Photos: Junichiro Matsumoto, Tsubasa Uno
As summer draws to a close, I find myself remembering the time I belted out Kirinji's "Aliens" twice in a karaoke box.
Maybe it was because I washed down the yakitori I'd stuffed my face with at dinner with beer, or maybe it was the alcohol hitting me just right and a desperate desire to avoid a hangover...
After I finished singing, one of my friends muttered, "Uno-chan... that was pure falsetto..."
I didn't really understand, but I just nodded, "Yeah, yeah," and went to bed with the only thing on my mind being that tomorrow was "Mountain God Day."
From here on out, this is the story of how I pedaled my bicycle toward Nishi-Izu Town, located on the west coast of the Izu Peninsula in Shizuoka Prefecture, the place I chose for my summer vacation. I pride myself on having created a drama that would surely pull in a 50% viewership rating, so I would be happiest if you enjoyed reading it to the end!
By the way, I decided, "What the heck!" and took the photos myself this time using my own camera. Well, it's a "Utsurundesu" (disposable camera), though... (laughs). Also, the boss of Nishi-Izu helped out with the photography, so please enjoy that "flavor" as well while keeping your channel locked here. Here we go!
Riding Is Freedom
I took four days off for summer vacation this year. As I let my imagination run wild thinking about "Where do I want to go?" and "Who do I want to see?", I suddenly thought of a place in Nishi-Izu Town, Shizuoka Prefecture, surrounded by rich nature: a lodge called "Lodge Mondo." It's a place Circles has visited on company trips almost every year.
But then I realized, "I've never actually ridden my bike all the way to Lodge Mondo before." The moment the thought "That's it, I'll go by bike!" crossed my mind, I felt as if I heard my mother's voice scolding me from next door, "Don't let your spur-of-the-moment attitude get out of hand!", but I firmly ignored her and started pedaling.
Route planning is not my forte. I considered riding the whole way from home, but in the spirit of the real thrill of cycling, I started by taking public transport: I boarded the Tokaido Shinkansen at Mikawa-Anjo Station, got off at Hamamatsu Station, and began riding mainly along National Route 1 to my destination.
As for the bike, I decided to take on the challenge with my favorite "MASH AC-1," which serves me well from the daily grind to the extraordinary. I was prepared for people to wonder, "Is that a fixed gear?!", but I wanted to make the journey to Lodge Mondo on this bike. (Sorry for being so stubborn!)
This is a shot I took when I stopped for a break near Okitsu, Shizuoka Prefecture.
I started the morning in the rain, but by the time I was riding around Okitsu, the weather was perfect. The feeling of riding smoothly on a fixed gear is truly irreplaceable!
The total distance to my destination is about 210km, so for safety and peace of mind, I used OUTER SHELL ADVENTURE's Half Frame bag and Expedition Seat pack. Both provide plenty of capacity, so you can pack whatever you like without thinking too much about it—it’s also a wonderful way to spend time, stopping whenever something catches your eye on the ride!
Nishi-Izu, All of a Sudden
When I was around Shuzenji on the Izu Peninsula, I must have gotten worried and called out to a bus driver to ask for the way to my destination. Believing the driver who said, "It's 6 PM now, so it should be about 2 or 3 hours from here," I replied, "Yes, there are mountain passes ahead, so I'll hurry!" and set off to tackle National Route 136.
The scenery gradually darkened, and I cleared the mountain passes with their ups and downs one by one, guided by the large blue signs. (Sweat)
As I was pedaling, sweating and gasping for breath, the bus driver from earlier (Mr. Miura) suddenly appeared from his bus and said, "Not that way. Get on." Was it an illusion...?
I closed my eyes for a moment, and when I realized what was happening, I had warped to an easier road. (I will skip the details.)
Before I knew it, I heard loud noises coming from beyond the mountain pass. It was the Toi Fireworks Festival.
I decided to muster my final strength, fueled by the fantasy of young ladies in yukatas having a grand time!
But where did that energy go...? It wasn't my body that gave out, but my front light battery died, and I was forced to interrupt the ride. (Crying)
Lodge Mondo was still about 30km away... the time for self-reflection began.
"What are you going to do now?", "I really can't sleep outside..." Even I, a super-optimist, was chanting negative thoughts as I stepped off my bike. I tried to think of a solution, spotted the light of a house, and knocked, "Bang! Bang! Excuse me! Is there any way to get to Nishi-Izu from here?!" though I knew there was no way... The gentleman there (Mr. Tsuchiya) kindly gave me a lift to Lodge Mondo in his truck! I was about to burst into tears at that moment.
Lodge Mondo
I arrived safely!!!
Junichiro Matsumoto, the representative of "Lodge Mondo," welcomed me and said, "Well, it's late, so let's leave it for tomorrow," and led me straight to my room. Uno-chan was completely wiped out... (laughs).
But thinking it was time to toast to the journey so far, I downed in two gulps the ice-cold beer that Lodge Mondo’s "energy ball" Keitaro Heima had prepared for me as a finisher’s celebration, and decided that would be the end of my night. The photo is blurry, but it had a warm message attached!
The brilliant, pouring sun refreshes my exhausted spirit.
Lodge Mondo is fully booked again this summer, thanks to the customers who come to enjoy the lodge and its activities.
Looking at the license plates of the cars, I saw visitors from Chiba Prefecture and even Toyota, my hometown.
I feel that this place has such a great appeal that it truly enriches people's hearts.
Playing with Nature
Since I visited without any plans, I thought I’d spend some time with the Matsumoto children and experience a "True Summer Vacation!" My little guides this time were the eldest daughter, Ako-chan, and the second daughter, Hogi-chan. We toured the coast and riverside of Nishi-Izu, so please be healed by them! (laughs)
Since it had been a while, Hogi-chan kept making eye contact but wouldn't smile at me, so I was a little worried at first, but maybe I managed to win her over at some point? Who knows?
I’ll ask Hogi-chan: "Was I a nice guy??" With that, let’s move on.
"First, the ocean!" we decided, and visited Sawada Park, which is close to Lodge Mondo by bike.
You can overlook Suruga Bay from there, and right next to a small hill that children can easily climb, there is an open-air bath for small groups.
I sneakily went in one evening too! I stood there stark naked and proud, even though there was a cliff right in front of me. (laughs)
An uncle I was in the bath with told me he had stopped by during a motorcycle tour, and we had a chat, where I felt the warmth of the locals.
I didn't grow up near the ocean or rivers much, so this was almost my first time experiencing a 2km river descent. With a life jacket and a big float in hand, "Let’s go!"
"Lodge Mondo" is a lodge where you can enjoy mountain bike tours and kayak fishing.
However, while river rafting, Mr. Matsumoto said, "We haven't been able to do river rafting yet," so I definitely want him to make it happen in Nishi-Izu!
As for me, at Mr. Matsumoto’s urging, "Uno-chan, try going down from here!", I followed his instructions, and I recall that I was released from my float and it was a non-stop chorus of laughter. (laughs)
River rafting is super fun and a bit of a challenge, so there's no doubt you'll get hooked! Still, Ako-chan and Hogi-chan are so full of energy...
Family is Beautiful
When people get hungry, they go out to the supermarket to buy food.
The boss of Nishi-Izu strides onto his bicycle and heads for the nearby seashore. Watching me intently, he said, "You really came all this way," and the calm way he said it might have been the moment I felt that he truly is someone who has traveled all around the world.
He’s about the same height as me, but his back looked incredibly large, appearing to me like the great father protecting his family.
When we arrived at the supermarket, before the boss, who was looking for snacks, I requested, "Junichiro-san, I want to eat dolphin." He replied, "Ah, sure, let's eat that," as he focused on dinner.
We went to the alcohol section without hesitation, and he asked, "Uno-chan, what do you want to drink?", not knowing I’m a lightweight. I remember acting like I could drink, saying, "Let’s go with beer, please."
When we returned to Lodge Mondo, the kitchen was quite lively.
Seeing the children carrying dishes and the warm meal Yukari-san (his wife) made for us, I felt a sense of peace. Right next to me, the eldest son, Oki-kun, proudly showed off his stag beetle.
I was so happy watching him show me various insects, putting down a field guide as if to say, "Is Oki-kun going to be an entomologist in the future?"
In the meantime, it seems another little pair of hands locked onto my camera. (laughs)
The second son, Mon-chan, said "I want, I want," and even though I hadn't given any permission, once he looked at me with those transparent eyes, I had to hand it over, even though it was my own camera...
As soon as Mon-chan got his hands on it, the other children followed, and the way they were fixated on the disposable camera was irresistible.
I learned that the disposable camera is a big hit with kids, so I, Uno-chan, realized that next time I must come prepared with a stock of them.
People Protect the Mountains
For those wondering what the "Mountain God Day" I mentioned at the beginning is, let me explain.
"Mountain God Day" is a day when residents work together to maintain ancient paths in the mountains of Matsuzaki, Nishi-Izu. "YAMABUSHI TRAIL TOUR," which Lodge Mondo offers as one of its activities, is also deeply involved, and they apparently participate in these kinds of events actively!
On-site, it was impressive to see the local men taking the lead, climbing steep slopes to maintain the mountains, and collecting trees scattered here and there to clear forest roads.
While working, one of the men said, "Well, this won't do! We need a generational change... (laughs)," and the other boss added, "That's right, hey! Kid (referring to me), we're counting on you now!" and I, being from Toyota, Aichi Prefecture, was called upon. (Surprise)
In that case, I will participate well-prepared next time and help out!!
The boss and Heima-san were also keeping a watchful eye to ensure no accidents would occur during trail tours, and conversations about creating new courses were quite lively.
This "YAMABUSHI TRAIL TOUR" is an MTB activity that even beginners can enjoy empty-handed, so if you come to Lodge Mondo in Nishi-Izu, I hope you try it out!
Heima-san, who is also a mountain bike guide, relaxes the tension and makes it fun, so there’s no doubt that beginners will become captivated by Nishi-Izu through the trail tour!
Finally
It wasn't just the cycling trip, but I feel like I experienced many things in these four days that I couldn't have experienced alone. The accidents that happened during the ride, the mountain beautification activities, and the karaoke box where I spent time with my friends.
Everything is irreplaceable, and I would like to express my gratitude to everyone at "Lodge Mondo" for warmly welcoming someone as inarticulate as myself.
My travels may still be full of inexperienced things and accidents may follow, but I will continue to share activities that connect bicycles and people with my own strength, seeing those events as part of the fun.
I would be happy if we could continue to grow the fruits of cycling together, cheerfully, brightly, and enjoyably.
So, though it’s from far away in Nagoya, I’ll see you all in Nishi-Izu again!!
Come visit Circles too!! This was an Uno-chan report!
