Cycling the Japanese Archipelago

Spring of 2020 was certainly a crazy time to be out in the world. By the time COVID-19 rates began to rise in North America, I was already 2 week into my trip. I originally wanted to bike from the southern most island of Kyushu to the northern island of Hokkaido, but my plans changed. Many times. This route, for now, remains unfinished. I hope this information is useful, nonetheless

When: March 2020… spring is the recommended time to cycle in Japan. The weather is milder, and there is less rain than early summer. Plus, spring is when you will experience the blossoming of Sakura (cherry blossoms).

How long: I set aside 2 months for this trip, but I only ended up going half-way in 1 month. Japan has a lot to offer. One would miss so much trying to cycle it in less than 2 months.

Route: A meandering route that I made day by day. Once on the island of Shikoku however, there is a set, cycling route that one could follow.

Maps: Google maps. Maps Me was not useful at all in Japan but with Google’s offline maps feature, I got around just fine.

Weather: March was colder than I was expecting, even in the south. About 10 C on average but the nights would drop down to 1 C. There was still a fair bit of rain, and it was often quite windy. By April temperatures were rising.

One thing I realized quite quickly is that Japan is very compact. There is so much culture woven into a small land mass. It was a huge contrast to cycling through the vast open space and desert of the US and Mexico. High km days made me feel as though I was missing too much. I began slowing down and taking my time.

Fukuoka

Fukuoka is a large city, filled with accommodations in every price range and many places to eat. I stayed in a very reasonably priced Airbnb so I could get all the details of my bike and gear together before hitting the road. Being the first place I visited in Japan, I failed to realize how unique the south is compared to the rest of the country. It definitely has a more laid-back quality. Famous for a slightly different cuisine than the rest of Japan as well, be sure to try to ramen!

Fukuoka to Yanagawa 57 km

The urban areas of Japan are lined with fairly wide walkways that double as bike lanes. I was impressed how many people cycle in Japan. It was nice to get an early start to the ride because cycling out of the city means weaving in and out of the pedestrians and other bicycle enthusiast. I was glad to be out before the bustle of the city had its first morning coffee.

The ride out of Fukuoka was not as bad as I was expecting. I’m used to city riding being chaotic but the designated bike areas in Japan made it straightforward. Before I knew it, I was watching the city dissolve around me into lush bamboo forests and rice patties.

I remember thinking, “Japan smells amazing.” There was a sweet scent in the air.

There’s a bit of a climb once out of town. It was a steady but long uphill followed by a steep and also long decent. The last 20km into Yanagawa are closer to the coast and flatten out.

There was no shortage of places to stop along the way. In Japan, convenient stores are, well, very convenient. You will find many healthier options than in an American store. Even better (and usually cheaper) would be to stop at a supermarket, and there are many along the way as well.

Yanagawa is a quaint little town. It used to be a farming town built around a series of canals, used for irrigation. Now you can take a singing boat ride through the canal systems. The Shoto Gardens of Ohana are also something you won’t want to miss. And if you get here by end of February, you could catch the famous Hina festival, a day celebrating the coming of spring and the health of young girls. I arrived just after the festival but was still able to see some of the decorations, which were really quite beautiful.

I stayed in a guesthouse here, called the Guesthouse Horiwari.

Yanagawa to Kumamoto 67 km

There are several routes to take. The longest is along the coast, and the most direct is straight through the mountains. I took the happy medium, a route going around most of the mountains and then cutting in before the city. It was a very urban ride however, and if I were to do it again, I may jet along the coast instead. It was an easy ride most of the way.

Kumamoto is another bustling city, with hostels and Airbnb's. I stayed with a Warm Shower’s host this night.

Kumamoto to Aso 30 km

Aso, is a mountain town (well, it’s a volcano town), so you can imagine this is a day of climbing. All climbing, actually. And it was incredibly beautiful the entire way. I stopped a bit outside of Aso to avoid the more touristy area. The town of Aso is quite expensive. There are many hotels, but the cheapest will be about 11 000 Yen. You could certainly wild camp, however.

Lots of places to stop, again, but not as frequently so take a look at the map.

Aso offers numerous hikes with grand lookouts and a very beautiful natural onsen heated by the volcano. This was honestly the most beautiful area I passed through. I highly recommend taking your time through the mountains.

Aso to Beppu 110 km

Trying to keep a tight schedule to meet up with a friend I cycled a long day of a lot of climbing. There were several major climbs on this route. I would recommend breaking this into two days and camping somewhere in between. I saw many spots where I would have gladly pitched a tent.

This was definitely the most beautiful day of riding. The rural Japanese towns along the mountain’s sides were peaceful, and a unique cycling experience.

There are, again, many convenient stores along the way, but still, they are a little less frequent.

Beppu is a nice coastal town, outside of the larger city of Oita. Be sure to check out the onsen here. Ebisuya Onsen is one of my favourite onsen memories.

Beppu to Matsuyama 63 km by bike + a ferry ride

The ferries from Beppu go to Yanagawata, a port town on the island of Shikokou. I left early to catch the first ferry that left around 6 am. It was a 3-hour ferry ride. Bring your own breakfast because there are only vending machines available this early in the morning. Yanagawata does have food options as well. It’s a couple short hills to cross the mountain range and then it’s smooth sailing as you hit the coastal road. It was nice to be riding finally, beside the ocean. It was a very enjoyable ride right into Matsuyama, with several convenient stores along the way.

Matsuyama is famous for Dogo Onsen, one of the largest and oldest traditional onsen in Japan. Unfortunately, it was under construction while I was there, and so I went to the smaller onsen close by, which was still very beautiful.

The area around Dogo onsen is quite touristy and located outside of the main downtown of Matsuyama. Pedestrian walkways lined with little souvenir shops and cafes. There’s another road with bars and places to eat dinner. And it’s only a short walk from Ishiteji temple.

I do imagine this area can get fairly busy under normal circumstances, but during the COVID 19 outbreak, I felt like I had the place to myself.

A Note on Shikoku Island
Shikoku Island is famous for cycling. They have a well-marked cycling route that goes around the entire perimeter. Look for the blue painted stripe on the roads. It’s about 1000 km to go around the entire island and has been compared to the famous cycling route that goes around Taiwan.

All of the infrastructure made for cyclists in Japan is very convenient, but it also means that drivers are particularly unaccustomed to seeing cyclists on the road. I found drivers to be quite nervous going around me. I would try to use the cycling lanes when possible, but sometimes they were quite bumpy and would end randomly, which is not fun if you’re on a steep hill.

A Recommendation:
One of the best places I stayed on the whole trip. The owner of the guesthouse, Yuki was so kind, and went out of her way to show me around. The place is modest but cozy. The location is perfect. Ask Yuki where to eat Yakitori for a very Japanese experience.

7, Okinohata-machi, Yanagawa-city, Fukuoka, Japan
zip 832-0065
tel 0944-85-8987
mail@hori-wari.com

The lovely WarmShower’s hosts that I found in Kumamoto.

A Note on Warm Showers:
If you’re not already a member, sign up on this website. It’s like couch surfing for cyclists. There are quite a few hosts in the cities of southern Japan.

A Recommendation:
I thought this guesthouse was really cute. It had a nice layout to it, and the owner gave great local tips.
愛媛県松山市道後湯之町4-50
4-50 Dogo yunomachi Matsuyama city,
Ehime prefecture, Japan
tel: 089-916-9252

Matsuyama to Imabari 45 km

I had planned on taking the coastal road again, but due to a GPS mishap, I headed straight for the mountains. I ended up taking route 317, with no regrets because it was a stunning ride. The coastal road, which I’m sure is also beautiful, is 53 km.

Imabari is another port town, known for ship production and oddly enough, towels. Maybe you have space in your panniers to carry one of these amazingly soft towels home with you, or maybe you don’t, and you can check out the Museum of Towel Art.

Imabari is also famous for their cycling bridge the connects Shikoku to mainland Japan.

Imabari to Niihama 41 km (but longer if you’re weaving around to all of the temples.)

I decided at this point that I wanted to bike the shikoku pilgrimage. I made my way slowly stopping, at the temples along the way. It was a fairly urban ride, passing through port towns, and biking alongside large noisy trucks.

In Niihama I found a campground to stay at. It was only 500 yen for the night.

Niihama to Kanonji 49 km

Another fairly urban ride that became more beautiful as I got closer to Kanonji.

It was another day of weaving around to each of the temples. As I biked to temple 65, Sankakuji, I passed the pilgrimage walking trail. I ditched my bike here and went for a short hike to this temple, which was a nice change of pace.

Kanonji is a nice coastal town, and a good place to stop for the night. Here you can find the Takaya Shrine, a very beautiful shrine with many steps leading up to the top of it, and an excellent view from the top. At the top of the same hill, you will also find the Zenigata Sunae, a huge sand painting of an Edo period coin dating back to 1633. You can see the sand painting from a look out, close to the shrine.

Kanonji to Takamatsu 52 km

Yet another coastal ride. Takamatsu is a larger city, something I didn’t realize until I arrived there. Ride your bike along the water and find the large glass lighthouse along the boardwalk downtown. A little outside of the downtown area, you will find the fished neighbourhoods. These are fun areas to exploring by bicycle, and if you can get here by sunrise, you find the restaurants serving fresh seafood for breakfast to all the fishermen.

There are many things to do in Takamatsu if you choose to stay here. Some of these being the famous Ritsurin Koen Gardens as well as various museums, particularly one on the architecture of Shikoku.

I found a little café here for dinner. They weren’t serving Japanese food, but they were serving a lemon curry, and I would go back for it. Umie café is not far from the lighthouse boardwalk.

Takamatsu to Tokashima 109 km

And at this point I was making my way to the airport for a flight home, so I stopped cycling to the temples.

I was planning to cross from Naruto to Awaji Island, but Naruto is apparently not famous for their cycling bridge. Upon reaching the bridge I came to a large “no bicycles” sign, and this rule is very enforced. As a cyclist, the only way across to mainland from this part of Shikoku is by ferry. I ended up biking an extra 30 km to find a place to wild camp this night, close to Tokashima.

Tokashima to Miyama 14 km + a ferry ride

The ferry ride across is a couple of hours and about 3000 yen with a bicycle. There are only vending machines on the ferry but a FamilyMart very close by to grab breakfast. There are a lot of hotels once you get across, or if you head in the direction of Miyama, there are lots of places to wild camp.

Miyama to Osaka 69 km

This was a fun ride, but I must have been in high spirits as I am normally impatient with the stop and go of city traffic lights. It is slower-going the closer you get to Osaka because of traffic.

Osaka is the largest city in Japan, second to Tokyo. I spent a week here exploring, and I seemed to uncover a new area each day. Although after the week, I was certainly missing rural Japan.

Osaka offers many interesting and bizarre things to keep you entertained. Spa world is a multi-level international themed Onsen, (that I was able to enjoy for about an hour before getting kicked out due to tattoos ooops). Or the Pokemon cafe, which serves Pokemon themed dishes.

Many things were still closed in the city due to Covid-19. One thing I would have loved to do was see a Noh play… next time.

If you like coffee, the Brooklyn Roastery is the best café in the city, I’m positive. And don’t miss Osaka castle.

A Note on the Shikoku Pilgrimage.
The Shikoku pilgrimage is a famous 88- temple pilgrimage that goes around the island of Shikoku. It is unlike any other pilgrimage in the world in the sense that it is a circle. There is no beginning and no end, but you can start at any point. In my few days of cycling it, I came to the realization that it really is meant to be walked. I hope I can return, to properly walk the entire route.
That being said, many people have cycled it as well. Some modern pilgrims drive to each temple or even take a tour bus. I personally felt that something was lost in not taking the journey by foot.
There are loads of blogs on the pilgrimage, and I will not try to write my own guide for you. I will however recommend one.
http://www.shikokuhenrotrail.com
I found this site to be extremely informative. Dave, the writer goes over every detail, from the backgrounds of each temple, to places to stay along the way. He even talks about etiquette.
http://www.shikokuhenrotrail.com/shikoku/heartsutra.html
I thought this page was particularly important.
Even after reading the guides I felt a little uneasy about participating at the temples. I was worried I would do something wrong. But one thing that I found useful, is to simply sit and observe at the first few temples you visit. Watch what other pilgrims are doing.

A Note of Security
It’s pretty amazing how safe Japan is. I was never worried about my bike getting stolen and would leave it with peace of mind outside all of the temples.

One of many tunnels in Japan. They were first exciting to bike through but soon were realized to be very cold, loud, and frankly, quite scary places to be on a bike. Don’t head out on the Japanese roads without good bike lights and reflective gear!

Alexandra YOKApril 7, 2020Comment