It feels like Japan has cast a spell over us. This will be our fourth trike trip to Japan in the last 2+ years and there is still so much that we want to see and experience.  We feel lucky, that in  retirement, we have the time and ability to continue to have adventures on our recumbent trikes wherever we like.  For us, Japan has become a “happy place”.  In these troubled times, it is incredible to visit a country where welcoming friendly people, civility and respectful behaviour are the norm.

Japan is a country rich in culture and traditions from centuries past with festivals and special events accessible to all. We feel like we have just begun to scratch the surface of this fascinating place and the more we travel in Japan, the more we want to return.

In our previous trips to Japan, we have cycled extensively on the five main islands, Honshu, Hokkaido, Shikoku, Kyushu and Okinawa. This trip will be based on Honshu and we will be riding two of the five  Kaido roads from the Edo period, 1603-1868.   Among them, the five Edo routes (Go Kaido) were established to unify the country and create routes for trade. 

We will begin our trip in Osaka and ride the Pacific Coast Trail to Tokyo. This is considered to be a beautiful route along the Ocean and will cover about 1400 km. Then we will connect to the Tone River Cycle Route, north of Tokyo. This route is Japan’s longest car free cycle route at almost 300km. The Tone Cycle Route will take us close to Nagano and the Japanese Alps. Continuing westward we will pick up the historic Nakasendo Trail which linked Edo (formerly Tokyo) to Kyoto from the 1600’s to the late 1800’s.

First we will ride from Osaka to Wakayama where we will begin riding the Pacific Cycling Route to Tokyo. The first part of the route is along the beautiful Kii Penisula.