03). Japan consists of more than a 1000 islands. These are the 4 main islands. We are going to ride over Honshu en Shikoku islands.
 



04). Our route: Tokyo, Fuji, Toba, Nara, Kyoto (from that climate treaty that all country's, except one, want to implement), Kinosaki, Matsuyama, Kochi (where our friends Mori and Hiromi live), Osaka, Kobe (from where our boat leaves to China).
 



05). 22 March 2001. Our arrival in Japan is without problems. Here at the airport I assemble the bikes again. Soon it will be dark. We camp in a dry rice paddy next to the airport. We do NOT have Giant bicycles; these boxes we got in San Francisco.

 



06). 2001/03/24. My Casio watch, made in Japan, is allready 10 years trouble free in my possesion. On the day we arrive in Japan, it stops! This lovely woman and her husband try to fix it; they don't succeed. Therefore they give us a photo camera! (?)
 



07). 2001/03/24. Tokyo. On the ground floor all the homeless live (look at the cleanliness of their camp!); On the first level, there is daily city live in Tokyo. At the second level, on top of this photo, is the roaring traffic on the expensive expressway.
 



08). 2001/03/24. Daytrip to Akihabara district in Tokyo. This is the electronics district of Tokio.



09). 2001/03/27. Plastic samples outside a restaurant in Tokyo. This is the menu card in Japan. It looks better than real!
 



10). 2001/03/27. Street in Ginza, Tokio.
 



11). 2001/04/01. A cold front passed the day before. 20 cm (8 inches) of fresh snow fell here at 1100 meters (3600 feet) altitude. Then it became clear, last night temperatures dropped to -12 C (10 F). Now it is clear and we can see Fuji-san (3.776 meter or 12,460 feet). On most days it is hidden behind clouds!
 



12). 2001/04/01. Fresh snow at Fuji-san (3.776 meter or 12,460 feet).
 



 
13). 2001/04/02. A Japanese Shinto-Boeddhism temple at the south coast of Honshu island.
 



14). 2001/04/07. Biking along the south coast. Temperatures start to get nice.
 



15). 200104/10. Beautiful spring day in beautiful Japan.
 



16). 2001/04/10. Everything is small in Japan, even the shopping carts.
 



17). We camp near a village. It's very easy to find a tent spot in Japan.

18) 2001/04/11. On our way to Nara. Cherry blossoms, lush green hills, thea fields. It is pretty and fun to bicycle through Japan. Let me tell you a secret: Japan makes an excellent bicycle destination! (don't tell anyone!).
 



19). 2001/04/11. Jolanda and Rene eat 'kaiten sushi' buffet, here in Nara. These are Japanese raw fish delights, that literally pass in front of your nose on a rubber convector belt.
 



20). 2001/04/11. Nara was the first capital of a united Japan, about 13 century's ago. Many old buildings, mainly temples, have been restored and maintained. This is the gate to a Shinto-Boeddhism complex in Nara.
 


21). 2001/04/11. The old temple complex 'Todai-ji' in Nara. This is the largest completely wooden building in the world. This temple was rebuild in the 16th century at 'only' 2/3 scale of the original (!) There is a giant Bhouddha image inside.
 

 

22). 2001/04/12. These are sake bottles (Japanese rice wine), outside a temple complex in Nara.
 



23). 2001/04/13. Many things are so funny in Japan, for example the cars. This is a 2/3 mini bus with 1/3 micro pick-up: a shopping car.
 



24). 2001/04/14. Spring in Japan; Here in Kyoto (from that you-know treaty). Kyoto was the 2nd capital of Japan (the succescor of Nara) and stayed so for century's. Tokyo means by the way, "East of Kyoto" and indicates the historial (in)significance of Japan's present capital.
 

25). 2001/04/15. We spend Jolanda's birthday in Kyoto. Here two geisha's pass us (pronounce: ghee-ie-sha).



26). 2001/04/15. Canned drinks machine's: a very Japanese phenomena. They can be found all over the country and in the strangest places. They offer an insane variation in cold and hot drinks. Most cost 1 euro. My favorite is the cold coffee from "Boss" with milk and sucker. (Boss is a brand from Pepsi Co.).
 



27). 2001/04/17. We ride through the lovely hills and on nice quiet roads to the north coast. On our way, we stop at this house to ask for water (Japan is NOT a flat country). We must enter the house. These lady's are spinning wool in a traditional way. They give us banana's, thea and water.
 



28). 2001/04/19. We are camping at the nice park across the river in Kinosaki. In this pretty and little old town there are dozens onsen. These are attractive bath houses above a natural hot spring.
 

29). 2001/04/22. Rene inspectects the north coast of Honshu-island.
 



30). 2001/04/23. Another funny Japanese micro car. This is a type of 4-wheeled light motorcycle with 1/4 pick-up (Jolanda is allready too large).
 



31). 27/04/2001. On our way to Onomichi (from there the new bridge goes to Shikoku island). Traditional build houses are not so easy to find these days in Japan. There are a few in this village. On most days we ride over nice and quiet roads through lush green hills.
 



32). 2001/05/03. From Honshu-island to Shikoku-island are actually 7 bridges, that hop from island to island. We camp a few days on one of those islands, with our new Japanese bicycle friends Kami and Hana, that we met on our way to here. The campground is basic and free (the best type).
 



33). 2001/05/03. Kami-san, Hana-san, Jolanda-san, Rene on little island Michika-Jima. Later on this journey, we would meet Kami and Hana again on the Bicycle ( in Thailand.)
 



34). 2001/05/05. In Matsuyama on island Shikoku. Today there is a street festival. Okamoto-san has a Manga-kisa (Japanese comics read and buy store with cafe), he offers us a room at the back of his store for free. We stay a few days and visit many sites including: 'Dogo', the oldest bath house in Japan; Matsuyama castle, on of the 4 castles on Shikoku island (Shi=4, koku=district: each district has a castle). This one lays at a hilltop (yama=hilltop).



35). 2001/05/06. On Shikoku are 88 temples. There are many pelgrims making a tour passing all 88 temples. Some walk all in one go; many 'collect' a few every year. Here is such a pelgrim.
 



36). 2001/05/09. On our way to Kochi. We camp a the free campsite in the city park. In that park a couple makes wedding pictures. Jolanda makes one too.
 



37). 2001/05/13. In Kochi we make a visit with our friends Mori-san and Hiromi-san to a friend of Mori. In his weekend mountain cabin he spends a lot of energy on pottery. Jolanda gives it a try too. The master seems to aprove the result.
 



38). 2001/05/17. Campai! Hiromi-san cooks great Japanese dishes for us. We met for the first time in 1994 on the beach in Goa, India. Both couples then travelled by motorcycle through India. Now we visit their home on our bicycles. We share a lot of stories and enjoy the friendship. This is our 'final supper'.



39). 2001/05/18. Sayonara (goodbye) Mori-san and Hiromi-san! Thanks for the friendship and great hospitallity!



40). 2001/05/26. Osaka. We camp many days along this river, because we must wait a long time for our Chinese and Mongolian Visa.
 



41). 2001/05/31. We ride to Himeji castle, on of the best preserved (original style) castles in Japan. It lays 2 days cycling west of Kobe and certainly worth a visit.
 

42). 2001/06/08. Our 'slow boat to China' leaves from Kobe. It is 50 hours sailing to Tianjin, near Beijing. The sun sets in the country of the rising sun. The bicycling was great in spring!



43). 2001/06/08. Our 'slow boat to China' leaves from Kobe. It is 50 hours sailing to Tianjin, near Beijing. The sun sets in the country of the rising sun. The bicycling was great in spring!



44). Sayonara (goodbye) beautiful Japan. We have bicycled 2.364 pretty and most of all funny Kilometers (1,480 miles ) Domo arigato gozaimasu (Thank you very much [polite]) all those Japanese people for your many donations and encouragement that we recieved whole day, every day. For us, Japan is the country of the rising bicycle!


Japan bicycle tour spring 2001
Copyright 2002: René Maassen      
 
 
Nederlandse (Dutch) version
 

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