Day 19 - Running from the rain: Tonda to Nobeoka (67/ 939km)

This was a great nights’ rest on this forgotten campsite. The ocean waves provided a soothing backdrop even as far away as they were, past the local park and past the derelict outdoor swimming pool. I visited the shore the evening before to try and take a bath there but there was no way. The water was too wild and the waves a well-mixed concoction of water and sand. I got up around 7.30 with one goal in mind: pack up, eat something quick and cycle as fast as i could to avoid the rain which was meant to set in around 2pm. Th weather forecast indicated it was to be strong rain and I didn’t fancy getting soaked. My rain gear was sub-par, which was noticeable after 2h cycling as it didn’t keep the rain out. Breakfast consisted of 2 long but skinny cucumbers and some dried goji berries with some green tea from the vending machine nearby. Ready steady go! I left the campsite around 8.45, initially along some quiet countryside lanes, past an old Shinkansen track hat now spotted solar panels atop. The Japanese are also really heavily investing in solar farms, small and big, on all kinds of places and in the countryside. I guess it’s always gonna be hard to get away from nuclear, considering how power hungry Japanis. 

If only all roads could be like this…cycling would be so much more pleasant

Tea harvest, with some machinery and 2 people! The light-even shrubs are yet to be harvested, the dark-green ones already are. No plucking tea leaves by hand here.

Eventually the quiet countryside lanes would turn into bigger streets and eventually fully blown A-roads and dual carriage ways. A steady headwind blew in my face as I tried to pedal as quick as possible. After 1h I had another 2 rice balls and some Pocari Sweat drink for energy. This was second breakfast and lunch! I also put on my rear light and took my bright yellow backpack cover out to help the many drivers notice me. It worked for some, it didn’t for others. One guy in particular, in one of the main cities I. H led through, decided to pass me with about 20cm or so, earful,y. Loose when there was more space he could have made, or wait as the upcoming traffic light was red anyway. This was very unnerving as I was going at 20km/h and cycled close to the pavement. Eventually I caught up with him and indicated that 20cm is not good enough. He laughed, as he took another puff of his cigarette and indicating that I should go onto the pavement. I took my camera out and took a picture of him with strong thoughts around his rebirth being as that of a bicycle tyre of a long-distance cyclist circumnavigating the world, or as an inner tube to never see the light of day but to keep spinning round and round, in the dark…

This guy!

Eventually I reached Nobeoka in record time at around 12.30 where I had pre-booked a cheap hotel whilst on my rice ball breakfast stop, ¥6,600 without breakfast. It was high time for a stop as I ran out of battery on everything, all the tech and the power bank were on their last leg and half my clothes needed washing too. Nobeoka seemed the perfect gateway town into the mountains to visit the mystical Takachio. According to legend (and Wikipedia): “According to Japanese mythology, Takachiho is the land where Ninigi descended from the heavens, sent by Amaterasu, the sun goddess. It contains the Ama-no-Iwato shrine which is, according to myth, the location of the cave where Amaterasu hid, plunging the world into darkness, until clever Ame-no-Uzume lured her out.” It’s a great story! Check it out by clicking on a link.

Ame-no-Uzume, her dance is said to have lured out Amaterasu and is the foundation of the Japanese ritual dance, Kagura.

Its also hopefully a welcome change in scenery as I don’t want another day of cities, urban landscapes and A-roads with lorry drivers who think they own the road. As I entered Nobeoka, I already had a good feeling; it was a smallish town, nestled between mountains and the Pacific Ocean to the west. My hotel was relatively close to the city centre, or so I hoped. I got there, unloaded my stuff and went to reception. After some passport and reservation number checking the friendly hotel staff told me I’m in the wrong hotel as there was another, similar named hotel which only had a different word at the end. I didn’t pick this up when setting my location earlier but I also didn’t mind. By now, it had started to rain and I was pretty happy to have to just cycle another Kilometer towards the other hotel. Once I got here I unloaded my stuff, changed and asked if the hotel could keep my things as I couldn’t yet check in for another 2h. This was perfect as I wanted to sit down and relax somewhere. After my marathon sprint here I was pretty exhausted. My thighs have been in pain for a few days and my left arm’s tendons are strained a bit and some usual lower back pain, which seems to come and go.

I found a cute cafe not far from the hotel where I had a cup of coffee and a piece of cake. The cafe staff also offered me another coffee to try as a goodwill gesture. It was delicious dinner from Ethiopia, not too strong and so smooth. We talked about her “egg pastry”, which really wasn’t egg pastry as such but “pastel de nata”, a typical Portuguese pastry. At some point another customer came in and joined in the conversation, very quickly she dug out her excellent English, having studied it in Tokyo in university. We had a good laugh about her ending up here, when she really missed Tokyo so much, especially when I enquired what there was to do in Nobeoka. She said “not much, but there is a castle ruin and nice local park nearby”. This was perfect as I was in need for a bit of an afternoon programme, as I had just finished yesterdays blog and the cafe was closing soon. She also told me that there is an old school sento (public bath) nearby, which was just what I needed. 

The coffee shop closed at 3.30 and this time it was my turn to invite someone if only I could be quick enough. We were both happy to have met and she even showed me the way to the sento around the corner, which really was very old school and very local. Only one bath and many wash stations, with wooden lockers like the one I had seen a few days ago, which dated from the 1930s. Judging from the creaking of the wooden floorboards, the grandma at the reception and the general state of the bath, this could have easily competed with the other old school bath. I couldn’t care less! It had a hot pool and after purchasing a small towel for ¥220 to replace the one I had lost, I was also given free soap and shampoo. That and the hot water pool was all I needed to turn me into a human being again.

The lady from the cafe also told me about a good ramen shop, which would open at 5pm. Time to visit the park and castle ruins. The rain wasn’t too bad now and I put up my hood and walked up onto the castle ruin, just in time for the time keeper to tell everyone in Nobeoka that it was 5pm, using a huge bell and a wooden beam, with accurately timed intervals between each of the five gongs. This was my afternoon entertainment and I headed back down to the ramen shop. Interestingly not a local ramen shop but Sapporo ramen, from Hokkaido. Here I had a big bowl of Miso ramen, no meat, extra noodles and some Oolong cha (oolong tea, cold) Elfer heading back to the hotel for some rest, blog writing, re-packing and washing of a big bag of dirty laundry.

After the castle ruins, some ramen and some more walking in the rain my feet were pretty wet. Time to head back to the hotel and get some clothes, do some washing, blog writing and chill, eventually find a bar in the evening to pass the time. 

Around 9 I went to a local, 2min away bar where I got chatting to a music teacher and also another entrepreneur, who’s running a not for profit for people with disabilities and providing them with opportunities for work versus being at home. I know how meaningful this can be as I worked in an organisation in my late teens, as an alternative to joining the military in Germany. It seems that it’s not so easy in Japan to provide such opportunities for people with disabilities from what I understood. Mr Kazuhiro has managed to set up different operations in the region but the work is financially cha,,e ging and he has to now sell his motorbike. He also spent some 6 years in Bulgaria as IT teacher almost 20years ago and his English was pretty amazing, so we didn’t need google translate. We talked for another 2h about social entrepreneurship in Japan and the challenges and opportunities of working in social enterprises vs joining or running for profit businesses.

A great evening overall and even better conclusion to my day. I’m most likely going to stay here as it’s gonna be a fully blown rainy day tomorrow, both here and where I wanted to go and also all affordable hotels in that area being sold out. I’m sure my body can use a rest day before it’s up into the mountains!

Day 18 - Bikers, Beaches & Blue Skies: Nichinan to Tonda (79/ 872km)

Sunday mornings are the best. You can wake up in style, have breakfast or lay in. Not for me! I wanted to get as far north on the west coast as I could with the day’s cycle being a fairly relaxed one. I had already picked two things to check out, the first was Udo Jingu, a historic and important Shinto shrine and temple ground as this was the mythical birthplace of Emperor Jimmu’s father Ugayafukisezu. Now emperor Jimmu (Jimmu-tenno) is Japans first emperor with his ascension traditionally dated around 660 BC, and marked as National Foundation Day in Japan on 11 February every year. According to legend, Udo Shingu is the place where the sea goddess Toyotamahime built a birth hut from feathers of a cormorant. While the myth includes a tragic divorce of Ugayafukisezu’s parents, the shrine is popular with young couples hoping for easy childbirth and a happy marriage. 

The ride was a short 15km along the west coast of Kyushu, with its dramatic cliffs and amazingly blue and turquoise waters, popular with surfers. The ride was against the wind as on so many days and I really struggled on the first Kilometers as my muscles weren’t warm and I was still a bit impacted by my night cap…let’s call it a small hangover. Luckily, this area is popular with cyclists and bikers who enjoy the road along the coast. A group Of racing bike enthusiasts initially overtook me and I decided to put in a bit of extra effort and join them a road train is the best when fighting uphill and against strong headwinds. Eventually, they stopped for a break and I got to the shrine quickly. I walked around and marvelled at the buildings and coastline, with the waves crushing against the rock formations. An impressive sight to behold. I did as many Japanese did, bought some earthen pebbles and tried to hit the big rock. Men had to throw with their left hand, women with their right. I did not succeed with my 3 tries and the pebbles bounced off the stone. Others were more lucky. I kept 2 pebbles for keepsake before making my way back towards my bike, with a quick and essential stop at the ice cream stand: mango ice cream time! Before I went onto my next stop I had to stop at a small restaurant as I hadn’t really eaten anything yet and I was hungry. I ordered a battered shrimp set, which came with lots of veggies, rice and miso soup. Super friendly owner and I chatted to my neighbours, who had a local lobster variety, as sushi…and somehow still moving. Hmmm.

Southwestern coastline, Kyushu

Road train! Thanks guys

The Devils Washboard (old school washboards looked like this?!)

Ritual leader for good birth!

My second stop was a small “shrine” dedicated to all things Studio Ghibli (the Japanese equivalent of Americas Disney Studios). The ride was another 10km away. Wherever I could, I decided against Google route recommendations to stick to the coastal route and not take the more modern roads, which often led through long, dark tunnels. The coastal route was popular but luckily it was Sunday and there were hardly any lorries, just many cars, bikers and cyclists. This was the largest number of bikers and cyclists I have seen here in Japan, ever, on one route and on the same day! I don’t blame them, the roads were amazing and the weather was spectacular. I made sure I put as much sun cream on all the exposed bits especially my neck as I would have the sun behind me for most of the day. The Ghibli stop was a nice break for some more water, before heading onto the longer part of the cycle. I passed some spectacular stone formations in the ocean, with many locals either picking clams and kids hunting for small fish. 

Now it was onto more busy roads towards the biggest town here, Miyazaki. The time went by quickly and the cycling was as good as it could be. I made another stop for some more ice cream as the sun was roasting! The rest of the journey went smoothly, with only a small upset with the Onsen I picked being closed, permanently by the looks of it. Oh well, next stop campsite near Tonda, right by a derelict outdoor swimming pool. The campsite was great and right next to a local park with toilet/ was house, some more little structures and as I arrived I chatted to two elderly people who were feeding the local cat population. 

As I started to build my tent, the elder man came towards me and said I should build it higher up by like 20m to be safe from tsunami. I thanked him for his suggestion but stayed were I was as the ground was flat, smooth and without pine cones and in case of a tsunami, 20m will not make a difference. 

I knew that I will be in a remote campsite so I bought dinner at a local supermarket: sushi rolls, salad, cucumbers, nuts and fresh pineapple pieces. Water and drinks are usually available everywhere from the drinks machines so I wasn’t worried. I also spotted a fireplace and picked some dry wood for later on. As it got dark, my tent pitched and prepared for the night, I settled down on my little makeshift fireplace and had dinner, did some more route planning and chatted to friends online who will be coming to visit Japan in a few weeks. It’s nice to be connected, where’ve you go these days.

Around 10pm it was bedtime. I knew tomorrow was going to be raining at some point so I wanted to get up early and get as much cycling done as early as possible so I could maybe avoid the rain. 

It is futile to ponder 

the ways of the world

I am lost in desolate musing—

I have loved some and hated others

even hated the ones I love.

Day 17 - Hilly with a chance of horses: Shibushi to Nichinan (92/ 793km)

 I slept ok, with the sound of the waves providing a nice backdrop. Eventually the surfers parked in cars some 100m away also got up and started chatting. I crawled out of my tent at 7.30, packed my bags, had some more tangerine and nuts for breakfast and did some blog writing and route planning. I was excited to see the wild horses today, something my cycle buddy and others told me about. I set out around 9.30 and passed what has to be one of the best campsites yet some 15min down the road, water, toilets food, everything! Oh well, my little camp spot served me just well enough. I did use their facilities though as they were unbelievably clean, modern and free!

The road to Cape Toi would also mark a big change in my journey as I was no longer going south afterwards but go north, back to Fukuoka. I have 10days to get back and to the pre-booked bullet train to Tokio. The morning cycle was nice and warm, with the sun blasting. I had put sunscreen on all uncovered areas but couldn’t find my Onsen towel for my neck, but it already sufficiently tanned (I hoped), so it wouldn’t get any more sunburn. As I approached Cape Toi, the landscape changed, with many of the hills being logged for wood and replanted with monocultures, pines of some kind. This must have been going on for decades by the looks of it and completely transformed the way the mountains and the whole area looked. This continued all the way up and down and away from the cape. I followed the main roads for most of it, but ignored sign for the main road some 12km away. Google maps had other ideas and I followed it. This turned out to be a mini adventure.

The road google said I can use as a “pedestrian” must have been a very old one, used decades ago as it was derelict for most of it, even locked with a gate I had to open (but unable to read the signs), so I continued. The road snaked around the mountain up towards Cape Toi, with some incredible uphills and of course downhills, past some derelict hotels and an abandoned house. I had to stop here as it was also the first time to see one of the wild horses. This was a strange encounter as the horse seemed to be living by the house. It’s hard to say when it was abandoned but it was literally falling apart. Next to it was a makeshift camp and loads of shochu bottles and crates. My theory was that the man living in the house could no longer stay there as it fell apart, so he moved into the shelter and sadly drank himself to death, before turning into a horse that now lived there…

The horse looked a bit lonely and only ate bark and dry things off the ground in front of it, was it telling me it’s got nothing else to eat? We grasp for meaning when faced with the unknowable. I continued up the hill and eventually reached civilisation again, groomed, manicured, ready for the many tourists that come here to see the horses. I had some lunch in restaurant, bought a souvenir, whilst charging my tech. 

I found the horses eventually but they all looked a bit hungry and sad. As I continued my descent down from the cape and onto Kyushu’s west coast, I saw more logging, with the whole top of the cape essentially being tree-free apart from a few surviving ones. My theory was that logging had created artificial grasslands and because the area doesn’t have much else to offer, people decided to put some horses there and turn them into a tourism hotspot. Somehow I was sad at the large scale environmental destruction I saw, but it seemed Mother Nature is getting her revenge, as many businesses up here are failing and being clawed back and rewilded. 

Kyushus west coast however was pretty spectacular! The water was much more wild with much bigger waves and many beaches with surfers. I also passed through many more tunnels, in one, a car stopped next to me cycling and an elderly lady passed me a tea bottle! The kindness of strangers in Kyushu! I also stopped for some ice cream, not too far from Nichinan, where I also found a much-longed for Onsen. As I got there, it turned out to be an Onsen hotel, closed for refurbishment. Thanks for telling me Google. The next Onsen was some 10km away, but I was desperate by now. I had done 75km already and I was ready for a soak as my legs hurt. The next Onsen turned out to be amazing! It was a well frequented Onsen ryokan (onsen family hotel) and the water came from 800m below ground at a temperature of 50C. The bath was full and I just about found a spot to wash as all “wash stations” were occupied, with one guy just leaving as I came in. I continued to be surprised that for the past 800km or so, I had headwinds 80% of the time, including today coming up the west coast. I was so sure that the wind was blowing up onto Japan from the south, but this theory seemed flawed as it just keeps blowing in my face…

After the Onsen I bought and ate some tomatoes before heading back to Nichinan. I had 3 possible sites for my camp, with the first two discarded and the last and furthest near the harbour being chosen. I set up camp, picked up my valuables and cycled back into town… Ouch, no cycle shorts and more cycling. But it felt amazing not having any luggage on the bike, racing into town. I had some pizza, chatted to the staff before going to a local jazz bar for a night cap. By midnight I was all tucked in and had the most amazing sleep. It looks like the air mattress just about hold it together until next morning, deflating just a little bit. 

Locals had told me hat good sights I could visit tomorrow, with some shrines high up on the list, before heading further north.

I look out for where 

the little cockoo called

but all that is left to see

is the pale moon

in the sky at dawn.