My Challenge: 1000 Miles through Japan

What’s my challenge? My challenge is to ride 1000 miles on my bike and to discover the country and culture of Japan. On my journey, beginning 3rd May 2009 (until 15th June), I hope to get a glimpse of other people’s LifeDreams, their hopes, aspirations, and challenges in this life. After all, life is what people make of it and I expect to see that people in Japan have their own take on it. Whenever one is faced with the unfamiliar, our spirit awakes. This journey through Japan will definitely kick my comfort zone as I will get lost, be faced with decisions I never had to make, meet people I never met before, and encounter the unfamiliar culture and customs of the Japanese which will definitely challenge me to embrace the new and make the most of everything which comes my way.


All this will be done on a tight budget and I will be camping throughout the 6 weeks living off my camping stove and what the land and people provide… On the right you can see a calligraphy of the word 'warrior spirit' something to be attained through steady practice of a still, honest, and open heart. I am very much into practicing martial arts and have done so over many years. It has shown me that even though one experiences pain there is always a lesson to be learned. The path towards success/ liberation is not the one with roses on each side but the thorny and rocky path. This challenge will be such a journey where I will encounter many challenges but come out stronger and, hopefully, a little wiser ;)

With this challenge I wish to raise money for Embrace Cooperation, the not-for profit company I work for, in order to establish a fund for young entrepreneurs who wish to set-up their own businesses and projects. I am inviting you to sponsor me to support this cause. Embrace has over 150 young adults who come through our doors every year and especially those who are with us for longer-term placements are invited to prepare their LifeDreams with us. Many of them have business ideas (their own fashion shops, cafe's, IT companies, crafts businesses or sustainable farming) and projects which they are passionate about. Embrace supports young adults from the UK, Europe, and from Africa (pictures left: Milkyas Mesfin from Ethiopia and Michaela Ruhland from Germany who have great entrepreneurial spirit and business ideas).

Together with YOU we can help Embrace raise the money they need and can offer interest free loans for these young entrepreneurs, small test-trading grants and dedicated business support and mentoring. Please sponsor me in any way shape or form you wish. You can buy ONE mile for £10 or €10 and it is my aim to get sponsorship for 1000 bicycle miles which I WILL cycle - no matter what!

You can sponsor me by donating CASH or money in cheques (payable to 'Embrace Cooperation Ltd', ESMC 1000 Miles, Embrace Cooperation, 3 St. Cloud Road, SE27 9PN London, UK) or you can put the money into Embrace's bank account (reference: ESMC 1000 Miles):

Embrace Cooperation Ltd
Account Name: 02940748
Sort Code: 30-96-07
Lloyds TSB Bank Plc

PAYPAL is available too (just hit the DONATE button on the right).... thank YOU so much for YOUR contribution to making other's LifeDreams come true! you know what's gonna happen ...what goes around...cycles around...

1100 Miles Challenge - tick

It has been accomplished! 6 weeks in Japan have come to an end, 1100 miles (1800 Km) are cycled. It has not just been a bicycle tour but also a spiritual journey through a land where a large proportion actively worships the myriads of gods and goddesses. The sheer amount of temples and shrines are good reminders to stop for a quick prayer, pick up some `holy` water or protective stickers for your car to enhance safe driving.


I somehow feel connected now to a land which is so full of contrasts, where ancient temples stand next to skyscrapers competing for height. The experiences and memories from this journey will stay with and nourish me for a long time to come.

Most astonishing customs and ingrained behaviour patterns have definitely left an unforgettable impression on my soul. The politeness, seriousness at work, customer service generally...make this land a role model for many `Western` countries where we had to invent words such as `service desert` and regularly get annoyed at things not working or being in a state of constant chaos and in deep disagreement with `how things ought to be.` Of course there were also things that I observed in Japan which really went on my nerves such as the absolute disrespect for cyclists displayed by some lorry drivers, people leaving their cars on whilst going shopping at kombini`s (corner shops), inadequate cycling paths on potentially dangerous sections of roads. However, nothing is perfect and considering all the up`s then these things really didn`t spoil the soup.


Overall, I was able to experience first hand how open hearted, hospitable, kind and generous the people are that I have met. In the blog I really only mentioned some of the things that happened to me and left out a multitude of experiences which have made this 1000 Miles Challenge a 1100 Miles Pleasure. Whilst being physically draining and needing urgent service (both, bike and me), I now have a very clear image and feeling of how I want to continue living my life. Of course, many things were set before I came to Japan because I have been intending them, but, new attention has been given to different aspects of my life ranging from perfect health to financial prosperity over to healthy and happy relationships. The one book I took with me, The Law of Attraction (The Secret behind the Secret), has been an inspiration throughout the journey. I actually read it twice, just to make sure the key lessons will stay with me.

Some of the most memorable events of my visit to Japan were:

• Sitting in the bathtub together with some tattooed Yakuza (Asama Onsen in Matsumoto),
• The unforgettable scent, atmosphere and uphill struggle of Route 360 (Takayama to Toyama),
  
• Sitting by the river and having sushi with Minoru-san & my first crystal bowl concert with Ikuko-san (Kanazawa),
• Campfire and grilling fresh fish with Yoshiaki and Nishiyama (Noto, Wajima),
  
• Racing along the scenic coastline on the R8 (from Toyama to Joetsu),
• Being in solitude and at peace, and of course intuitively finding a new camp spot every other day...

What`s next! Well, I am intending to write a book connecting the lifestyle and stories of Samurai, their Budo, during the Edo Period (1603 - 1868) whilst cycling through some of the important parts of Japan in the present.


I will also make a short film of the hours of video which I shot here using my small camera. This should be an entertaining `Cycling in Japan` home movie... so, watch this space! thanks again to all the supporters of this adventure! Together we have raised over £1000 which will be used to start the Seed Money Challenge Fund supporting young entrepreneurs. There will be another 1000 Miles Challenge in May 2010 from Landsend (Cornwall, UK) to John O'Groats (Scotland). If you are interested in joining let me know...


Kyotse kete and
domo arigato gozaimashita,

dirk

31st May - 3rd June, Going `Home` ... a final push

This is my journey from Toyama, the coast of the Sea of Japan, back to Noda, near Tokyo. The whole journey was about 380 Km and took me 4 days going from the coast over the Northern Japanese Alps and back into flatland. Starting out from Toyama was a challenge as it rained hard throughout the night and drizzled in the morning when i got up at around 7am. I used the morning rain to check the Internet in Toyama eki (train station) for an hour and also to fill up on drinks here for free. I got back to the tent at 10am, packed up and got ready to leave. By now the drizzle had become rain again and I had to put on my `wet-suit` which is at least keeping me dry for a while. The road out from Toyama (R8) was pretty dense with traffic and it didn`t make it any better that it rained. I had to cycle on the road as the cycle paths were really challenging due to the many interruptions and unneccessary bents. These all sap of my energy so I prefer riding on the main road where there are less interruptions but one has to deal with cars who aim to overtake with as little distance as possible. The R8 then became more quiet and turned into a beautiful road along the coast (see picture).

After 30 Km the rain stopped and I really enjoyed the steep rises of the road and the curvy downhills through tunnels and past spectacular coastal scenery. I stopped many times to do video or to take pictures. By now I rode with the Kamikaze (holy wind) and on straights was able to do 40 Km/h - this was amazing and I set my target for doing as many Km today as possible. I got to Joetsu and was still on the coast where i put up my tent by the beach. I did 120 Km in 6h cycling and now needed a bath and food. The Hideki family (picture) let me have a bath in their home after they explained to me that the local public bath was closed for a few weeks and the one in the city was prohibitively expensive. They gave me also some packed lunch and we chatted a little while.

The next day I went onto R253 which lead me into the mountains and onto the R17 whiich I was going to follow almost all the way back to Tokyo. The R253 was not for the faint hearted as there were many steep climbs, quite a few lorries and no cycle path whatsoever. This road must have gone up to about 1000m above sea level and the last tunnel before going to Minamiounuma (phew...what a name) provided a really breathtaking view into the valley and the promise for a good and long downhill section (picture). Just what I needed now! With my adrenalin pumping through my venes I raced down at top speed, overtaking the occasional car, and into Minamiounuma where I had a nice bath, put up my tent near the river, washed my clothes in the river, had dinner and went to bed around 10pm pretty exhausted.

The next day was a hard day all along the R17 and through one of Japan`s winter sports resorts at over 2000m high (Naeda). The towns I cycled through seemd like ghost town with huge hotels, closed restaurants and sight of the lift stations and nice but green slopes. These towns only come alive in winter but in summer a few walkers and hikers make the climbs up the many mountains. This day`s ride took me through really narrow, slippery tunnels and I decided to put myself in the middle of my side of the road to stop lorries from overtaking me inside the tunnel if there was oncoming traffic. Inside the tunnels it seemed like cycling through streams of water running down and the dim light didn`t help either. Out of last tunnel, finally. Another really breathtaking view into the Numata valley signalled the end of the mountains (just small hills). The downhill into Numata was the longest of the whole journey and I did 20Km going down all the way into flatland. Making good progress I went onto the R354 to Isesaki. A small shrine was quickly found to put up my tent, have dinner, no bath and sleep. I got up feeling dirty from the last day`s ride but packed up being very excited as this was my final push to Noda. I followed the R354 to the R4 which would then take me to the R16 and to Noda. This was THE most annying cycling day ever. Some cars seemed to completely disregard me as a fellow traffic participant and it felt they aimed at overtaking with a max. distance of 25cm. At the traffic lights I would catch up with some and made wild gestures whilst cursing them in English. Whether it helped I am not sure but I made my point... The cycle paths were almost unusable for me due to their intelligent design ;) (see picture).

Today I did 80Km and got to Noda around 4pm. I was soo relieved, put up my tent in the temple again, found the local sento, a really huge one with different baths and saunas for only Yen 550. I bought some food and fell into a deep and long sleep having done almost 400 Km in the 4 days. The next days will be spent training here in Noda and recovering from the exciting but physically draining last 4 days. I am now at 71 Kg and need to eat my way back up again having nice fish and finding new ways of grilling and frying it. I am sooo happy that this whole journey passed without any accidents. My prayers at the different shrines and temples for a save and exciting journey must have worked. I feel really connected now also spiritually as I am kind of exhausted but in very high spirits and full of energy despite the `little` weight loss. I am looking forward to my last week here before returning home to loved ones, family and creating the life I have intended to have.

There will be one or two more posts concluding my adventure and before completing the 1000 Miles Challenge. In terms of distance I am now at 1630 Km (1012 miles - yeh) but will rake up a few more before the end of the week exploring the local neighbourhood.

25th May - 30th May, Noto Peninsula

After seeing mountains now for at least two weeks it was time for a scenery change. The Noto Peninsula with Kanazawa at its feet, Wajima on the top and Tayama again in the South would be my journey for these five days where I did some 450 km along the coast. I started out in Kanazawa where I was woken up by Minorou again who would invite me to his home where I would have my last Miso soup and rice. I left Kanazawa with both sadness and joy at the same time, because I met really cool people here and because I began to really get used to this very cosmopolitan city. It has been the best four days here in a city so far and I have not seen everything the city has to offer. This will have to wait for next time. For now, I was also happy to have some road under my tyres. On this day I would, for the first time, see the Sea of Japan. I took the Toll Road (or better its nice cycle path) up north to get to Wajima. The Japanese cycle paths/ pedestrian walkways are excellent and going north was pretty straightforward. I tried to stay by the coast whenever possible, but this sometimes meant to get off the bike and walk through the sand dunes as these have shifted onto the cycle path.

The first very interesting thing on the first day was the Coast Highway - a Highway directly on the beach, no concrete, just sand. There is two-lane traffic, without any signs or hard shoulder of course. On one side water, on the other dunes and some small shops. I had to get on this road. For the next 2 km I cycled on sand, which was hardened by the cars going over it - spectacular. In the evening I put up camp by the cost with amazing views over Gammon (a rocky coast with many caves).

The next day I got to Wajima where I quickly needed to find an ofuro (public bath). With this accomplished I went to the supermarket and then back to the beach-side camp. There I met Yoshiaki and Nishiyama, fellow travellers on motor horses (moped/ motor bike). We had much fun in the evenings trying to communicate in English and Japanese. The next day I went to town to check the morning market. Wajima is a fishing town and the morning market reflected this. Wajima is also known for its durable and colourful lacquerware and there are many shops selling local crafts ware. I was not tempted by the fish and the laquerware was pretty expensive so I just strolled along. Thinking I found a post office I went into one shop but it turned out to be a liquor store with Post Office flags in the front. However, they did have free internet. In the evening Yoshiaki and I would make a campfire and as he offered me some of his grilled fish I could not say no. This decision was not easy considering I have not been eating fish for six years. However, the scale in the public bath told me to do something as I have so far lost 8 kg. This was not a good sign and my tofu and beans diet for protein wasn’t doing it. From this day onwards I would have fish for the next few days, eating at least 1.5 kg in 3 days and managing to keep my weight where it was. The fish must have also done something else for my now worn out body as my wrists stopped hurting and my muscles recovered quicker after a day riding, so it seemed.

From Wajima I went to the furthest part North-East to see the Lighthouse, the famous terrace rice fields and checked out the Onsen. This day was spectacular despite a challenging ride along the coast. The onsen made it all worth it again. After then 120 Km I was pretty tired and I just wanted to fall over by the roadside. I stayed by the beach and put up my tent just there. Friendly locals told me not to make fire but all I wanted was to eat (salad & 500g fresh fish) and sleep. The next day was another 80 Km along the coast with spectacular sight of the mountains which must be over 250 km away and over 3000 m high and seemed ever so fearful knowing I have to climb over them again. By the 30th I got to Toyama where I needed to urgently find an ofuro, photo shop, supermarket and camp spot. Overall I have now done 1180 Km but one of the most challenging parts was still to come, the Northern Alps and 500 km. My body is starting to get tired quicker but I am sure that with a better diet and simply eating more everything will be fine.

Here some stats:

Weight at start of the tour: 80 Kg

Weight at present: 72 Kg Total distance covered: 1180 Km

Average daily distance: 70 Km

Longest daily distance: 120 Km

Highest speed: 68 Km/h

Lowest speed: 2 Km/h (with eventual standstill walking up to the Noto Lighthouse)

Daily food intake: 6 slices of wheat toast, 2 eggs, 1 tomato, 1 Grapefruit, 3 Bananas, 100 g bean sprouts, 1 small cucumber, 300g tofu or 500g fish, 100 - 180g peanuts

Daily liquid intake: 3 - 4 L (tea, water, juice)

Bike repairs: 2 flat tyres, 1 rear tyre exchanged (worn out), 1 inner tube exchanged (dead), 1 brake block exchanged (worn out), rear rack fixed (welding gave up), front cog repaired (lost a screw and bent the cog)

Pages written in diary: 60 Din A 4

Kanazawa

This is a long report as I stayed in Kanazawa for four actual days. Arriving in Kanazawa after a short (30 km) cycle seemed like coming into a city which I knew. I quickly found a nice tent spot near by the river, close to the town centre (10 minutes cycle ride). My tent was well hidden in high grass (picture right) and only locals walked their dogs in the evening or morning. I went on to explore the city for the first day to get some kind of orientation as it’s been by far the biggest city so far with almost 500,000 inhabitants, mostly Japanese, but also quite a few foreigners from pretty much everywhere. They do stand out here as there are really quite a few of them who stay here for short or long.

Kanazawa is right by the Sea of Japan and I was happy to see it for the first time now after about 700 km on the bike over mountains and ever more mountains. The city is known also one million Koku (bushels of rice) city and under the powerful Maeda clan became on of the richest cities in Edo-period Japan (Tokugawa period running from 1603 to 1868 and is the premodern era). Under the leadership of the Maeda’s culture, the arts and trade flourished and the city quickly became a hotspot for all kinds of traditional crafts such as lacquering, gold plating, but also theatre. The city is divided into different districts, Samurai Districts (old traditional houses and well preserved streets), Geisha Districts (with tea houses and ryokans), the Temple Districts (mainly Buddhist shrines and pagodas). Kanazawa is also home to the very famous Kenroku-en (pictures left), a garden of magnificent beauty and there are only three similar gardens in the whole of Japan. This garden had to be enjoyed early in the morning, I was there at 7am when it opened as the tour buses come by about 8/ 9pm. I had the whole garden to myself and it was an amazing experience. The garden’s name: Kenroku-en, is derived from the six (roku) attributes of a perfect landscape, spaciousness, seclusion, artifice, antiquity, waterways, and scenic views. There are different natural landscapes from rivers, plantations, woodland and mountains represented in the typical Japanese garden (park style). There are also many tea houses which can be visited. I went into one, early in the morning and had traditional green tea and some sweets (for 300 Yen) and was received by a woman dressed in a kimono, who invited me into the tea room. Then I was served tea and sweets and was invited to enjoy the enclosed tea house garden and the tea house itself with many Zen-style paintings and arranged flowers. After sitting there for about 15 minutes another lady in kimono came in, went to the veranda, looked at the garden and invited me to join her to admire the secluded garden (it was not possible to get into it from the main garden despite being in the middle of it). I went onto the veranda and took a spot on the floor. The lady kneeled a meter behind me and we both sat there and enjoyed the peace and quiet. I did not notice her leaving. After a while it dawned on me that this ceremony was a typical Japanese gesture. Rather than just being told to look at the garden, there was a shared appreciation by two people. This was some kind of "aha-moment" for me as it provided a deep insight into Japanese culture. I sat there for another 15 minutes understood now why the trees were kept to a small size. They are meant to represent nature, but in a smaller scale. The streams are rivers, and the rock formations really seemed like mountains after a while. I was really profoundly inspired by this understanding. It’s kinda hard to describe. After the garden I went to see Myoryuji Temple (also called Ninja Dera) which can only be visited with prior booking (thank you Tourist information at Kanazawa Train Station) and the tour in only in Japanese. The English handbook to this amazing temple is pretty good though. The temple has a variety of trapdoors, hidden staircases and despite being a Buddhist temple it was a building designed for defence and strategy should the city be under attack. It is in an area where many samurai used to live and there are many other temples which seemed to have similar functions due to their solid structures, strong gates and good position. Here the streets ended in T-junctions which made it hard for an invading army to get to the main castle too easily. Kanazawa boasts with markets (for example Omi-cho market, which has 100 stalls with fresh fish, vegetables and all sorts of locally produced foodstuffs). It was hard to resist not spending my entire daily budget there. Kanazawa`s nightlife on the weekend is also pretty cool and I can recommend "Pole, Pole Bar", a place where many gajin go and the Japanese people have very good command of English which made it enjoyable to hang out there, something I haven’t done for 2 weeks. In Kanazawa I also met Minorou-san (picture right), a local crafts person, who sells his products (Noh-Theater masks & instruments) and many a thing near where I had my tent. He took me into his home where I tried various, rather challenging, foods from fermented soybeans to pickled plums. He showed me some sword drawing techniques. There I also met Ikuko-san (bottom picture), a singer/ songwriter who I got to see perform at Kanazawa Train Station Festival Dome. She also kindly promoted my little undertaking (1000 Miles challenge) to the whole crowd which was very funny and I felt rather "hashgashi" (shy) as I was center of attention. She makes the most amazing music using crystal bowls and her voice which seemed to put many people in a meditative state despite being in a rather noisy environment at this event. Kanazawa really has won my heart as one of Japan`s coolest cities and I really have enjoyed my last day here today with Yayoi-san who showed me Kanazawa`s famous Oyamna shrine and gave me another look at the Samurai district and its very unique layout, house & street styles, feature I missed when I went through here alone on the bike. Thank you to all those wonderful people who have made this stay in Kanazawa my longest in any city so far and who have shown me their city’s hidden niceties (especially the sweet’s shops) and who have opened their hearts to welcome a stranger. Thanks also to all those who have supported me doing this adventure!

Wednesday, 20th May - Fresh Air

This really was an amazing night. I slept right through and did not even wake up once, unlike in the youth hostel. My alarm sounded at 7am but I snoozed for a while until 7.30. They I made breakfast, egg sandwich & tea, to give me strength for the journey ahead. Despite getting up early I did not leave before 9am. It took me five minutes again to get onto the R41 from Takayama to Toyama, getting onto the R471 at some point which would take me onto the R360, apparently closed for traffic (as the photo shop proprietor and someone in a kombini told me). I stopped at a petrol station and a friendly lady gave me a hand drawn map of the local area which showed the road block and how to avoid it. I thought that this should be cool and continued onto the R360.

Little did I know that this was to be the most spectacular riding day, ever! The road took me through small villages and past farms where the cows and humans alike enjoyed classical music via loudspeakers while grazing on freshly cut grass. This was not a bad life for a cow I thought. The smell of the air in this area was amazing. I simply did not want to stop breathing this fresh and sweetly scented air in (and how could I have anyway). There were lots of white and purple flowering trees. R360 on the other hand would quickly show its true colours (pictures). A steep and narrow road over 3 mountains, all over 1000m high. I continued my journey uphill as I saw some cars parked on the road. I did not think much of it and continued. And there it was - the road block. A huge gate fenced off the whole road and must have done so for quite a while as the gate looked worn down and some plants started to creep up on it. Completely blocked off? What did I see there? A narrow opening on the left hand side between stone wall and gate seemed just big enough to squeeze through. And it was big enough. From here onwards there would be no cars, no people and just me, the mountains and the lovely air - I thought. The road was blocked off for good reason as I would discover, because during heavy rain or snow regular earth/ mud slides would occur destroying everything in its way. The road uphill was the steepest I have ever been on. In addition to the many slopes (serpentine) the road did, I had to go up in a slalom style just to be able to cycle upwards. After every 30/ 40 m I had to make a stop to catch my breath and enjoy the scenery which was really amazing. Old pine trees mixed with those white and purple flowering trees, partly jungle and many mountain streams paved the way uphill, far and further into the mountains. At some point I ran out of water and the blasting and unforgivable sun made my mouth so dry that I had to take water from the streams, knowing that it was ok to drink from some travellers I met on the road. I filled up my water bottle and continued. After 12 miles I thought to have reached the top. The hard shoulder was replaced by ropes and sometimes there were just bags of sand indicating not to go near the edges as the road was instable.

What did I see there, white, glistening in the sun? SNOW, it actually was snow (picture right). I had to get off the bike to take a few handfuls to rub over my hot face and put in my neck. This was unbelievable. There were at least 20 °C and the snow would still last. I was very happy and continued further uphill onto a big parking space with no cars and non-functional toilets... I knew this was the top at around 1400m and that it was time to attach the camera to my front bag and to rock n roll downhill. After the first corner where 3 men were laying on the road reading, what it seemed, newspapers and magazines. They worked on fixing the road and were on their lunch break. I had a quick chat and then raced down the R360 on the other side into Shirakawago. The road downhill was just as slopey and up and I could only get to high speeds of 40 mph as there were too many sharp bends and curves. I stopped to see what my breaks were doing and I could not touch the rim of my rear wheel as it was very, very hot. I was very happy to have changed the tyre because the road downhill was sometimes plastered with stones or only hart partially applied road surface. The old tyre would have definitely gone bust here. I made my descent into Shirakawago spotting the Gassho houses (wooded houses with stee, straw decked roofs) on my way down. Not long before the huge tourist busses would come up the village road. I stopped in Shirakawago on the R156 to get some food and drink. An excellent local restaurant would dish up lots of vegetarian food (root vegetables, mushroom, cold & hot tofu, miso soup and a good bowl of rice). I filled up my water bottle and continued my way to Kanazawa, I thought. The next 20 Km zoomed by and I made good headway. There were huge dams, large bridges and nice scenery with plenty of old villages. Then the R156 became R304 which did not look as bad on the map as it actually was. A steep road uphill into Nanto with a huge tunnel, at least 3km long. I was already very exhausted having done over 60 miles already and R360 really drained me. My muscles were hurting and I felt I had not enough energy to put up my tent.

In Johanna (Nanto-shi) I spotted my camp site in a Buddhist shrine but continued driving into town for a supermarket. Camp was next to a rice field with what seemed myriads of frogs. I had a huge pot of stew with veggies, beans and tofu plus the obligatory bag of peanuts before collapsing onto my sleeping bag after nine hours on the bike including one hour for lunch. I would dream about the exciting race down the hill on the R360 with the wind in my face, the sweet smell of the mountain air and frogs wanting to tell me stories...

Tuesday, 19th May - Takayama

I woke up after my second night in over 2 weeks sleeping in an actual building on a mattress (tatami). I did not sleep too well as it was too quiet and comfortable... I guess...

After a light breakfast I went into the nearby Takayama Park to find the Takayama-jo ruins (Takayama-castle). The park was pretty big and left to its own devices harbouring many song birds and providing magnificent views onto the Japanese Alps (picture right). The ruins were pretty disappointing as they were only sketched onto the ground with wood.

After that I went into the old part of the town to stroll through the well preserved neighbourhoods of sake breweries, wood craft and pottery shops as well as stalls offering locally sourced food stuffs. I sampled here and there and especially the different types of sake got my head spinning in no time. Considering I had to cycle a little more I stopped sampling after the second sake brewery - honest. In the last brewery I met a few Chinese who worked in Takayama and we had a nice chat (picture below).

I went to a store to upload the pictures from my camera. The very kind proprietor saw my bicycle and we got talking. He explained to me that I can’t take the R360 to Kanazawa as it’s closed for traffic. He went through lengths explaining which way to go giving me some local maps, too. He also told me to go to Shirakawa-go, a UNESCO world heritage site with plenty of Gassho houses from a few centuries ago. This sounded interesting and I was on my way up north, anyway.

After that I went for lunch in a noodle bar, but what they tried to serve as noodle soup with vegetables was outrageous and I pulled faces and pointed at my half finished bowl that I was not going a pay the full price. Was it my fault that the only vegetable they had was frozen bamboo stripes? No.

I went back to the Temple Youth hostel and decided to do a couple of miles on the R41 until it was time to look for a camp spot. I found a derelict field and stopped there. I offloaded my luggage to see if I could find a supermarket with necessary foodstuffs. Unfortunately all I got was a flat tyre. This meant pushing the bike back to my provisional rest-spot and then to change the complete tyre and fix the inner tube. The old tyre was pretty worn down after just 2 weeks and was definitely a safety issue to continue with it. A local must have spotted me on the field and he came driving by with a pump for the tyre. It didn’t fit, but after asking him if I could stay on the field, he said no, saying that there is a nicer camp spot very close by. He drove me, my luggage and bike to a really nice spot in the middle of the forest where I had running water, a functioning toilet and the whole forest to myself. I was a little scared, I admit, as there were some huge man-made mounts (grave yards, sacred mounts) nearby and movies such as “The Blair Witch Project” and others came to mind as the sun was already setting and I was going to be alone in the wilderness. Japan still has bears and they are known to also come down the mountains into human habitation. With a circle of protection drawn around my tent and bike, my cooking knife always by my side I started to make some dinner, inside the tent. I told myself that I am going to have the best and most undisturbed sleep ever and would wake up fully restored and happy in the morning. It worked, phew.

Monday, 18th May - It's going up....

I was woken up by a guy with his pocket radio who strolled past the tent. I quickly got up, dressed and started cleaning up the tent to get ready to leave. Within ten minutes the guy came back with someone else and I got out of the tent to explain myself saying where I came from, why I stayed there and where I would go today. This seemed to reassure them. One of them had an armband and seemed to look after the temple grounds as he cleared up some fallen down pieces of wood from the two days rain and storm. He came back to the tent to chat and he learned German in high school and could still remember parts of Theodor Storm's poems and some other interesting words... He said "Kyotsukete" which I did not know what it means but it sounded familiar. I packed my bags pretty quickly and was ready to go by 10 am. I would take the R158 to go to Takayama, exactly 60 miles away and again over the Japanese Alps into the next biggest valley, right through Chibusangaku National Park at 2000m high. Luckily it stopped raining in the night and I awoke to a fine and sunny day. I manoeuvred out of town pretty quickly using the local tourist map to get onto the R158 starting in Matsumoto. On my way out I met a fellow traveller, Matthias (picture right) from France who has travelled for over 13 years now of which he spent 3 years travelling in Japan. He was on foot with his luggage (on a rollable device) and wanted to hitch-hike into the mountains. We had a nice chat and he explained that "Kyotsukete" means "take care". We had some pictures taken from us with our luggage in front of a snow man and wished each other "Kyotsukete", “Bon voyage” and “See you in the mountains”. And we would. After an exhausting 40 Km uphill I met him by the roadside waiting for his next hike. We chatted a little more and he told me that he is a photographer and on his way into the mountains to see some remote villages. He would work and travel wherever he goes earning money selling his pictures and doing some other work as well. He was very pleasant to talk to and spoke very good Japanese and English. I may see him again in Takayama as I told him I was going there. He asked me if I would like to have lunch, but I said I need to do another hour to have done at least half of my way.

Another agonising nine miles before I had lunch outside a natural spa. I spotted some cherry trees in full bloom, a rarity now because everywhere else the flowers had already withered away. This really was an indication how high up in the mountains I was. I went through 18 tunnels and the longest one was over 4000 m long and no pavement. There was a toll station where I made a fool of myself getting through as I was trying to insert my YEN 1000 note into any of the provided machine slots. This didn’t work and some guy from behind me in his car already came out. I was rescued by a toll gate official who took me over to the side and explained that I didn’t need to pay. He helped me carry my bike up the steep pedestrian staircase so I could continue my travel. I was now in one of the skiing regions and surrounded by almost touchable, snow covered mountain tops (picture left). There were lifts and I could see the whole slope as well. Must be nice in winter. I asked the toll gate official how much higher it is and he explained another couple of pretty steep roads and then it’s done.

I went up the serpentine and there was a road construction side with only one lane traffic. These sites are always operated with two people on each side with red/ white flags and walky talkies. I passed one of them and it must have taken me ten minutes to pass the construction side as I had to make some stops to catch my breath. On the other side the guy smiled and I looked at the row of cars waiting for me to get off the road... Hihi...One more tunnel and it was done! 45 miles of uphill would come to an end.

I was at the other side of the National Park with its gateway city Takayama to the east another 19 miles away. The other gateway city was Matsumoto. All along the way were busses taking tourists into the park and people enjoying the many onsen and hot springs. At the mountain top I spoke to a couple who were picking herbs (udon, wasabi and some others) and enquired about the onsen in Takayama. From here it was all downhill and I set my new record with 43 mph - laying flat on my handle bar and pedalling like mad... The next 19 miles went by in a jiff, 45 minutes to be precise. This meant that it took me 6 hours for 43 miles uphill and only 45 minutes downhill. What a rewarding journey downhill it was. My heart jumped for joy and some passing motor cyclists sounded their horns and gave thumbs up...

I arrived in Takayama and stopped at a temple/ youth hostel to charge my battery equipment and to take a hot bath in the temple onsen. This youth hostel is very nice and has a very luxorious feel to it. As it is a temple strict closing times (gates are locked at 9.45 pm) and lights are out by 10 pm are being observed. In the morning is some drumming and chanting to be heard from the dormitories. I was only one of 3 guests and had a good nights sleep.

Sunday, 17th May - The Rain Goes On...

The day started at 6.30 coinciding with the announcements made via speakerphone in the part of town where I stayed. There was an announcement at 6.30 am, 7 am, 7.30 am and again at 8 am - this on a Sunday morning. It was still raining so I decided that I would not relocate, rather just look for some new rain gear, as the old cover was completely torn, and explore the town. I went to the local supaa first to get some food supplies and a replacement propane gas container. Back at tent I made some brunch and then go into town again, still raining. I went to see the very famous Matsumoto castle (picture left), a Japanese National Treasure (there are only four in the whole of Japan). I got there pretty quickly with a copy of the local map from a kombini. At the castle I found a free guided tour and had one guide and two of his apprentices all to myself. The guide spoke pretty good English and I took some pictures with them, too. Wikipedia says the following...

“The castle's origins go back to the Sengoku period. At that time Shimadachi Sadanaga of the Ogasawara clan built a fort on this site in 1504 which was originally called Fukashi Castle. In 1550 it came under the rule of the Takeda clan and then Tokugawa Ieyasu.
When Toyotomi Hideyoshi transferred Ieyasu to the Kantō region, he placed Ishikawa Norimasa in charge of Matsumoto. Norimasa and his son Yasunaga built the tower and other parts of the castle, including the three towers: the keep and the small tower in the northwest, both begun in 1590, and the Watari Tower; the residence; the drum gate; the black gate, the Tsukimi Yagura, the moat, the innermost bailey, the second bailey, the third bailey, and the sub-floors in the castle, much as they are today. They were also instrumental in laying out the castle town and its infrastructure. It is believed much of the castle was completed by 1593–94.
During the Edo period, the Tokugawa shogunate established the Matsumoto Domain, of which the Matsudaira, Mizuno and others were the daimyo.
For the next 280 years until the abolition of the feudal system in the Meiji Restoration, the castle was ruled by the 23 lords of Matsumoto representing six different daimyo families. In this period the stronghold was also known as Crow Castle (烏城 ,Karasu-jo?) because its black walls and roofs looked like spreading wings.”

After the castle I went to explore Matsumoto and to find an internet cafe. Not an easy task as everyone seemed to have a different or no opinion about internet cafes. After 1h I agve up trying to find one and decided to have some Udon soup in a little noodle bar instead. This was done with lots of professionalism and style and the chef was happy to make a soup just with noodle and vegetables.. something unusual as the local specialty is raw horse meat and some other interesting culinary extravagancies. Back at the tent I wrote diary and made another pot of Miso soup with veggies and tofu. Bedtime by 10 pm.

Saturday, 16th May - Water

I took the R142/ 254 which went uphill from outside Saku for the next 30 miles. There were again many tunnels and the longest one at 2500m. At some point it started raining and I decided to hang out in a small onsen off the main road.

This onsen was more like a small public bath with the receptionist sleeping comfortable at the entrance and people leaving their YEN 200 just in a wooden box. There were people in this bath and for the first time I could observe the intricate bathing rituals in an onsen. From the washing to how you hold your modesty towel and how you place it elegantly on your head when getting into the bath. I had a little chat with one of the locals who informed me that there would be two days rain ahead. My plan of getting out of the onsen and continuing further into the mountains in sunshine did not work out. I started to put on my rain gear (thank you Jorrin for these very, very useful feet protectors) and went further uphill.

Within a few minutes all the relaxation from the onsen was forgotten and I started sweating pretty good as the rain gear was not very breathable. Finally, the top of the mountain was reached and I started my descent. On the other side of the mountain were very strong and cold winds and I started to freeze going down at 30 mph. Near Matsumoto (with some 220,000 people) I spotted a 7/11 to get something to drink. At the crossing from the road into the 7/11 my rear wheel decided to slip on the metal gutter and the little lorry (me and the bike) would crash to the ground. Not a pretty sight but I got up quickly and unharmed. Pretty shaken I would stumble into the kombini to get some drink and then continue my journey looking out for a hot bath - onsen time. Matsumoto is very famous for its castle and its natural baths. I found the onsen area (near Asama Onsen) and chose one recommended by a local. I paid YEN 800 (ca. £5.30 and in retrospect was the best onsen I've been to so far. There were many people (well, men...) and this onsen featured a large indoors pool, a semi-outdoors wooden pool, a complete outdoor natural bath and a sauna. I stayed there for at least an hour to get warm and comfortable again. By that time it was already getting dark and I had to hurry to find a camp spot in the city. Knowing to look out for trees among the houses (an indication of a shrine/ temple) I found one not far from the city centre. I put up my tent at the furthest visible spot in the corner of the place, made some food (picture right) and went to bed. It was still raining but not as bad as on the road. I planned to get up at 6.30 to pack up my things and go somewhere else as I didn’t feel comfortable there.

Friday, 15th May - Man and Nature

This morning, disaster struck at 7.15am - my electronic toothbrush finally ran out of battery. Oh nooo! What should I do? I tried charging it in different places but the charge indicator just flashes funnily and the thing doesn’t work. Worst case scenario has finally arrived. I am unwilling to start my day knowing that from now on I have to brush manually. Something I haven’t done for many years...What to do, what to do...

Well, well I got over this expected, yet dramatic situation quickly and got ready to find Tatsuoka Castle, only one of two built in the star-shape, inspired by European fortresses. Fortunately the castle was really just around the corner and I cycled there within ten minutes. The only things left of the castle are its moat and some ruins depicting where the kitchen was. I walked around it and the structure (pentagram) was still very visible as the outer walls remained. Very impressive and I could just imagine when the army of Samurai would plan out their invasion of the castle. It would come different as the local kind of got tired of their castle after some time and decided to burn it down. At its height the warlord controlled over 60,000 Goku (bushels of rice, 'Goku' is a unit of measuring rice; one Goku can feed a man for a year). There was a small tourist building with two guides and I met a Japanese couple there who spoke very good English, so they translated some of the info from the guides. We also talked about growing vegetables and the local's fight with monkeys, deer and raccoons that come and steel the vegetables in the night. After the castle I went to a really old Buddhist Shrine near Tetsuoka which had a treasure house pagoda from the 8th century (picture left). This temple was build along a steep mountain so I decided to climb up to see the other smaller nature shrines hidden in the forest and nearby streams. There seem to be Gods 'Kami' everywhere. I sat down for a while on a rock and enjoyed the sweet forest air and the sun.

Back at tent I decided to go to Saku, the next biggest city a couple of miles away. The 24h internet shop was closed... But I went again in the evening to check mail and write my diary entries. On my way back to the tent I stopped at very expensive Matsumo supaa to get Miso paste (a Japanese soup stock), grapefruit, pepper, and an extra bag for my rubbish. This was a very uncomfortable situation which I discovered back near the tent as I put my rubbish (one bag) where the locals put all theirs but upon my return my bag was emptied out into the street and the contents scattered. I felt kind of bad but there are no public bins ANYWHERE in the cities and only some recycling containers for bottles, cans and plastic. Upon my return to the tent I would pick up my rubbish from the street - and separate it into plastic and organic. Those things I left next day near a trainstation where there were some drinks automats. In the evening I would practice again with my Bamboo Bo (from Shimonita by the river), make some campfire and go to bed. Next day was a big day crossing over to Matsumoto, some 50 miles away.

Week Number Two - Hospitality

For the last two days I stayed in Shimonita, close to the mountain Arafuyane (over 1000m high). There I put up my camp on a derelict field.

Within a few minutes a few locals "had to" walk their dogs... So they could inspect me. One of them was very excited as I told him I was a Doitsu-jin (German) and he told me that there is someone he knows who speaks Doitsu-go. Within 20 minutes he came back with this guy who lived in Germany for nine years and who was happy to speak some German. We chatted for a while and then he took off, only to return with his daughter who also spoke German and wanted to practice... Next morning I woke up to clear the tent from the rain in the night and what did I see next to my tent? Breakfast, homemade bread, jam, a huge apple and some filter coffee sachets. WOW - what a surprise! I had bought some small gifts in London and now was the time for one of them. Not remembering the guy's name I went to town to find him and give the gift to him. This brought me to a garage where the manager helped with all his might (and his wife) to figure out what I want. "Nihon-jin, Doitsu-go doko desu ka?" = "Where does the Japanese guy lives who speaks German?" He obviously didn't know but his wife brought me by car to the next church which was run by an American. She wasn't home, so we returned to the garage. I said 'sumimasen' and 'arrigato gozaimashita' (apologising for the trouble and thanking them) and went back to the camp. Within half an hour the manager's wife came with the happy news that they now know who it was I am looking for: Mr Ishizeki-san (picture above; together with his daughter). Well, well, in the evening he would drop by my tent so we can talk they told me. I decided to go to the nearby river to have a swim, cut some bamboo stick to train with and to enjoy the sunshine. When I got back to my tent I found another surprise - lunch! Again totally surprised, I ate the riceballs in noda (seaweed) and the bamboo roots or something like it (picture right). The little fish these roots were covered with had to go to the grasshoppers. For dessert I had strawberries - THANK YOU. In the evening Mr Ishizeki came and invited me to his home for some dinner and we talked little more in German. His wife made delicious salad, soup and rice (explaining that I was very happy with this as a vegetarian). Mr Ishizeki had to go to a town meeting and I left, too.

Back at tent I would have a good night's rest - so I thought. Another lady came by in her car to pick up some soil for her garden. We greeted and she asked where I come from and where I go, and I explained that I sleep in the tent. 20 minutes later she arrived with a pot of noodle soup which by now was a struggle to eat as I was altready full. But I managed. These are some very friendly and hospitable people in Shimonita!

The next morning I packed my things together and was just slightly excited at crossing this big mountain. I had a banana and coffee for breakfast as there was nothing else to eat since I didn't plan on staying on that field for 2 days. At the next Kombini I had some riceballs and 500 ml grapefruit juice to get me going for the ride ahead.

The mountain was steep and I crossed 16 bridges, went through five tunnels of which two were very scary and long. The last one (at 1000m) was without pavement so I put on all my lights (three), took a deep breath and cycled as fast as I could through it. The lorries behind me had to wait for oncoming traffic to overtake me and the oncoming traffic would carry noise and wind with it, so I had to grasp my handlebar tightly to keep control. SCARY.

At the other side of the mountain I cycled upwards on a small road hoping for an Onsen (natual bath/ mineral bath). But I misread the sign and it was just a path leading to the very top of the mountain. I made my descent from there with some luch in my stomach (toast & jam) to find the nearest Onsen. Halfway down the mountain I saw the sign and went onto a small road to the natural bath.

There I happily paid YEN 800 (£ 5.50) for a bath. I was the only visitor so I had it all to myself. I removed my clothes, washed and then submersed my aching body into the HOOOOT water, ouch - I felt pain from my legs over to my arms, neck, shoulders as I got a good sunburn from the climb up. I tried the less hot bath (picture left) and cold shower after. This repeated itself for another 40min until I had enough and my skin was all soft. I found a nice, free, high-tech massage chair (picture right) which did just the right thing for my aching muscles. Then I continued my journey into the valley at top speed of 40 mph with the much cooler wind in my face.

I looked for a nice camp spot and found one, or did it find me - in a Buddhist Shrine. Quick shopping for dinner at the supaa, looking for some firewood for my little campfire, and with peanuts & green tea into the evening after a long and exhausting but really good day. I will leave here in 1 day going to Matsumoto to see the castle and to find a way out of the Japanese Alps (going to over 3000 m high) to make my way to the sea. By now I have done 200miles and I have enjoyed every bit of it. Over and out. Dirkus Japanensus

My First Week in Japan

I have arrived in Japan, without my bike at first, but then a day later I was reunited (picture right). I travelled from Tokyo\ Narita Airport to Noda, some 75 km away. On the first day of cycling it rained pretty bad and my so called "water-proof" clothing gave up after about 3 hours in the rain. I had printed my map using Google which would have been a good idea, if I was able to read Japanese or Japanese road signs. You can imagine what followed. I got lost pretty bad in some rice paddies (as seen from the aeroplane, picture left) which seemed to stretch from one part of the horizon to the next. I used my newly acquired compass to, at least, get the directions right. Considering that I have never had to use a compass, I did pretty well. In the rice paddies, I also managed to go through a big puddle which instantly deflated my rear tyre, already struggling to stay alive with the 30 Kg on top. I managed to push the bike to the nearest habitation where I spotted a woman with her son. I asked whether I could stay to fix my bike. She was very kind and also spoke some English. She immediately cleared their garage for me so I can get the bike fixed without getting wet... A nice gesture considering I was already soaked. The nice lady made me some Japanese tea and brought some cream buns. This was soo good and it definitely kept my spirit going. Back on the bike I managed to cycle another 2 hours to make camp in a forest near the route 16. It was getting pretty dark so I had to hurry. Good for me that I never tried out how to pitch the tent... Some 20 minutes later I was sitting inside the tent and got the camping stove going. The next day I cycled to Noda where I found a nice spot for the tent in a Buddhist temple park (picture above; see the temple in the picture below on the left). This is gonna be my home for this week as I am attending training classes here at the Bujinkan Hombu Dojo every day. See a statue for worship in the picture at the bottom and a Buddhist shrine on the right; both spotted in the area. My financial plan is to live off YEN 4000 (ca. £ 27) a day, considering that the training will cost me quite a bit, too. The upside of camping in the middle of town is that everywhere I need to go is not far. In the morning I get some water for my tea and do some stretches and exercise. This is followed by a 20 minutes meditation under the temple pagoda. Then I make proper breakfast before heading to training. I shave in the local library, making it look as the most normal thing for a gajin (foreigner). Any other washing is done at night in the temple - where they get the water for the plants... brrrr. All other bodily functions are being attended to in the local library oterai or well... wherever. I am very impressed that my tent in the park has not roused any suspicions. I feel so very safe here that I would leave all my belongings on display without really worring about them. I am not going to do it, but this is how safe Japan feels to me. All people are overly friendly and its pretty simple to get by using only the most basic Japanese. On Monday I will continue with my journey going to the West - with the Sea of Japan firmly in my sight... after about a week. I will have to stick to main roads as I really don't want to get lost too much. If you look on a map, it's all mountains. I will follow the Route 16, 17, 18 top get to the sea. All smaller routes are too tricky as I can't make out the road signs... over and out for now and all the best to you out there!





My Preperation and Arrival: (messages from twitter);

"the food is, well interesting, without the help of a young Japanese I would have probably not received a no-meat, no-fish noodle soup ;)"

"just checked in in a nearby hotel, went to the local temple - a supersized and beautiful Buddhist complex where I attended a procession"

"so, having arrived in Tokyo safely I was informed by a friendly Japanese BA staff that my bike will come shortly - tomorrow..."

"Is it gonna fit, is it not, no, arghh it doesn't. Bike box too big for supersized luggage check in....hmm, ok they'll carry it to the plane"

"Rider weight: 80Kg, bike: 15Kg, luggage: 33Kg, total tevelling weight: 128Kg before dinner..."

"Less than 24h to go! Just printing off my route from naria airport to noda, some 50 miles"

"so, after a long day getting bike equipment together and fixing it - it is done, all gear is together. ready steady go!"

"Ok, this is pretty cool, I can now update u through my mobile phone; thank you technology gods.

"I am currently getting ready to start my 1000 Miles challenge: 1000 Miles through Japan on my bike."

Who am I

My name is Dirk Bischof. I have always dreamt of going to Japan since I first read about Samurais, Shoguns, Ninjas, Tea Ceremony and the culture of Japan itself at the age of 16. My general interests are cycling (you might have guessed), snowboarding, martial arts, chess and being around people who live inspiring lives whereby inspiring others to do the same.

I was born in Germany and I came to London to study and to work in another country. Through Embrace Cooperation I did a 3-months work placement project in 2001, which made me see the opportunities in the UK. In Germany I was unemployed after my apprenticeship in metal engineering and not sure really what to do with my life. I had the option of working in my fathers metal engineering company but I really did not want to do this as I had absolutely no interest in workin with machinery and metall (especially after 3 1/2 years of apprenticeship).

After the placement in London at Cricklewood Homeless Concern and having lived in the UK for 3 months I decided to move here. Since then I helped to organise placements for others coming through Embrace as project coordinator. In 2004, Embrace was set-up to be a not-for-profit, limited company and I was ‘made’ managing director, a big challenge but also a big opportunity. In the meantime I was able to do my degrees in Business Studies and Social Anthropology which I would not be able to do in Germany as the system there is too rigid and doesn’t allow for as much freedom to work and study at the same time.

Everything has evolved since then, Embrace now hosts and sends over 150 young adults per year for national/ international work placements and cultural exchanges and we do various projects within the Media, Environment and Social Enterprise. I am passionate to support others who, like me, were unemployed, face challenges in their life, don’t know what to do with it or who just need some inspiration and guidance to discover their LifeDreams – those dreams which will lead to long-term happiness and which will create a better world for the self and other people. Our current projects involve setting up our charitable arm in Ethiopia together with our colleagues and friends over there. Ethiopia really is a magical country and I have been fortunate to visit it in 2008 where we met with many local charitable organisations to plan our strategy with. Its also always a pleasure to meet our director Eskender Kassa (picture right) to have insightful debates about the meaning of life and how to make this life worth living for everyone we encounter.

Now, at 29 years old, one of my greatest LifeDreams will finally become reality. As a person who likes to make the best of every opportunity, I would like to connect this LifeDream with another one which is very close to my heart: Supporting young adults to plan and realise their professional LifeDreams. How does all this fit in with my journey to Japan you might ask? Well, with your financial support Embrace will start a fund, which supports young adults to realise their LifeDreams in a meaningful way. This is my other big LifeDream: to support young adults with their business ideas and projects. A lot of people that are with Embrace have great ideas and I would like to support them to plan and implement their business ideas as these are their LifeDreams.