So its been quite a few weeks since my last update, I’m now back home and the jet lag is slowly fading as the trip starts to feel like a distant dream. I’m certain it all really happened but I don’t think that it has really sunk in yet, regardless of this there are still some stories to be told and its about time I sat down and got typing.
I last wrote as I was heading south from Chiba to a campsite in Futtsu to stay a couple of nights, it was around 30 miles to the site and the ride itself was relatively simple, though I was a little tired from spending the night in the capsule hotel that smelled permanently of feet (this was an exception to the other capsules I visited on my trip).
The route took me out of the city following the coast of Tokyo bay, seemingly full of industry and factories, and I wondered how many times in my life I had watched Godzilla destroy very similar buildings. Thankfully there was no sign of him on this particular day much though the small child in me would have been very happy to see the big guy.
I headed inland a little avoiding a peninsula and following the main road as it wound its way between small towns and rice fields.
These little frogs had been croaking away to me for months so I was pleased to finally see one up close.
Pretty soon I was at the campsite and was stunned to see it filled with hundreds of people! Worried I may not get a pitch I headed to the office and after the initial usual confusion caused by my terrible Japanese skills I was relieved to be checked in and left to find a suitable place to setup.
The larger groups of people seemed to be on some kind of company outing and all merrily eating and drinking away. By around 6 pm my tent was up and the campsite cleared a little, daytime only camping seems to be popular in Japan and I guess it is a way for people to enjoy the experience a little even if they don’t quite have the time to stay the whole weekend, personally it seemed a huge amount of work for a short visit but each to their own and the more lubricated members of this group seemed to have enjoyed it enough for everyone.
Money was a little tight at this point so after setting my ferry crossing cash aside I headed to the nearby Conbini to get enough food for two nights. With pasta and fresh bread in the tent for the next few days food I settled down for the night with a book.
I was woken early the next day by my neighbours children running laps around my tent, I don’t mind children normally but at 6:30 am my sense of humour was buried somewhere at the bottom of my sleeping bag. I was getting ready to brain Ken-Chan and his little friends with the pan containing the remnants of my previous nights meal when they headed off in a different direction, saving both themselves and my breakfast in the process.
This was to be a lazy, reading in the sun, kind of day. I spent the morning soaking up the rays while my solar panel did the same, charging my battery packs. The kids had mostly left me alone apart from one very inquisitive young girl who asked me if I was Japanese. I tried in vain to convince her I was a Tengu but she continued her questioning until I relented and explained I was from the UK, disappointed she headed off to resume playing with her friends now the mystery was solved.
By mid day the campsite was virtually deserted, and I enjoyed the peace and quiet while the local stray cats fought with a pack of crows for whatever scraps of food people had left around the site.
The next morning was thankfully much quieter than the previous so I had a slightly lazy start before packing up my camping gear for the very last time on the trip, loading the bike up each morning was my least favourite part of the journey but I couldn’t help but be a little sad at the realisation that I was getting closer to the end.
I only had 15 miles to get to the ferry so I grabbed a small breakfast and headed south, it was a beautiful morning and the clear sky meant that once I reached the coast I was treated to views clear across Tokyo Bay with Mt Fuji looming on the horizon in the background.
I arrived in Kanaya just in time to see the earlier ferry head out into the bay, I was due to take the next ferry so I wasn’t too upset so bought my ticket and milled about the dock with the camera enjoying the sunny morning and the sound and smells of the sea.
After spending the last of my spare change on an Ice cream the ferry sailed in to the dock and I was rolling aboard following the motorbikes, and strapping the bike down for the short crossing.
I sat on the top deck enjoying the sunny weather and watching the hundreds of ships passing through the bay somehow manage to miss each other, it wasn’t too long before we were pulling into Kurihama and I rolled off the boat to find Koichi waiting for me.
We loaded the bike into the car and headed to a local hotel for a cold drink and a good chat to catch up with each other before heading to a local steak restaurant for a fantastic dinner, it was good to see him after what felt like a very long time since we last met.
With dinner settling down we headed out to Koichi’s family shrine to pay his respects to his father and I had a chance to look inside the temple while talking to the temple master a little with Koichi as a translator, it was a real privilege to be allowed to take a few photos here.
Now I have a bit of an interest in a man called William Adams, who was the first person from Britain to arrive in Japan and played an interesting part in that era of Japanese history. Koichi and I had talked about him and it turned out that he had been local to this particular area so we set off to find his memorial stone, winding our way up increasingly narrow roads before reaching the memorial at top of a hill.
With the sun setting we headed back downhill to the coast and a beautiful viewpoint looking over the bay and the Nissan test track.
From there we headed into Yokosuka and my hotel for the night, the town is also home to a US naval base so you couldn’t help but notice the large amount of non Japanese people in the streets. Once I had checked into the hotel and had a shower I headed out to Dobuita Dori at Koichi’s suggestion, to try the food at a place called Honey Bee and to see the impact of the Naval base on the area.
The food itself was fantastic and I really enjoyed my Teriyaki Chicken Burger, the area itself however felt decidedly odd with uniformed naval staff standing on corners observing passers by (I assume to ensure off duty staff are behaving) and for the first time in my three months in the country I didn’t feel safe. That said I didn’t see any problems and everyone was having a good time but it was certainly a much different atmosphere to the rest of the country which maybe explains my uncertainty.
The next morning I was back on the bike again and heading off towards Kamakura for a few days, crossing the peninsula to follow the coast from Hayama along to my hostel for the next few nights.
The road wound its way along the shore, diving inland and up over the little hills before working its way back to the sea in a way that kept the scenery constantly changing even for this relatively short trip. I rolled into Kamakura pleased to see that the hills I remembered from the start of my trip had shrunk after my months of riding, feeling pleased with myself I stopped for dinner at a place called Pacific Drive-In which seemed far too fashionable for me going by its clientele, but they let me in even though I was a bit ripe after not having laundry services for the past four days.
After a nice dinner of Hawaiian Mochiko Chicken I still had a few hours to kill so rode out to Enoshima Island for a look around before relaxing on the beach with a book and a couple of large cold drinks for the rest of the afternoon. I was soon bored of the beach (seriously how do people do that for weeks?), but thankfully my hostel had opened so I checked in and got started on my laundry in case the next place I went to eat was a bit more fussy.
The next day was a little grey with rain forecast for the late morning so I decided to head into nearby Fujisawa to have a look at potential hand luggage for the flight home, I had brought a small rucksack on the way over but had overloaded it to the point it fell apart when I arrived at Narita.
The train to Fujisawa stopped pretty nearby on the Enoden Line which winds its way from Kamakura through the streets and houses of the area, the train itself is pretty famous in Japan appearing in various Manga and films so it isn’t unusual to see people crowded outside stations taking pictures of the carriages and stations like paparazzi at a film premiere.
I topped up my Suica card and headed on the train with the drizzle turning to rain and the number of tourists dropping as I headed closer to the city. I have mixed feelings of Fujisawa after being trapped here at the start of my trip when I was unwell and shopping didn’t help that. I had a rough idea of how to get around the city but my fuzzy memory combined with the constant unfurling and furling of my umbrella as I went into different shops was starting to grate.
All this meant that I soon decided that I didn’t need a bag anymore, and that I would use a bike pannier for the trip home. Relieved I hopped back on the Enoden line and headed back to Enoshima. The weather lifted with my mood and the rain became a light mist so I walked along the now empty beach watching the surfers wait for waves before heading to Yoshinoya for a cheap chicken rice bowl to end the day.
The next day looked much brighter so I put my last load of laundry on before heading out to see some sights. Enoshima Aquarium is pretty famous and I enjoy walking around them so I headed along to go see some fish. What I didn’t plan for was arriving in the car park outside the Aquarium at the same time as what must have been hundreds of school children, with memories of the campsite fresh in my mind I turned on my heels and got the hell out of there, deciding that no fish was worth that.
With my plans in tatters I headed back towards Enoshima and decided to go explore the Island one last time, taking the boat to the back of the Island and working my way back from there.
The steps from the shore sadly hadn’t experienced the same shrinking phenomenon as the local hills and I was puffing by the time I reached the top of the hill. There are lots of cats on Enoshima, and in keeping with the majority of cats in Japan they kept their distance from me, I should have tried to play it cool I guess!
It’s a bit of a climb but the view is worth it
Now when I first visited Kamakura in 2012 I wanted to visit the Zeniarai Benzaiten shrine, however, I was suffering from food poisoning and a grumpy wife on a very hot day, so after looking for a while gave up on my mission. This time would be different, for starters I wasn’t carrying spare underpants, and the grumpy wife issue had been resolved some time ago, so I again hopped onto the Enoden line to take care of some unfinished business.
The train was filled with school children of varying sizes, I can only assume that Kamakura is the default school trip destination for the Tokyo area and the classrooms must have all been empty on this particular day. I dove off at the Wadazuka stop and headed north along the little narrow roads between the houses, doing my best to avoid the roaming packs of kids dotted along the way like a surreal version of The Warriors.
One of the main reasons I had wanted to visit this shrine was the entrance and after climbing up a steep road I found it, a small tunnel cut through the hill with a Torii marking it as the place I was looking for. The Kami of this particular shrine is associated with prosperity so it is customary to wash your money in the water of the shrine to bring you wealth and fortune. I had a go once I manged to get to the spring after a small boy who nearly washed the pattern off his coins in his enthusiasm, I can only assume he is a millionaire by now, I’m still waiting for the results of my efforts.
Feeling brave and thinking of my future fortune I decided to start saving money right away and skip on the train back to the hostel, instead walking the four miles. The first few miles in were pleasant enough but before long I was realising that three months cycling had left my feet pretty unaccustomed to walking and they were starting to get pretty sore.
My stubborn streak has come in handy a few times on this trip and it ruled the day on this occasion, no matter how much the comfort of the passing trains taunted me as I hobbled home, this increased my fortune the princely sum of £2.59 excluding the change I spent on a couple of cold drinks… yeah, I should have got the train.
Look at all those comfy seats…
Now when I let Koichi know I was back in the area the previous week he had mentioned a friend in the area who’s son was visiting Australia soon and wanting to practice his English. So it was arranged that I would check out of my hostel and pedal over to spend the day with Yusuke and his friend Hiroki before staying the night at their apartment and meeting his mother Jyunko.
I got to the apartment at around 10 am and, after getting to know each other a little Yusuke and I walked into Fujisawa to meet Hiroki and head into Kamakura on the Enoden line for dinner. Hiroki has a bit of a sweet tooth so we headed along Komachi Dori to a restaurant that had a Matcha Tiramisu as a speciality, I opted for the Udon set with Shirase Tempura which was very tasty.
With dinner sorted we headed to Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu shrine to get our fortunes, I had never done this so it was good fun to try with two helpful translators. It turned out that my fortune wasn’t too great and warned me to be careful with relationships and marriages, this was old news so at the advice of my new friends we headed to a nearby spot to tie the fortune slips to a string, nullifying any negative aspects and apparently increasing any luck gained. I should have brought the divorce papers to tie up there as well.
With my bad luck now behind me we headed back to the train and headed down to the aquarium. I had my fingers crossed that it wouldn’t be a repeat of yesterdays child infestation but the tying of the fortune had obviously worked as we walked straight up to the ticket office without anyone else in sight.
The aquarium was fantastic and I especially enjoyed the large main tank, I love visiting places like this when abroad as you tend to see animals you would never see anywhere else in the world. The Giant Spider crab in particular left an impression with its sheer size (they can reach up to 5.5m in leg span…) and its striking resemblance to a H R Giger creation, fearing crab related nightmares I moved on.
Not a crab in sight
Hiroki had to head back to Tokyo for university so we said our goodbyes and Yusuke and I headed back to his apartment for a lovely evening and a home cooked meal from Jyunko. Again the hospitality from people who were virtual strangers was overwhelming and it had been a great day with my new friends.
I set off the next morning waving goodbye to Jyunko and Yusuke, I was riding 20 or so miles north towards Yokohama and Koichi’s workshop for my last days riding before going home. My sat nav seemed to sense this so as it did on the first day, it decided not to play, simply refusing to navigate. I looked on google maps and memorised the route in 5 mile increments, stopping at set points and specific turns to make sure I was on the right path. After about ten miles the sat nav must have realised that this was nearly the end as it started to work and safely guided me the final few miles until I was at the workshop and at the end of the riding part of my journey.
Koichi and Masa both gave me a warm welcome and I relaxed a while in the office with a cold drink, enjoying being among friends at what was a time of very mixed emotions, pleased I had made it but sad that it was over and I would soon be leaving Japan.
Koich had picked up a very nice box to pop the bike in for the flight home so he and Masa set about building that, while I stripped the bike down and decided what would and wouldn’t be making the trip home. Once that job was done Masa dropped me off at my hotel for the next two nights, I grabbed a shower, a quick snack and a nap.
Masa and my now neatly packed bike
That night Koichi and I headed into Tokyo to meet up with a mutual friend. Taiju had actually introduced me to Koichi back in 2014 so it was great to spend time with them both and we had a great meal at the Tonkatsu restaurant that Taiju took us to before we headed to a coffee shop to talk the evening away. I must have been a bit of a bore as I hadn’t spoken English much over the last few months but if that was the case both Taiju and Koichi were far too polite to say anything.
The next day I was up early and after a quick breakfast out on the road with Koichi and his wife Kana, Kana and I had never met before but we soon hit it off. We were going to visit the Studio Ghibli museum in Mitaka, it had been a while since I had seen any of their films but I was looking forward to a look around and spending time with my friends. We stopped for dinner in a family restaurant and with the help of Koichi as translator Kana and I were chatting away, her energy is contagious and I can see how her and Koichi are a good match together.
We had a very enjoyable afternoon walking around the Studio Ghibli museum, it’s a fantastic experience with great insights into the process of the film making and animation that goes into each of their movies. Sadly you aren’t allowed to take photos or video inside the building, but I understand and appreciate that this is to keep the experience a new and exciting one for visitors rather than seeing it on the internet first.
I wonder if I can get these for my bathroom..
After the museum we had a brief stop outside the actual Ghibli studio buildings for a few quick photos before heading into Yokohama for the evening, we drove through the city centre and up the hill to an old part of the town containing the graveyard for foreign residents in times gone by. The view over the bay from here as the sun set was lovely.
We finished of the evening with a lovely meal in the Yokohama Chinatown area, the food was delicious but I’m afraid my palate wasn’t up to the challenge of some of the dishes, I was a little embarrassed at this but Koichi and Kana were very nice and understanding about it.
Kana, myself and Koichi
Yokohama looks to be a fascinating place and walking through Chinatown after our meal was amazing for street photography, I hope to spend more time here the next time I am in Japan.
After our meal I went back to my hotel, sad that my last proper day in Japan had come to an end.
I was awake early the next morning, packing my bags and deciding what would and wouldn’t be making the trip home with me, I had accumulated a few souvenirs on the trip in the way of leaflets, tickets, receipts etc.. and I was worried about the weight limit on the flight home. After getting a bag together of things too good to throw away I packed my remaining Items and checked out of the hotel, meeting Koichi outside.
We drove to his workshop where we loaded my bike into the car and headed off to Narita. I was pretty quiet this day, thinking allot about the past three months and the friends I had made along the way. Koichi took us out of Yokohama on the Tokyo Bay Aqua Line, a nearly 15 mile stretch of tunnels and bridges crossing the bay to Chiba prefecture and a spectacular example of Japanese engineering, the views from the Artificial island where the tunnel ends are fantastic.
The view from Umihotaru Island – Note the Gojira footprint at the bottom!
We were soon at my hotel in Narita where Koichi and I said our final goodbyes, he had been an incredible friend on this trip, offering support, advice, help and a friendly face when I needed it most. I will always be in his debt for this and I look forward to doing my very best to try and repay him as best I can as his friend.
Thanks again Koichi..
After a restless nights sleep in the hotel I headed out the next morning in the airport shuttle bus, trying to take in my last views of Japan and thinking about the first day I set out from the very same building to explore the country.
Once I was at the airport it was a simple case of checking in (thanks for not charging me excess baggage again Cathay Pacific!), and waiting for my flight to Hong Kong for the next few hours. The time passed relatively easily and by 6:30 I was on the plane and finally on my way home.
And that’s that, I have been home nearly a month now and have been busy looking for work, catching up with friends and family, and cycling as much as I can to try and keep my new found level of fitness. I hope to return to Japan again one day and I’m currently looking at my options on possibly living there.
Thank you’s
I have been told that this trip has been quite an achievement but I struggle with this idea. The help I have received from so many people made this possible so it isn’t my achievement to claim alone, as such I would like to thank everyone who believed in me and made this possible –
My family and friends for their support (both emotional and financial!), throughout my life they have been there for me and these three months on the other side of the world were no exception. I love you all and am so grateful to have you in my life.
The people I met along the road who took time to talk with me, feed me or even put me up for the night. The hospitality of the people I met along the way was beyond expectation and really made the trip into the amazing experience it was, Japan is a beautiful country because of the people who live there.
Mitsu – Thank you so much for letting me stay in your home for so long in Ina, you gave me an insight into life in Japan that is not easy to see as a foreigner, as well as good company, food, and humour. I hope we can meet again soon in either Japan or the UK.
Koichi – for a person who I knew only a little before the trip started his support was amazing. Id like to think that we have become close friends through this trip and I look forward to talking with you and Kana and repaying your hospitality when you come to the UK again.
Waiting for the Kanaya Ferry to cross Tokyo Bay – 21-05-18
Total distance ridden – 1,560.44 miles or 2511.28 Kilometres
Total Elevation Gain – 56,299 ft or 17159.93 Meters
Three months in japan 