"I want to travel the world."
At some point, I started harboring that dream. Now that I’ve started riding bikes and have learned how to build frames, I dream of traveling one day on a bicycle I built myself.
My first time abroad was at age 15, when I visited Australia for a tennis exchange program. As a middle schooler, I used my summer vacation to spend two weeks in Sydney, during their winter, learning global tennis. Looking back, I’m surprised I went alone, but perhaps it was just my love for tennis and the desire to get stronger that propelled me forward.
Because the tennis school was a bit of a distance from my host family’s home, I commuted by bike and bus, and the bike I borrowed was an MTB. In Australia, you are required by law to wear a helmet when riding a bike, and I was struck by how wide the roads were and how easy they were to ride on, with dedicated cycling paths on almost every street. Even now, so much time has passed, I still haven’t forgotten it, and I know I will continue to think of it at random moments.
Before joining Circles, while I was using up my paid leave from my previous job, I suddenly remembered that trip and felt the urge to go abroad. However, since I also wanted to visit my hometown, I decided to head west from Nagoya by bikepacking. Quitting a job and going on a trip during paid leave is, according to the folks at the guesthouses, a common pattern. My itinerary for the trip was one week from March 11th to 17th: Nagoya – San’in – Kyushu – Shikoku – Himeji. Ideally, I would have liked to ride my bike the whole way, but I didn't have the stamina, so I used "rinko" (bagged bike transport) and trains. Since it happened to be the season for the Seishun 18 Kippu, I figured I could travel even further if I utilized it well.
The San’in Region, which I rarely had the chance to visit
On the first day, I headed straight from Nagoya to Tottori by train with my bike. I had about five transfers and even got on the wrong train once, but I arrived at Tottori Station after eight hours. There’s something nice about taking it slow on a local train, watching the scenery change. By the time I reached the Tottori Sand Dunes, the sun was setting and the day was coming to an end, and I still hadn't decided where to sleep. I found a nice-looking guesthouse in Yonago, a bit away from Tottori City, and called them immediately. Luckily, I was able to squeeze in and check in.
The place I stayed that night was Kaiho Guesthouse Katsuzo, where they even let me bring my bike inside. When the owner asked where I was headed, I said, "I haven't really decided, just heading west for now..." and he replied, "How free—but I think that's good. I'm the same way," as he showed me around the building. Guesthouses are great because they are cheap, casual, free-spirited, and full of character.
On the second day, I rode along the coast, stopped by the Mizuki Shigeru Road, and climbed over mountain passes to visit the Adachi Museum of Art, famous for its Japanese garden.
Even though the Adachi Museum of Art isn't exactly easy to get to, many tourists were visiting. I had never realized before just how beautiful Japanese gardens could be until I saw it. Looking at each Japanese painting one by one, I was simply moved by how incredible the people of the past were.
Riding along smoothly, I entered Matsue City and began seeing bicycle symbols and signs quite often as I rode through the downtown area. The bike paths were well-maintained and very easy to ride on.
The Ichibata Electric Railway, which became nationally famous thanks to the movie "RAILWAYS," offers a "Rail & Cycle" service that allows you to bring your bicycle on board throughout the entire line without having to bag it. I took advantage of it, and no one said a word even though I kept my helmet on while riding. I really hope more cities become this bike-friendly. I finished the day by praying for safe travels at Izumo Taisha Grand Shrine.
The third day involved leaving Izumo and heading toward Shimonoseki.
I had been riding along the Sea of Japan for a while, but no matter how much I pedaled, I grew bored of the repetitive scenery, so I took the train the rest of the way to Yamaguchi.
At the roadside station where I got off the train, the cherry blossoms were already in full bloom. It made me happy to see people enjoying "hanami" with bento boxes, snacks, and drinks.
On the way from the Sea of Japan side, over the mountains to the Seto Inland Sea, I had to climb a few mountain passes, which slowed my pace down significantly and cost me time. At this rate, I would have had to ride through the night. I didn't think I could manage that, so I took the train to Shimonoseki.
By the time I arrived at my lodging, it was well into the night.
I stayed at uzuhouse, a guesthouse fully renovated from a 43-year-old traditional Japanese inn. From the rooftop, you can look out over the Kanmon Straits, and time seems to slow down as you watch the night view sparkling with countless stars. Perhaps due to the exhaustion from these whirlwind three days, a pleasant drowsiness set in, and before I knew it, I was fast asleep.
To be continued in Part 2!