Just because we finished riding does not mean we finished Japan.

We had a few days built in to see what big cities were like, since all our biking was in very rural areas.

First stop – Hiroshima. Stayed the night, which was good, as we spent most of the day at the Hiroshima A-Bomb memorial and Peace Park. It was stunning, the affect it had on a person. Feelings ranging from depression to extreme sadness to hope. At the end of the day, it felt like you had been compressed into a cube of raw emotion. I would sincerely hope any person that could ever release a nuclear device is required to spend a day in Hiroshima and the Peace Park.

Then we got back to doing what we do best, walking around like a couple of bobbleheads.

Hiroshima is famous for this dish – we liked it so much, had it for dinner, then breakfast:

One last look at Hiroshima from our room …. this was all just in ruins, flattened at 8:15 am August 6, 1945. But look at it now, there may be some hope for us, yet

THEN, off on the Shinkansen (Bullet Train) to Tokyo. When they say bullet train, they mean it. That train goes through the station at about 200mph, you don’t even hear it approaching. Oh, yeah, castle/temples abound:

So into the largest city in the world. Tokyo. Get off the train and the literal river of people sweeps you along. We found our lodging, checked into the room we needed the entire trip – included in the room was a washer/dryer:

3 nights in Tokyo. Got in late 1st night, so, really 2 days. Items of interest:

Continue reading “Japan Compendium”

Last day in the saddle for a while….. Left Imabari at 8:30am as a group and snaked our way through the dock area to the first of several LONG bridges. This is a very popular biking area – where we had not seen hardy any bikers the whole trip, now they were all over the place!

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44237205?privacy_code=G1NlHs60tCW95fcgcLjhmQn5EzNgPckb

There are a series of bridges that connect Shikoku to the main island. They all have bike paths, except the last one, in which you have to take a ferry – for about 5 minutes:

The bridges themselves were fun to cross:

Then, of course, are the little side notes that are fun to stop and get a picture, like the big brother to Bridger’s dino in the yard:

The closer we got to the end, the slower we went, as if to prolong the ride by just a few minutes. This was in contrast to the previous rides, where we went as fast as we could towards the end, just to get off the dang bike! As we approached the ferry, a few picture opportunities came up:

We finally arrived at our Hotel (which was a really cool biking hotel, refurbed from an old fish processing warehouse), they had cold beers, great food as we had our last dinner together and everyone packed up bikes, accessories and gritty cycle outfits for the trips home. A few of the riders had completed the whole Epic – 37 days of biking through Japan! (let’s see, that’s 37 fish breakfasts….) Anyway, Bridger and I were off to see a bit more Japan before flying out of Tokyo, first stop: Hiroshima!

Well, it was supposed to soak us with rain, but what the heck, it was not too bad at all! (except for the slippery wet pavement, but more on that later…)

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44638512?privacy_code=3wFmK5Q8mNTlH02w1auCnQh4wq7dWmOg

Of course, there were mechanical failures – both Bridger and I had 2 flats each and a couple of minor repairs. That said, I did have a bit of a fall this day – wet pavement, too fast a downhill. Got to say, it should have been filmed, looked just like a Tour De France type wreak – about 25 miles per hour around a sweeping curve and BAM, Doug and bike parts skidding all over the road. Fortunately, got put back together to finish the day, but will have a great souvenir scar!!:

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44637994?privacy_code=EDUHeIAPdOkQauQiQ2Ji7VeLBhXRd4JZ

Another great day riding, if you don’t take into account the tender portion of our rears. Of course, always start out with Japanese Fish Breakfast:

And then onto the ride – now, you have lots of time to, um, observe, what you ride by. I will say Japan has an enormous amount of the spiders – with webs that sometimes span the road – I keep thinking I am gonna see a small child hanging there…

Bridger checking out the snacks at a break….

It seemed like we were always riding past shrines, some ancient and forgotten, others quite nice. We would stop occasionally to visit:

And then off to the Hotel, some of which are pretty cool and some just a bit strange – this little display was in the hallway:

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44237179?privacy_code=yXBFB9DdHqpcyzqeBWf0PKXq5FPmTj53

This was just a beautiful ride along the coast, lots of rolling hills followed by stunner tiny roads alongside the water. The weather was awesome, with clear blue skies.

As per usual, Bridger looks refreshed and happy and I look like I just chased him up a hill (which I did).

End ‘O Day, stop for a beer at the hotel and this is what you get – (Stockman’s, take note): Beer (check), Flower Arrangement (check), Cheese bite (check), Green Tea Flavored Chocolate (check), all on a nice tray, served with a smile (that came later)

Then, of course, dinner. Dressed in our traditional robes (who wears clothes anymore?) we ended up with one Beef course and about 500 fish dishes, of which 500 were raw. But, Boy Howdy, it was good raw! I have included the menu for one reason only – to prove to Tyler Kirk that there is such a thing as Deep Flied Vegetable (and rice)

And then …. The Onsen …. All traditional Japanese Hotels have one – more than likely, they are from natural hotsprings. Interesting setup: One side is for women and the other for men (every day they switch, so make sure you know where you are going!) You come in in your robe, to dressing area, take that off, there go to shower stations (you can see those in picture, with a little seat in front of them). You do a complete wash, while sitting there. Only then do you go into hot pools or sauna. EVERYONE has to be buck-naked and you put your little towel on your head, as you sit there. First time – a bit odd, but now, Bring it on Baby! And, they have TVs in saunas!

So, just so you don’t think we are getting soft with all this Onsen stuff, below is the Extra Miles Route (which we took everyday – Ha! make ’em pay for it…)

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44637573?privacy_code=MR6TWfHfzyXs2JYKktG2irymy4WbsxaW

Kumakogen to Shirokawacho 2023

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44637465?privacy_code=Ja55837Eskkps457wXDZGTfR1eol6DYv

As you can see from the elevation map, this ride was an awesome breeze! We took the time to look around, take off on unmarked roads and just relax a bit. The scenery was spectacular as we pretty much rode together as a group. A couple of notes on things we discovered:

Ah! Vending Machines!!! They are everywhere and sell many items – the ones just sitting alongside the road are the best. Coca Cola, all kinds of drinks (who knows what they are) Hot Canned Coffee!, cigarettes, and even beer!

And then just the odd assortment of strange items, for example, the picture below was, once again, in the middle of nowhere:

The roads sometimes got a bit, well, rustic:

And this bridge thing – it was hard enough riding a bike across, these are built for cars and trucks!

Most of today’s ride was along the Shimano river, the only one in Japan that isn’t dammed (literally). While we were able to discover this bridge, the Shimanto is unique for its lack of them in many areas. To cross the river, locals and visitors often use traditional “tarai bune” boats, which are round wooden tub boats that have been used for centuries.

Made it close to hotel, but took in our first view of the coast, and it was quite nice:

Then off to dinner!!! This was simply incredible. Sushi and cooking at your table, some new items, like mini conch, which you had to wrestle out of there shells, Tasty? Hmmm…

Oh, and of course, the pre-dinner beer – here you order a beer and get this for a presentation:

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44241866?privacy_code=LUtinfK4rCsV0qIYvjxSnqp10wYThsnv

Well dang, more mountains! We started out in partly cloudy weather and finished up with a beautiful sunny day! The small mountain roads here are amazing – they are narrow enough that you think they are bikes paths (until a car shows up outa nowhere!), We went down a couple of downhills today that will be among my favorites’ – nice pavement, windy narrow small roads, you could just zip. That is until you got to the older road part, no zippin’ there, unless you have a pocket full of tubes! lots of rocks. leaves and branches – we had 3 separate flats in about 100 yards!

Finally get a picture with a rice paddie!

We are pretty remote, towns are small (maybe a couple of houses) and not many cars, which is nice!

Left our comfy digs for an exhilarating 60 miles – in the rain . Well, it didn’t start out that way, but then threat was there. About a quarter of the way in, drizzle commenced, increasing to a full fledged rain at the end. That said, the country side was quite beautiful, with little winding roads as we followed a river into the mountains. Click on the link below for a map of the route and specifics:

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44666201?privacy_code=P6XZPpH9QHwxzKx21G2aiXGeY7gMB8Ie

It was a little wet to take many pics but here is the start off:

And here is the finish at this awesome hotel in te middle of nowhere. It is clean, modern and has no reason to be here as far as I can see.

Yes, we look wet and tired. Off to do wash the clothes in the river, warm up and have a little dinner!

Today started with a 4 hour van ride to a remote area on Shikoku Island. Did a bike fit and a spin to make sure the old body remembered why I was here – to ride a bike and not a barstool.

This is a profile of todays ride – short and sweet:

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44239975?privacy_code=uYVg7ozpZeqefIj66hd9kGWlVSUneYFY

OK, maybe not so sweet, that squiggly line was a bugger of a climb! But we made it just in time for dinner with the group – at the Buffet Banquet Room – wearing our yakura, as tradition demands. Truly a scene straight out of a Wes Anderson film. Doesn’t Bridger look so cute!!?? You’ll notice there is no shot of me, I am way to old and wise to let that sort of nonsense get posted.

And a pic of the whole group – It is a big one, and we have yet to meet everyone, but so far, so good!!!

Food was really good, even though had no idea what we were eating – well, the stuff you could not recognize. The ol’ tastebuds got a wakeup call or two!

Even though this was from last night’s dinner, I just could not let it pass – the newest addition to the lakehouse bar!

Sameura to Kumakogen

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44666201?privacy_code=P6XZPpH9QHwxzKx21G2aiXGeY7gMB8Ie

The longest ride of the tour, we went 128km and crested one of the highest mountains in Japan. It hurt, but was a rewarding experience. After weaving along rivers in the sun for the first third of the day, we embarked upon the premier climb of the tour: Mount Ishizuchi. Known as “Ishizuchiyama” in Japanese, it is one of Japan’s most iconic and sacred mountains. Mount Ishizuchi is the highest peak on Shikoku, with an elevation of 1,982 meters (6,503 feet). It is often referred to as the “Roof of Shikoku.” So for us, this tested the “roof” of our physical and mental fortitude to conquer. 10km at 6% average gradient later, we made it to the top for lunch, but not before detouring near the top to literally ride into the clouds, the day seemingly changing from fall to winter in just a few kilometers. A long descent yielded another rewarding sight in the Omogo Gorge. A serene sight towards the end of the ride, a small river was flanked by towering rock walls. It was here when the sun finally returned, but too late for our soaked kit… Our hotel tonight is a highlight of the trip, from udon noodles for dinner to the tatami mat rooms where guests make their own futons. The onsen, of course, soaked our tired legs once again ahead of another big day tomorrow.

In Japan, it all starts with breakfast: see below – bamboo um, pieces, egg drop soup (I think, it was good), assorted vegetables (possibly), mackerel (which you cooked at the table) and rice, of course. Not a box of Captain Crunch (with BooBerries) to be seen. Fortunately.

Then onto the ride! There are dams, it seems every few miles, small ones for sure. We would occasionally ride over a few:

And at kilometer 62 arose a massive wall of impenetrable rock, asphalt and concrete – or so it seems as the climb commenced! It was long, tedious and made me think (for the very first time) of the advantages of an EBike. Fortunately, that feeling passed as we crested the summit of the mountain. Or did it…… Anyway, it was a blast cruising down the other side and taking in the great views.

Once we made it back to the hotel, it was a bit of time in the onsen (Japanese Bath – to tired to explain, now) and off for dinner – which strangely looked like breakfast… but was really damn good, although still had no idea what most of this stuff was.

After dinner, off to the room to blog and recover and sleep! Bridger shared the room picture when we came in, below is what it looked like at night – we had to put futons down, make them up and Bingo! A place to sleep, I think.

And now – GOODNIGHT!!!