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

Day 08 It was raining today, so I picked indoor activities instead, but I still cycled around since it's the easiest way to see different sites. The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum was really interesting, it contained three parts: the impact of the bombing in 1945, the recovery period afterwards and the stories of the victims … Continue reading Japan Day 08-10: Exploring Hiroshima

Today's ride was brutal, I prepped myself for 8-10 hours of riding and headed to the 24 hour store nice and early to buy supplies. The first 10km to Nichihara was really steep, but I didn't see a sign for the town, so I checked my phone and realised I cycled in the wrong direction. … Continue reading Japan Day 07: Riding Tsuwano to Hiroshima 

While this ride was half the distance of the last two rides, it was pretty much uphill the entire time, but surprisingly enjoyable. Even though I’m not a strong climber (yet), I was able to handle the mostly gentle gradients, then use the downhills to cool off. The mountains were fantastic to admire and during … Continue reading Japan Day 06: Riding Hagi to Tsuwano