2023 was a good year for us. We rebounded from the travel restrictions of COVID and made up for lost time.  We hadn’t intended to travel twice to Japan in one year, but we loved it so much, it made sense. As you can see from our journal, our experiences in Japan touched us deeply. We were pleasantly surprised that the cost of travel is less than expected. One can eat well on a budget, accommodation is reasonable with lots of perks (see below), wild camping is allowed most anywhere, drivers are patient and respectful of cyclists, the food is awesome and last but not least, the welcoming spirit of Japanese people is incredible.
Below are some of the things that we loved, things that worked or didn’t work and gear we would recommend.

BUSINESS CARDS. We make up our own cards with a photo and it is an ice breaker when chatting with locals. Often we exchange cards as many Japanese people carry them and it feels like a respectful exchange. 

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MODEM…we chose Mobal Pocket Wifi as they offer long term packages (minimum is 3 months).   We paid $45/ month which gave us 100 GB of data, using all of Japan’s big network providers. It  is available at the airport or you can preorder as  we did, and you have the option of picking it up at the airport or advising them to deliver it to your hotel (free). We did the latter due to our late flight and it was waiting for us in our room.          We could be in the middle of nowhere and have excellent coverage. Rather than having multiple SIM cards for each of our devices, we liked the simplicity of one modem providing wifi to our phones and ipad. Between trips, we suspend payments and reactivate it when we return to Japan.

CAMPING WILD-It is allowed to wild camp almost anywhere. We have  read many accounts of cyclists camping wild wherever they liked and we were game to try, but a bit sceptical.  Indeed, locals are very tolerant and accepting of crazy cyclists who camp in public spaces.  It makes sense that if you are respectful and leave your camping spot as you found it, it works. The obvious downside would be  the lack of showers and bathrooms and a place to charge our bike batteries and devices. However, this was not an issue as we usually camped in a neighbourhood park where there were toilets and sometimes electricity for charging.  We also found that the ever-present vending machines provided us with hot coffee in the morning.  We used camping as a back up when needed…thanks to our lightweight Japanese tent.                                                                                                                     The more we have travelled in Japan, we find ourselves preferring hotels or Japanese Guesthouses/Inns. You can find good accomodation, reasonably priced with perks, such as free amenities…(no need for toiletries), yakutas or robes, public bath or Onsen on the top floor and we have more interactions with locals.

SHOES. We love our Shimano cycling sandals and we have found that we can happily do a 3 month trip with just these sandals. Despite having cleats, they are very comfortable to walk in all day. If it rains, we can wear our waterproof socks if needed. In the never ending quest to lighten our load, having just one pair of shoes is a space saver.

SHIKOKU. We loved Shikoku which has much to offer…a world class cycling route, a pilgrimage to 88 temples, beautiful coastlines…yet , only a small number of cyclists tour here. Shikoku gives you access to the phenomenal Shimanami Kaido cycling route which departs from Imabari, crosses over 6 islands on a series of bridges and ends at Onomichi on Honshu. This route has incredible infrastructure for cyclists with dedicated paths and good signage. Highly recommended. We also really enjoyed visiting the Temples when we could and collecting hand drawn calligraphy with stamps from a monk at each temple.

KYUSHU. So much to love…Kagoshima (a favourite Japanese city for us), Beppu (over 3000 hot spring vents within this small city and countless Onsens),beautiful islands, Mt Aso.We will be returning here in the fall to explore more of Kyushu.

OKINAWA.   Okinawa has a distinct identity from the rest of Japan…food, customs, crafts, a lower level of prosperity, their history as a member of the Ryuku Empire and the lingering effects of WWII and American occupation which ended in 1972. The beauty of Okinawa with white beaches, coral and mountains inland is unmistakable. The more we understood its history, the more we fell in love with Okinawa.

TRANSLATOR. We were going to use a translator device, but Google Translate served us well, as it did for the Japanese people we chatted with.

KONBINIS/CONVENIENCE STORES….Lawson’s, Family Mart, 7-Eleven are the main ones.  It is not an overstatement that you find them everywhere and they are open 24 hours. They offer so much to cyclists…Japan is a primarily a cash society and a Convenience Store is one of the only places foreigners can get cash from an ATM. Convenience Stores offer clean bathrooms, good coffee  (Lawson’s was our #1 for coffee), big selection of food from sushi to bento boxes, ramen, etc and a microwave to heat your food. 

COINS. We learned on our first trip that you need to be organized with coins as you accumulate so much of it in a day. Their value ranges from (roughly) 1 cent to $5. So we dug out some coin purses that Barry’s mom had collected…invaluable.

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GARBAGE.   You will rarely see a place to dispose of your garbage, so always have a small bag to contain it until you find a place to dispose of it. One option for a small bag is a Convenience Store, or a shopping area.

TRAINS. Riding trikes make the train a challenge. Bikes have to be in a Rinko bag to carry it on the train. Our trikes do fold and we could have possibly done it, but we accept that when in Japan we ride.

FERRIES. We love  taking ferries…it is like having an adventure within an adventure.  Japan is a country of hundreds of islands, and it is inevitable that at some point you will need one. Some Lines offer a way to book online, but we have not had good luck with that. We usually ride to the Terminal a day ahead to reserve (most often it is overnight and you need to book accomodation)  or the day of sailing. And yes, there is usually a Public Bath on the ferry.

LAKE BIWA. Situated north east of Kyoto, Lake Biwa has a designated circle cycling route and there is camping (mostly wild) along the water and many hotels. A very pleasant ride..

NO TIPPING. In a country like Japan where you are given exceptional service, it can feel odd for a Westerner not to tip. However, it is important not to succumb to that instinct. We express our gratitude with a bow and a thank you in Japanese. In some circumstances, we give them a business card to show our appreciation. 

OSAKA.  It is our “home base” as we have gotten to know Yoshi who has a recumbent bike shop there. He is invaluable in keeping our trikes in good shape and he kindly keeps our bike batteries for us. The bonus is that we love Osaka…there are so many people on bikes. It offers great food, the best castle with acres of parkland for riding or walking, fewer tourists and best of all, they welcome us to ride on the sidewalks with pedestrians, baby strollers and locals on bikes.  

SIDEWALKS. When we arrived in Japan, we could not believe that we would be welcome to ride  on the sidewalks, especially since we ride fully loaded trikes. Typically, we were able to ride on the sidewalk wherever we are. It is like a curious dance, navigating amongst the chaos of bikes and people, but with patience and respect, it works. We rode from Kobe to Osaka (about. 50 km) and the roads were crazy busy. We rode most of the way on sidewalks.  One tip….just don’t try this at home!

MONTBELL. Reliable and well stocked  Japanese Outdoor Store with flagship stores around Japan. We were able to get lightweight compressible down  jackets when we hit cold weather.

 ICE CREAM. From Hokkaido’s supreme soft serve  (thanks to their dairy rich farming culture), to amazing offerings at Konbinis (some stores have two freezers full of ice cream confections) , and ice cream shops everywhere, prepare yourself to enjoy ice cream while in Japan.

ONSENS.  Going to a public bath or onsen has become a daily ritual which we love. It is a bonus when the hotel has one in the building, but in Japan you are never far from a public one. It gives you an insight into Japanese culture, feels incredible and helps with the aches and pains of travelling by bike.

RIDE WITH GPS. Japan generally lacks the infrastructure for cycling which we have enjoyed  in Europe. On the first trip we relied more on Google Maps, but we ended up on large busy roads more often than we liked.  We  really like Ride With GPS and wouldn’t want to travel without it.  Depending on the day, our route may be a combination of Google Maps and Ride with GPS..

VENDING MACHINES….are everywhere…in towns, rural areas, remote spots. Always stocked with coffee, drinks like Pocari Sweat (electrolytes), beer…whatever you want you will probably find it.