Cycling in Japan

Most Inspirational Moment

There were so many highlights in a trip which offered lots of contrasts between city and landscape, a rich cultural heritage and gastronomic variety. Highlights of riding along the dramatic rugged western coastline of the Noto peninsular gave way to the delights of riding small lanes through fishing villages on the softer eastern coast. And then came the spectacular scenery of the mountains, clad in wonderful autumn colours. Entering the UNESCO village of Shirakawa-go exceeded all expectations, and the experience of total immersion in the traditional way of life when staying in a local farmhouse when the daytrippers had gone home was a real high spot. There were so many cultural highlights that the names tended to merge, but we particularly remember being bowled over by our visit to the Myojoji temple complex. The garden at Kenroku-en in Kanazawa, and the Golden Pavilion in Kyoto were memorable. Walks around Tokyo and Kyoto at night with the guides who knew where to go were an unexpected delight. And finally, there were some inspirational banquet-style meals, taken in the traditional way, kimono-clad, quite wonderful.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Tea was unfailingly enthusiastic, friendly and encouraging to the group with a healthy respect for cycling safety. He was readily available at all times of day and night to deal with any issues arising and was very an efficient organiser to ensure each day ran smoothly to plan. He was keen to help us understand many aspects of Japanese history and culture, and had put thought into places to visit en route, including ones not on the usual tourist agenda, which made interesting and unexpected diversions, often with opportunities to engage directly with local people. The co-team members, Akiko and Taichi were also fluent and engaging people who added much to the enjoyment of the holiday.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared to go with an open mind about eating in the Japanese way and expect to eat with your eyes as well as your mouth. Fish, raw and cooked is delicious, but non-pescatorians may have limited choices. You will develop a bread and cheese craving after 10 days or so but the odd bakery snack stop will crop up along the way. Several meals are taken wearing kimonos provided by the establishment, so you don't need a large off-bike wardrobe. You will need good rain gear 'in case' and flexibility of layered and warm !clothing to cope with variations of wind and temperature, although you won't need to carry this on the bikes as the support bus is regularly at hand to access day bag supplies.

Suggestions

The hired bikes were good quality, light touring machines.

Most Inspirational Moment

Cycling in the hills away from other tourists. The leader, Tatsuya was pretty inspirational too.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Top bloke and no mistake.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Just do it. Be prepared to food outside your comfort zone.

Suggestions

Take warm clothing and waterproofs if traveling at the extremes of the season.

Most Inspirational Moment

We visited a small family run ryokan which was our first introduction to a japanese inn, and this for me was the best night of the holiday. It was quite basic in its facilities with no ensuite in any room. But it had a bar (quite a rarity) where you could warm up after the ride, in preparation for an exquisite evening meal followed by an impromptu japanese 'harp' recital. You just had to remember which shoes to wear, and of course no footwear on the tatami mats in the bedroom and dining area. There were many other contenders, but if I was asked to pick just one that would be it.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Mr Tea, as I called him, was a true professional. Very methodical and meticulous so that nothing was left to chance resulting in a very smoothly run holiday. He certainly went the extra mile every day, cycling up and down the group as we progressed, resulting in a vast array of photos of us on the move, and I don't think I've ever been on a holiday with so many group photo requests! He was ably supported by Taichi, our driver and Akiko our sub-leader. They worked hard after we'd finished cycling and were up again in the morning ensuring that the bikes were in tip top condition. Very impressive.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Follow the advice in the trip notes. Take plenty of cash although credit cards were accepted as payment in most places, but not on the metro! Travel out a a couple of days before the tour starts to acclimatise and get to know Tokyo, and maybe also an extra day in Kyoto at the end. Depending on the time of year bring plenty of layers as it can get cold in the mountains, particularly at night. Don't bother with too much evening wear. Traditional japanese kimonos are available in many hotels. Just be open minded and read up about japanese customs before you go out. Politeness is embedded into japanese society so don't let the side down.

Suggestions

No.

Most Inspirational Moment

Arriving at the first ryokan and learning how to observe Japanese customs in this environment.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Very well organised and efficient. Perhaps a little shy at first but this passed as the trip progressed and his confidence in dealing with the group developed.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring a fairly large backpack as there are two separate days when you don’t have access to your suitcase. Keep your evening wear to a minimum as many of the hotels and ryokans provide a yukata (a casual summer kimono). Be prepared for rain and low temperatures. Very little fruit available generally and virtually none at breakfast.

Suggestions

Japanese drivers generally considerate and patient. We felt safe on the roads.

Most Inspirational Moment

For me, it was the introduction to such an unique culture. Despite Japan being a developed country, the norms, many intricate rituals and the respectful nature of the Japanese, made this such an interesting trip with a great deal of variety. I also would include the nightly soaks in the onsens a highlight! Our group completely got into this routine around the peninsula where they were common!

Thoughts on Group Leader

One cannot say enough about our primary group leader “Tea”. An incredible person, he was the epitome of organized, safety conscious, accommodating, knowledgeable and patient. We were not sure when “Tea” slept as he seemed to always be engaged doing something for the next day, ensuring all special dietary needs were met, organizing tickets, lunch stops etc. He also turned out to be photographer at large capturing many fantastic images of the group cycling..not quite sure when he managed to capture so many images as he always seemed to be leading us with commands of “single file”!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring less evening clothing (you really do end up wearing kimonos more than half the time post cycling) and bring more cycling stuff..full array of warm weather and cold/wet weather gear. Hands and feet especially. A down puffer jacket is recommended as used more than several times and lacks light and small.

Suggestions

I found this trip to have the perfect mix of enough cycling mileage, cultural stops and highlights. It offered a fantastic variety and having been home now for a week, I look through the photos with extremely fond memories of a wonderful adventure with a fantastic crew and group of fellow travellers!

Most Inspirational Moment

There are several - The friendliness and courtesy of the Japanese people, the traditional inns, the cuisine and the well maintained roads, the incredible bullet train.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Tatsuya ( Tea ) is a fantastic group leader. He loves his country and imparted so much knowledge of local customs and etiquette in only two weeks it felt as if I had been in Japan for months. Nothing was too much trouble for him either on or off the road

Advice for Potential Travellers

There isn't much need for a wide selection of "off the " bike clothes as you change into local dress ( provided ) almost immediately on arrival at hotels and inns. There are washing and drying facilities in most hotels. Take cash as Japan , perhaps surprisingly , is not a credit card culture

Suggestions

I can't recommend this trip highly enough !

Most Inspirational Moment

There were many inspirational moments on the trip and it is difficult to name just a few. There was a lovely ride for about five miles on the Noto peninsula; there were so many coastal views that we often stopped every few miles for a photo. The traditional inns were a unique experience which we felt privileged to share. If we had been doing this trip on our own without a tour guide and Exodus I'm sure we would have missed out on these unique experiences. The cycling in the mountains and experiencing the autumn colours was heavenly. The good weather and blue skies helped of course. Tokyo and Kyoto were fascinating places and we did a lot considering we were there for only a couple of days.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader, Tatsuya Yamasawa, was exceptional. He was very organised and methodical and made sure that the tour ran smoothly. He was kind, very friendly with an excellent sense of humour and camaraderie. Nothing was too much trouble for him and the whole group was so appreciative of all that he did for us. He was a credit to Japan and we all fell in love with the country partly due to him. We could not praise him highly enough.

Advice for Potential Travellers

In terms of advice I would say that the cycling is moderate to challenging. Our group was very good and no one had any problems, but some hills did require a bit of puffing. I certainly wouldn't recommend anyone to do this trip unless they were used to cycling up to 50 miles at a stretch over undulating terrain. Travellers should also be flexible as traditional inns and traditional food are very different from what we normally experience in the west. You have to be prepared to bite the bullet and eat the raw fish, the seaweed, the octopus legs and the snails if you want to experience a traditional meal. It's worth it though to experience something truly unique.

Most Inspirational Moment

The most inspirational moment for me was anything involving how their society functions. The quietness on the public transport ( no talking on cell phones), how orderly the cities are in what could be chaos, the esthetic of beauty in every detail, the cleanliness, the courteousness everywhere, the most amazing toilets, the taking off of shoes, the lack of crime, the precision of the trains or metros, and I can go on and on. I was just gobsmacked.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Well is there a word better than incredible to describe Tatsuya or Mitch? Tatsuya, besides being a really interesting person with a very subtle sense of humor, was really a wonderful guise. Very attentive to our needs and our safety and an amazing sense of organization. Not easy getting a group through crowded metro stations and onto the bullet trains or biking through a city but they made it easy. He has a great wealth of knowledge of all aspects of Japan and really explained things well. I immediately had confidence in him and therefore didn't really need to think about anything other than riding my bike and experiencing Japan. Mitch and Tatsuya were a great team and this being a first run trip makes it even more unbelievable at how well run it was. They both had a huge amount of patience with us and stayed calm at all times and I know that they are always thinking of the next part of the trip and that their work is never done but I never felt this. They took great care of us and I appreciate how attentive they were with me being a vegetarian. Highly recommend these guides and I thank them for the fabulous experience.

Advice for Potential Travellers

One of the advantages of Japan is that on many of the nights in the inns you wear kimono like robes- so you don't need that many clothes other than cycling. As far as the Japanese baths the women and men bathe separately which wasn't very clear in the instructions and do follow the pre- bathing ritual if there are Japanese there at the same time. If you are vegetarian it can be difficult at times but do buy nuts at the convenience stores to compensate for some lack of protein. Being vegan here would be quite difficult.

Suggestions

Nothing left to add. Great trip once again with Exodus.