Japan 2026
Cycle touring in Japan with epic Singaporean adventurer Suchern.
After a stop-over in Shanghai, I'll meet Suchern in Naha, Okinawa and we'll start making our way towards Hokkaido!
See it on the interactive map · Flyby videos
Chapters
- Bristol To Shanghai · 6 pebbls
- Shanghai · 14 pebbls
- Arriving In Naha, Okinawa, Japan! · 7 pebbls
- Naha Sightseeing · 9 pebbls
- Cycling Day 1: To Shikya Beach · 11 pebbls
- Cycling Day 2 · 11 pebbls
- Cycling Day 3 · 12 pebbls
- Hiking From Higashi · 12 pebbls
- Cycling Day 4: To North Okinawa · 11 pebbls
- Day 5 Cycling: Around Cape Hedo · 3 pebbls
- Day 5 Cycling: Around Cape Hedo · 8 pebbls
- Day 6: Cycling & Ta'taki Falls · 8 pebbls
- Failed Mount Katsudake Walk! · 23 pebbls
- Ferry To Amami Island · 9 pebbls
- Cycling Day 7: East of Amami 1 · 10 pebbls
- Cycling Day 8: More Amami Island · 10 pebbls
- Oh the weather! · 4 pebbls
- Cycling day 9: To south Amami · 18 pebbls
- A more restful day? · 7 pebbls
- Cycling day 10: Back to Naze · 9 pebbls
- Kagoshima/Sakurajima · 25 pebbls
- Kagoshima Sightseeing · 19 pebbls
- Cycling Day 11: Towards Satsuma · 14 pebbls
- Cycling Day 12: Rain! · 8 pebbls
- Cycling Day 13: To Yatsushiro · 16 pebbls
- Cycling Day 14: Yatsushiro · 11 pebbls
- Board games with our hosts · 2 pebbls
- Cycling Day 15: To Aso Crater · 6 pebbls
- Aso Crater Hike Day · 12 pebbls
- Cycling Day 16: To Ogata · 12 pebbls
- Cycling Day 17 · 15 pebbls
- Cycling Day 18: To Beppu · 14 pebbls
- Cycling Day 19: To Kunisaki · 11 pebbls
- Cycling Day 20:Explore Mount Futago · 28 pebbls
- Cycling Day 21: To Shikoku · 14 pebbls
- Cycling Day 22: Along the peninsula · 10 pebbls
- Ozu & Uchiko Sightseeing · 13 pebbls
- Cycling Day 23: To Kumakogen · 17 pebbls
- Iwaya Temple (45) Walk · 20 pebbls
- Cycling Day 24: Nakatsu Gorge · 15 pebbls
- Cycling Day 25: Up again! · 13 pebbls
- Hiking Mount Tsutsujo · 26 pebbls
- Cycling Day 26: To Saijo · 15 pebbls
- Yokomine Temple Hike · 22 pebbls
- Cycling Day 27: Shimanami Kaido · 19 pebbls
- A day in Setoda · 27 pebbls
- Cycling Day 28: Onomichi & Takehara · 19 pebbls
- Cycling Day 29: To Hiroshima · 16 pebbls
- Hiroshima: Peace Museum & Around · 12 pebbls
- Cycling Day 30: Heading East Again · 9 pebbls
- Cycling Day 31: To Hayashima · 13 pebbls
- Cycling Day 32: Back to Shikoku! · 12 pebbls
- A Rainy Day in Takamatsu · 6 pebbls
- Cycling Day 33: Towards Iya Valley · 6 pebbls
- Cycling Day 34: Iya Valley · 20 pebbls
- Vine bridge camping · 8 pebbls
- Mount Tsurugi Hike Day · 29 pebbls
- Cycling Day 35: To Tokoshima · 10 pebbls
- Back to Honshu · 9 pebbls
- Cycling Day 36: Towards Tanabe · 12 pebbls
- Cycling Day 37: To the Kumano Kado · 14 pebbls
- Hike: Kumano Kodo from Takijiri · 29 pebbls
- Cycling Day 38: To Uenoji · 21 pebbls
- Cycling Day 39: To Nara · 13 pebbls
- Wandering Around Nara · 21 pebbls
- Cycling Day 40: To Kyoto · 14 pebbls
- Kyoto Sightseeing · 34 pebbls
- Cycling Day 41: To Koka · 9 pebbls
- Cycling Day 42: More Lake Biwa · 11 pebbls
- Cycling Day 43: Heading east · 4 pebbls
- Cycling Day 44: To Nakatsugawa · 12 pebbls
- Hike day: Magome Pass-Nakatsu Trail · 41 pebbls
- Slob day
- Cycling Day 45: Up the Kiso Valley · 11 pebbls
- Kisokoma Camping · 7 pebbls
- Mount Kiso-Komagatake · 23 pebbls
- Cycling Day 46 · 8 pebbls
- Hiking Day: Mount Yakedake · 33 pebbls
- Matsumoto · 16 pebbls
- Cycling Day 47: To Komagane · 7 pebbls
- Hike Day: Mount Kumokagate Part 2 · 12 pebbls
- Cycling Day 48: To Fujimi · 5 pebbls
- Hiking: Mount Nykuasa · 16 pebbls
- Trains to Nagoya · 9 pebbls
- Nagoya · 40 pebbls
- Shanghai Stopover · 28 pebbls
Bristol To Shanghai
Suchern flew to Okinawa ahead of me, then on to the small island of Ishigaki, where she spent a few days under leaden skies and in stiff sea breezes; it should have been tropical, but felt cold. To top it off, she'd accidentally left her phone at Naha airport, so it was a few days before I found out she had made it okay 😯
I set off with more luggage than is sensible, and a bike bag that is so big the airline may refuse to take it, on Tuesday 10th March 2026, fortunate that I booked with China Eastern in that Donald Trump's war with Iran wouldn't affect my flight to Shanghai over Russia...
Made It To The Train!
These bike hangers are always awkward.
I don't think they'd fit another bike next to mine!
Train Number 2
Hmmm, my homemade rucksack stand which includes 2 telescopic umbrella poles, was already damaged on train number 1. I didn't think it would last long, but I did hope it would help me out for a few days before dying! Maybe with some more cable ties... 🤞
Bye!
My parents came to see me off at Gatwick!
Shanghai
An afternoon and a night in Shanghai
Century Square
The area by Century Square was quite impressive, with high rises around, impressive borders and some fire horses to celebrate the recent lunar new year!
By The River
I walked on, reaching the river after stopping at a greengrocers to buy an apple (I paid cash as I had some and wasn't sure AliPay would work for me). Lots of big buildings on the skyline!
Hotel & Evening Meal
I was in plenty of time for my hotel pick-up in the end, and they didn't keep me waiting in the cold too long. The driver didn't speak much English and it was a surprise when I was bundled into a different minibus after about 30 mins, but then we arrived...at a hotel with an unexpected name...but it seemed okay-they had my details and let me pay using card!
Unfortunately there was no restaurant, so I went to the local shop and found the least meaty-looking pot noodle type thing I could (most were very meaty!), some red-bean bread which Madeleine has recommended and something a bit more crunchy.
This was my first ever pot noodle! Tasty, a bit messy to eat, and maybe not completely vegetarian - I think there may have been some meat flavourings 🫣
The other bits were both quite sweet...not the most nutritious meal perhaps!
The shower in the hotel room took about 5 minutes to warm up (I almost got out and went to ask if I was doing something wrong twice!), but was good when it got there!
Arriving In Naha, Okinawa, Japan!
Arriving in Naha, the largest city of Okinawa, meeting Suchern and settling in to a hostel for a couple of nights to recover, buy some provisions and see any sights in the city.
Take-off
Touchdown In Naha
Bike Preparations!
It seems like my front chainrings have been bent en route, but we should have 2 rideable bikes shortly...
Naha Sightseeing
Shurijo Castle
Shurijo castle burned down in 2019 and is being rebuilt
Castle Observation Deck
By The Castle
Cycling Day 1: To Shikya Beach
Oops! A very late start as I overslept until Suchern woke me at almost 10am, which was also the time we had to be out of our room by!
We still had a reasonably leisurely breakfast after I'd packed up as quickly as I could and brought my stuff down from the room 🙂
The plan was just to do 40-45km today around to a campsite on the south of the island...
Lunch Stop By Some Free Camping
I'd considered this spot for our first night on Okinawa before we decided to stay in town and see some of the sights.
Nice beach with lots of campers present, but lacking a shower (it os free though!).
It's been really windy today, but we found a sheltered spot by some rocky outcrops for lunch.
There were lots of bits of coral on the beach. I managed to find one I could cable-tie in place to get my umbrella telescopic pole rucksack mount back into use after the wood block I'd original used broke in half when the bike fell over by the royal gardens yesterday.
Beach By Kenji Monument
Beautiful secluded beach, apart from all the washed-up plastic!
We saw birds which may have been cormorants and buzzards from the beach.
Cape Chinnen
We paused by the Shikya beach campsite, where there was loud music playing and a few people having a good time. We had been intending to stop and camp here, but as we pushed our bikes around to the office, a guy came out and told us there were no camp spaces as the entire campsite has been booked for an event (despite us having seen there was room for us on a quieter section).
We were told that a hotel up in Nanjo also had a camp ground, but opted to carry on around the coast...
Cycling Day 2
Wild Camp
We found a beautiful wild camping spot after the campsite told us we couldn't stay as it had been booked out for an event (there was loud music, but not so many people/tents). Suchern cleared dome of the rubbish while I climbed the steps up to a site with water points (see last night's last photos).
I didn't sleep so well, but I think that was partly down to having my mattress too firm.
Some locals arrived at around 6am, and we decided we should start getting up.
Cape Chinnen
Igel Seaside Park
Beautiful beach!
Cycling Day 3
Scott Helped With A Broken Gear Cable
My front gear cable snapped yesterday afternoon. Scott, cycling Japan on a recumbent bike, from Wales, but has lived in Thailand for the last 4 years, happened to be staying at the campsite which we had failed to book in advance, and he had a spare gear cable with him! He helped me fit it and I traded it for my spare brake cable 🙂
Scott had been staying at the same hostel with us too, but had had more adventures/misadventures while there
Outside A US Base
Lunch Stop
And trying to figure out whether we need to reserve or campsite for tonight...
Hiking From Higashi
We thought (I persuaded?) Suchern that we should stay at the campsite a couple of nights so we could do a 20km hike up into the hills north of Higashi.
17 March 2026 - 10:50
Potential Path To A Summit!
At The Summit...In The Woods
Small side trail to the actual summit at 370m or so, marked by a few stones, the central one engraved
Cycling Day 4: To North Okinawa
After 2 nights at a comfy campsite in Higashi (pineapple central in they have a tinning pnt here, and azalea festival village), we're on the bikes again heading north. Suchern's not entirely happy with her brakes and has a misthreaded front gear cable. I can only use one of my front chain-rings by holding the lever in or by rolling the adjuster so I can't use the opposite end. So all working pretty well really! I'm sure there'll be a bike shop someday 😉
Arakawa Dam
Aha Falls
Cape Town
It's rainy and we're a bit cold, but we've reached the northern-most point of Okinawa
Day 5 Cycling: Around Cape Hedo
My 1st eSIM expired yesterday and I've not had any luck switching to the next eSIM yet... hopefully it's down to poor signal up here in the Yonbaru National Park and it'll kick in at the next sizeable town... Kunigami appears to be about half US base and holiday resort (not open to us), but there is a Japanese area around it...
Almost Caught Sunrise!
From another beach wild camp near Oku...
The campsite on OpenStreetMap turned out to be a glamping site, and there was no-one at Myagi's Inn, so we scouted out the beach for wild camping again last night. It was cold tofu with beans, mini red pepper and a sauce for tea, followed by Madeleine cakes from the local shop.
19 March 2026 - 10:08
Warning of scary animals?
At Cape Hedu
Day 5 Cycling: Around Cape Hedo
At Cape Hedo
Thoroughly wet, we stopped for a look around the info centre and headland, then treated ourselves to some hot pumpkin soup!
Goats!
Tonokiya Campsite
Our host at this campsite is a lovely 72 year old grandfather of many. It's a simple place, but with a warm welcome (and a nice hot shower)!
Day 6: Cycling & Ta'taki Falls
A Bit Of A Late Start!
We booked a ferry to Amami Island on Sunday! It's a bit of a late start to be setting off from the campsite after 11:30am, but we were umming and ah-ing about staying here another night before deciding to move on.
Ta'taki Falls Walk
Wet shoes got hired by me for the walk up the river to the waterfall. We met Nando from the Netherlands who we walked with.
Waterfall
Failed Mount Katsudake Walk!
A cycle and walk day for me, a rest & recuperation day for Suchern.
We actually met for a bit in the late afternoon in Bise Village where Nando and Suchern had gone for a walk...although I went off to see it for myself too.
I thought I'd better get back to the campsite and a konbini (convenience store) meal before dark, whilst Nando and Suchern went in search of a restaurant.
Not The Most Rewarding Summit View Ever
I'm sure it's impressive on a clear day though!
Bise Village
Fukugi Route, Bise Village
Ferry To Amami Island
An early start to catch the ferry!
Boarding ship for Amami
I had to pack up my bike again as the booking system wouldn't allow us two bikes 🫤
Suchern got to ride on board!