Rishiri Island by Bicycle

The island sitting off the northwest coast of Hokkaido,

With its beautiful sea and roads that wrap all the way around.
Mount Rishiri, standing tall in the center—stunning from every angle.
There were places where there was no cell signal at all.
And the natural air conditioning felt absolutely amazing~~~

It was just that kind of island.

Hello everyone! It’s Chan-Mai!

Once August hit, I wrapped up an event in Sapporo called "Enter Zone Outdoor (E.Z.O) 2024" and headed further north to Rishiri Island.

Check out Taisei-san's blog for all the happenings at E.Z.O!

For this trip, I brought along a prototype of the doppo—SimWorks' pride and joy—to put it through some test rides. (This thing is incredibly tough and the ride quality is amazing, so stay tuned for more updates!)

I also wild-camped every night on this island. A tarp, a mat, and a sleeping bag—if you have that, you can sleep anywhere, right? For some reason, that wild spirit just explodes whenever I'm on a trip.

Just use your tires as poles and tie down six spots with rope. Easy peasy!

Here's a little pro-tip: if you keep the aluminum side of your mat facing your body, it reflects your body heat and increases warmth. Conversely, in the summer, keeping the aluminum side facing the ground blocks the ground heat. Some mats aren't aluminum-coated, so if you plan on using them in colder seasons, I highly recommend getting one that is.

The temperature in Rishiri that day was... a minimum of 14°C.
That's a temperature you'd never see in Nagoya...
I brought the SOL Escape Lite Bivvy just in case it got cold, and it really came in handy! It's compact and also highly recommended as emergency gear.

I managed to set up a nice camp, and this was all the gear I needed!

Chan-Mai's Basic Camping Gear

By the way, this is a free campsite called Numaura Campsite. Even though it's free, it’s kept clean and well-maintained, with restrooms and trash bins provided. It's perfect for those who want to ride without worrying about check-in times. Since there is almost no light around, you can see a starry sky at night.

I also went to a sweet shop recommended by a customer who is a veteran of Hokkaido travel.

Choseido Terajima Confectionery
It's right along the main street and actually opens at 7:00 AM. It’s incredibly helpful when you're starting your day early!!!

They sell Western-style sweets, Japanese-style sweets, and drinks inside, making it the perfect spot for some morning energy.

And look at the scallop adductor muscles by the register!!!
They sell them by the single piece, so I grabbed some for hiking fuel.

They also gave me some chocolate on the house.

A full lap around the island is about 60km.
There are some ups and downs, but because it's essentially a straight, foolproof road, and the natural air conditioning felt so great, I made it around in no time.

When you hear Rishiri Island, many of you likely think of "Mount Rishiri," one of the 100 Famous Mountains of Japan, located at the northernmost point. Many people visit specifically to climb it.

The spring water at the trailhead, known as Kanro-sensui, is delicious and safe to drink as is. I filled up my bottle and headed for the summit!

The start of the path is easy, but it gets pretty rocky midway. Please enjoy the scenery of the Mount Rishiri trail!

I made it to the summit~~~!!!
I was able to witness a rare sight—a mountain surrounded entirely by the ocean.

By the time I finished the climb, my legs were shot. But I managed to do it in my BEDROCKs.
For mountains of this elevation, I usually wear actual hiking boots, but I really wanted to pack light for this trip. While there’s a risk of banging your toes on rocks, and your feet get covered in sand and dust, their grip and hold are just as good as any hiking boot.

For this journey, I took an express train plus rode my bike from Sapporo to Wakkanai, and a ferry from Wakkanai Port to Rishiri. It’s so incredibly convenient not having to take your bike apart!!

The ferry crew secures the bike properly, so you can relax, and being able to just ride off the moment you arrive is stress-free!!

If you're lucky, the express train will have a "Lounge Car."
With counter seats and box seats combined, you can immerse yourself in travel memories while looking out the window. It's spacious, so it was easy to secure a place for my bike.

This time, I flew from Komaki Airport to Sapporo’s Okadama Airport.

As I'd often heard from friends, Fuji Dream Airlines (FDA) lets you borrow a large box for your bike. (And there's no extra charge up to 20kg!) You can ride your bike right up to the entrance at both airports, so it's super easy♪

Being able to bring your bike on planes and ferries really expands your travel horizons. With this, I’ve ticked one off my "Bucket List!" A bike that lets you feel the wind in new scenery and carry you anywhere is the ultimate travel companion.

Chan-Mai's solo trip: Rishiri edition. That’s a wrap!

#3Chan-Mai Breakroom

This trip was all about pedaling, pedaling, climbing, and pedaling some more.
The feeling of using up all the energy inside you, the sensation of your body craving calories—this is something that thrills me like nothing else. In my life, there’s been one thing I worked for as if my life depended on it. I spent all my energy on it, day in and day out, running toward my goal even if it meant wearing myself down. I think it’s a similar feeling.

No matter how old I get, I don't want to forget that feeling, and I hope to keep "running toward something" for as long as I can. It’s just like riding a bike.