travel | cyclingthroughjapan

RECAP OF MY TRIP SO FAR

Well, I have settled into a routine now and feel a lot more confident with what I am doing. I wanted to recap now that I have a good idea...

OFFICIAL START OF MY TRIP

So the trip has officially begun. It started on a good note as I got to the airport without much of a hassle and my bicycle flew free...

TIME TO WALK THE WALK!

The time has finally come! I've been preparing for months for this trip, and I'm starting to get the last minute anxiety attacks about whether I packed everything I need or not. I keep telling myself that the reality is, things will work out and I will get by even if I forget something...I can always buy it in Japan too. It took some shuffling around to get the bicycle box under the required 50 lbs. I'm already paying an additional $100 for the oversize, I don't want to pay a

FINAL BREAKDOWN OF THE WEIGHT

So I've been spending the past few days packing all the stuff I will need for the trip. I will be living the next two and half months of...

TRACK MY TOUR

I found this cool app called TrackMyTour and it is available for iphones! So basically you can create a map of your tour and upload pictures at each location throughout. Looks pretty neat and very convenient. Follow me on TrackMyTour for quicker updates...I may not be able to update this blog everyday, but with TrackMyTour I can do it on the fly. I have a link to my TrackMyTour map on the right under Follow Me.

STAYING CONNECTED IN JAPAN

The bad thing about Japan is that free wifi is hard to come by. You'd expect a country who brought you PS and Wii to have free wifi...

STUCK...

So I've had this idea in my mind for the longest time, just sitting there brewing. Like a lot of people my age, I was working full time...

ABOUT ME:

My name is David Onizuka, and this is my blog about my cycling trip through Japan, from Cape Sata in the south to Cape Soya in the north, approximately 1800 miles. I have two and a half months to do this and will be updating this blog during my trip...stay tuned!

GALLERY:

First Breakfast at Haneda

My first Japanese breakfast at Haneda for the trip. Free wifi at the airport!

Mori Shin Soba House

Handmade soba noodles, fried fugu, amazing.

Amazing Ebi-ten Udon

Shrimp Tempura Udon...simply amazing stuff.

Oden

Oden, so good...

Shrine built by Shibata family

A small shrine in Kokura stands with the Shibata name on the tori gate. This is my dad's mother's side of the family.

Monja-yaki

If you don't know, then you don't know...it's best described probably as a moch textured okonomiyaki. If you don't know what okonomiyaki is, that is best described as a flour battered pancake grilled with chopped cabbage and meat...with a marinade sauce over the top.

MOS Burger

MOS Burger is like the IN-N-OUT of Japan...simply amazing. Only minus is the lack of ketchup on the fries but I just found out from my Japanese insider Tatsu that you have to ask for it. Melon soda to wash it all down!

View from Cape Sata

A lovely view of the southern cape.

Wild monkeys on the road to the cape

Wild monkeys were everywhere along the cape, they seemed to be plotting and calling each other as I rode by...I was waiting for an ambush at anytime.

Kabuto-mushi statue

I saw these on the way to Shibushi from Minami-osumi...they are called kabuto-mushi in Japanese, they are beetles with horns on their head.

Demon's washboard

Natural rock formations along Miyazaki coast cleverly named "Demon's washboard."

Udo-jingu

Udo-jingu shrine, another important shrine built into the cave walls near Nichinan, Miyazaki area.

Udo-jingu

The view into the cave where the Udo-jingu is located.

Japanese Egret

I thought this was a Japanese crane, but turns out it is an egret

Grilled marinated squid

Yummy...grilled marinated squid! Sounds better than it sounds.

Yufuin horse carriage

One of Yufuin's attractions other than the onsen is the horse drawn carriage.

Akiyoshido Plains area

Interesting landscape along the plains of Akiyoshido.

Statue of Mary

Throughout the cave they have various formations, this one is named after Mary...I guess it looks like her?

Chair lift to Matsuyama Castle

Touristy but fun, chair lift takes you to the top of the mountain where Matsuyama Castle is...nice view of the town and cherry blossoms below.

Samurai Armour

This is what they wore to battle, this one is fancier because it belonged to a general.

Roof tile decor

I'm not sure what the correct term is for these but they are roof tile decor found on the corners and tops of the roof.

Shimanami-kaido

Cargo ships passing under the bridge along the Shimanami-kaido cycling road.

Shimanami-kaido

One of the bridges you get to go over along the course.

Shimanami-kaido

Nice scenic view along the course.

Ebi-ten Udon

Shrimp tempura udon, extra crisp with extra batter...hand made udon noodles. It's amazing!

Ancient Burial Mounds

Ancient burial mounds found around the Kibi plains area near Soja.

Okayama Castle

Nicknamed "crow" castle because of it's unique black outer walls...