I fell a few times, got injured, went to hospital, was controlled by police, I ate amazing regional specialities, picked fruits and vegetables on my way, I slept in road station, hot spring, corridor of ryokan, salt factory, restaurant, fisherman shelter, … The list is long but each part of this experience became a part of me and helps me to keep on moving forward, always curious and willing to discover.

This long journey was first about people, I'm grateful for all encounters I made on my way, for what I learnt through this wide panel of personalities, about the country and about myself. Japanese people are deeply kind and benevolent, they offered me so much by their stories, their attitude, their greetings, their gifts, I will never be able to give it back, and this trip would never have been the same without them.

Even though I wish I could see more places and live aditionnal adventures, I have a real satisfaction of having done the best I could in the time I had, and I have no regrets for the choices I made, as each one of them led me here today with an amazing sequence of events. The main objectives were to discover Japan deeper by going in many places and talk to locals, trying to understand heart and soul of Japan. I left with no plan, not even a big picture of the itinerary, as I decided to follow my feelings, encounters, people stories, weather, body condition, … The journey was also a deep look into myself, getting a better knowledge of my physical and mental limits, and even pushing it a little further. I left with many questions about my life path, I come back with no answers but certainly some progress have been done. My secondary « objectives » (cycle at least 150 days continuously, reach 10 000 km, no car, no bus, no train, no plane) were also achieved, which is a little pride I must admit, but so minor in the whole experience.

There's so much to say about this trip, but now I need time to digest the experience and make sure I keep the same positive line despite being back in the crazy non-sensical modern life – maybe that is the real challenge !

[dadou-on-the-road]

Day 160 – Tokyo : Here I am, back in the great Tokyo. I took my time to cycle the last 15 km from the port to my home, it was raining as if Tokyo also was sad to see the end of my trip.

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Day 159 – Somewhere in the ocean : As I have no time left to ride back to Tokyo as initially intended, I took a ferry from Tokushima. I spent most of the time alone, trying to get prepared for the return, as I know it will be quite challenging after all these months on the road …

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Day 158 – Tokushima : For this last real cycling day, I went up in the mountains and followed a wide valley, along the Yoshino river. I feel more and more nostalgic as I get closer to Tokushima, last stop of my Shikoku trip and end of this journey, and I enjoy even more each hour of this day.

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Day 157 – Shikokuchuo : I cycled along the coast and witnessed the « five volcano peaks ». Thanks to good weather, I could clearly see the coast of Honshu in the distance during the whole day. At the exact time I was at the last crossroad to go to that place, I received a message from my friend Naoko advising me to visit Konpira-san. The detour was worth it, it is an impressive temple in the mountain, offering great views, especially from the last shrine, accessible after 1368 steps in the forest. I will arrive at night in the sinister and industrial Shikokuchuo, but I found a small quiet place to stay where I will enjoy a nice diner and some good deserved rest.

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Day 156 - Takamatsu : great day following the Naruto Skyline, going through Oge island and Shimada island, with spectacular views, and a nice ride along the coast, blue sea on one side, yellow fields ansmd mountains on the other side, perfect blue sky and bright sun ! I'll stop in Takamatsu and enjoy delicious Udon (thick noodles), speciality of the town.

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Day 155 - Naruto : a great ride in a valley running through the last summits of this east part of Shikoku, then vast flat lands along the coasts. Reaching Tokushima and Naruto, famous for the big whirlpools, will take me ages because of this crazy wind...

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Day 154 - Hiwasa / Minami : long ride along the coast from the Cape Muroto, and a few kilometers in the mountains. I'll set camp just a few meters from the Yakuo ji temple (number 23 of the pilgrimage), with a few other travellers around me. I'll have nice discussions with Alan, a pilgrim from Brisbane walking the all 88 temples in reverse way to avoid crowds.

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Day 153 - Murotomisaki : a long and nice ride along the west coast of the Cape Muroto. Last year, I camped here during high season with many people and tried to teach them some French, this year is now off season and I will camp with the good company of a biker from Nagoya and wild cats lurking around.

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Day 152 - Kochi : it is amazing how various landscapes can be in a single day here in Japan ! Within a 100 km ride, I started in the mountains, followed a river related to Shimanto, went down a superb valley, reached the coast of Susaki Bay, cycled many steep cliffs along Uranouchi Bay, stopped at an ancient temple, one of the 88 temples of the famous pilgrimage of Shikoku (number 36) and finished in the active Kochi city.

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Day 151 - Yusahara : what a pleasure to ride once again one of my favourite place in this country, the area of the Shimanto river, claimed to be the last real clear water in Japan. Beautiful river, amazing valley and mountains, rich cultivated riverside, fun to ride road, with gentle slopes and many curves, a variety of smells (thanks to the rain of yesterday) and colors (wheat, flowers, autumn leaves) - roads 441, 381, 320 and 197 are definitely a must in Shikoku !

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Day 150 - Shimanto city : I'll have a cold autumn rain all day long, only seeing a few mountains partially enveloped by fog and the Shimanto river at arrival, here very large because very close to ocean. Tough day but glad I made it safely despite terrible conditions, dying brakes and smooth rear tire because of all this weight carried during many months...

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Day 149 - Ashizuri misaki : a long ride along Uchiumi sea, Sukumo Bay and an old Japanese smoking on its bicycle will convince me to make a detour through cape Ashizuri, the most Southern point of Shikoku. Another beautiful hilly road with great views on a rocky coastline.

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Day 148 - Ainan / Sunokawa Park : a Japanese old biker offering a lift to see a spot in Yura peninsula, a lumberjack offering me the drink of my choice, an ice-cream vendor at a pass after Ozu surprised to see me up there quite fast while he spotted me at the bottom just a few moments ago, a group of elderies doing community work and offering cold tea and a towel to people passing by, including me, a Japanese pilgrim thinking I'm one of these "henro",...  A day in Japan countryside, soul of the country.

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Day 147 - Ozu : another amazing road along the coast of Ehime prefecture, going through the small Yawatahama to meet again my friend Kazuhito, who hosts me in its home last year during an other bicycle trip. He will advise me to stay in Ozu, a small village in the mountains where I will meet Nori, a local Japanese sharing its great knowledge of the area.

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Day 146 - Matsuyama : second part of Shimanami Kaido, paradise of cyclist with separated ways on the bridges and nice courses - but can also turn into a nightmare when you're behind a group of 10 retired Japanese on bicycle - finally leading me to Shikoku island, last step of my great journey. Shikoku is famous for its 88 temples pilgrimage all around the island and I already spotted quite a few "henro" (pilgrims) on the way, white shirt on their clothes and pointed hat. I'll relax in the "waters of gods" (kami no yu) in Dogo onsen, said to be the oldest of Japan.