Today was my last long ride before I headed to the alps and I took my time along the scenic route of Lake Biwa, the largest freshwater lake in Japan. There were lots of people fishing along the water and boats cruising around, so it felt like I was going through a coastal town. The … Continue reading Japan Day 30-31: Riding Kyoto to Gifu and Rest Day

Today's ride was much easier, the first half was along a low speed road with minimal traffic and the second half had a riverside pathway and some designated cycle lanes leading into the city. I left around midday and it was a tad warm, but I arrived around 3.30pm and made a new friend at … Continue reading Japan Day 26-29: Riding Nara to Kyoto and Exploring

The ride to Nara was short but absurdly steep, that super peak was 400m of elevation across a 2km stretch, consequently it took me an hour to push my bike up that section. The downhill section was pretty terrible because the road had these circular indents in the ground, I'm guessing it was to increase … Continue reading Japan Day 24-25: Riding Osaka to Nara and Rest Day

Before I rode out to Osaka, my cousin took me to Himeji Castle, 20km west of Kakogawa. Given that it was the Monday after Golden Week, it was really quiet and we didn't have to wait in any lines or have any random people walking through our photos. The castle itself is huge, you can … Continue reading Japan Day 20-23: Riding Kakogawa to Osaka and Exploring

I have a cousin who lives in Kakogawa, 40km west of Kobe, and I stayed with her family over the weekend. I last saw her in Vietnam, about 15 years ago and since then she got married, moved to Japan and is currently raising three daughters, with a baby on the way. My aunty and … Continue reading Japan Day 17-19: Visiting Kakogawa with Family

This is probably the last long ride for Japan and it was more mentally tiring than anything. I stocked up on some onigiri (seaweed wrapped rice triangles) and gave myself some breaks along the way to keep my brain focused. Originally I intended to see Himeji first and visit the giant castle, but all the hostels … Continue reading Japan Day 15-16: Riding Okayama to Kobe and Rest Day

Today's ride started off with a bang, I was riding down a 6% gradient hill in the pedestrian/cyclist section and had a split second to choose between riding into a big kerb or trying to merge into the car lane, where trucks were also descending. I picked the kerb and landed fine, but the impact … Continue reading Japan Day 13: Riding Imabari to Marugame

Today's ride was awesome! The Shimanami Kaido Bridges connect seven islands and have excellent cycle paths throughout the whole course. Since it was the weekend before Golden Week (a week long public holiday in Japan), there were loads of people taking advantage of the great ride and pleasant weather. I saw road cyclists, tourers, casuals … Continue reading Japan Day 12: Riding Onomichi to Imabari via Shimanamo Kaido Bridges

Today's ride was split into two parts, first I rode to Tadanoumi Port to catch the ferry to Okunoshima (Rabbit) Island, then I rode the rest of the way to Onomichi. I underestimated the climbing part in the beginning, it was a 10% gradient on an absurdly narrow road shoulder, so I had to walk … Continue reading Japan Day 11: Riding Hiroshima to Onomichi