RIDE LIFE

RIDEALIVE 2017 Vol.2 Shizuoka – Keita

Keita Ohira

My parents' home is in Aomori, right along the coastline facing the Tsugaru Strait; you open the door, and there is the sea.

It was by no means a pristine beach, and it was the kind of place where trash would wash up from goodness knows where. When I was still in junior high, my grandfather suddenly grew determined and started a routine of collecting and burning the garbage. My memory is a bit hazy, but he repeated that almost every day for about two years. Before I knew it, the beach had transformed into a beautiful sandy shore, and I remember being deeply moved one day when I saw a family I didn't know having a barbecue on that beach. He cared about the ocean's trash until the very end.

As someone who cannot swim at all, I prefer playing with my bike in the mountains these days, but there is no doubt that life by the "sea" feels more natural to my body.

My family runs a boarding house. I grew up watching my family take in high school boarders and prepare meals for about ten people every morning and night. That continues to this day.

Even now, living away from Aomori, I often look back on my days living by the sea and spending time with so many different families as a truly precious time.

The coastline has now been developed and completely paved over with concrete, but I still love to sit and gaze lazily at the seaside whenever I go home.

My preamble has been long, but RIDEALIVE in Shizuoka, with its themes of "waterside," "food," and "bicycles," made me even more enthusiastic.

For a "waterside summer vacation," delicious food is the most important thing. While I love riding bicycles, I just as much love cooking and serving food. Although I didn't get on a bike, I have put together my own personal "RAL" two-day experience.

My mission is to prepare plenty of food so that everyone who has worked hard riding their bikes and taking on a summer challenge can be completely satisfied.

Riding around Lake Hamana, rides after activities like SUP and canoeing, and a ride over the mountain pass from Shinshiro. I prepared carefully to ensure it would be a memorable meal for about 35 riders split across three courses.

I brought my kitchen straight from the shop, creating a scene just like Earlybirds.

It was a sweltering day with temperatures around 35 degrees Celsius. I took great care with the ingredients and made sure everything was ready for when everyone arrived.

I brought the colorful plates we usually use at Earlybirds, received help from "TOKONAME STORE" for the side plates, and of course, asked "Atelier Michikusa" for the flowers to brighten up the table.

Even for an outdoor meal, we packed it with our own particular style.

While waiting for everyone out on their rides, we focused on enjoying ourselves as well. The campsite for this trip, "Tarikana," is a new spot that just opened in the spring of 2017 in Murakushi-cho, located on the shores of Lake Hamana. It's a place that the owner, Shin-san, spent about a year building almost entirely by himself with great attention to detail. He built the shower rooms, converted shipping containers into a bar, pulled the electricity lines himself—he basically did everything on his own. Just hearing about each task made me realize how much love he poured into creating this place, and I immediately fell in love with it.

The diving board we installed just for this day was the ultimate toy. I dived into the water there time and time again.

Although Lake Hamana is a lake, it is almost entirely seawater and quite salty. Tasting the seawater for the first time in years brought back flashbacks of diving in the sea behind my parents' house as a child. I quite like how sensations of smell and taste can remind you of "those days."

As everyone arrived at the goal from their rides, they jumped in one after another to cool down their sun-flushed bodies. It was such a summery sight.

Then it was time for me to prepare dinner.

Everyone was starving after playing to their hearts' content, waiting impatiently for the moment to toast. Preparations moved along steadily, the dishes were laid out, and we all toasted to celebrate the day.

The food served on the colorful plates vanished in the blink of an eye, and we kept bringing out more dishes one after another.

No matter how noisy it gets, the word "delicious" always finds its way to my ears. Every time I hear it, I feel happy, and it gives me a boost for the next dish. This feeling is incredibly fun. That’s why I always think I can never quit.

When I started to hear people say "I'm full," I breathed a sigh of relief and toasted with everyone again. The participants, who had gathered from the Nagoya and Hamamatsu areas, gradually opened up to one another; I could hear conversations about the next day's ride, local gossip, and recommended spots. With some people around the campfire, others playing with a few fireworks, and some even jumping back into the lake, it was truly a night of "waterside summer vacation."

As the night deepened, everyone slipped into their tents and faded into their dreams.

Once you sleep, morning comes quickly. It was a humid, not-so-comfortable night, but everyone seemed to wake up feeling refreshed. Packing away tents, brushing teeth—almost everyone was up by 6 a.m. We started preparing coffee. Akiyoshi-kun from Garage Coffee Company roasted coffee beans he encountered when he actually visited Honduras. Acchan from Ariva and Nishi-pan carefully and deliciously brewed them.

Breakfast was "hot sandwiches." Hot sandwiches are a mystery; almost anything you put inside them somehow turns out delicious. Plus, we used bread specially made by our friends at PINE FIELDS MARKET, which just spurred the deliciousness even further.

I was so engrossed in preparing dinner that I completely forgot to bring ingredients. So, I made my own original versions by having everyone share a little bit of their fillings with me. This was fun in itself; in fact, I was almost glad I forgot. Haha. A little bit of nikujaga, green curry, ham, cheese, corned beef, and so on. Even people who don't usually cook can easily make these, and hot sandwiches are great because anyone can enjoy them. I thought about adding them to the shop's menu.

Once they were full, everyone set off on their next adventure. A brief farewell until we met again at the night's gathering place, "naru Soba." The sight of everyone departing with excited faces, looking for more encounters and discoveries, was truly brilliant.

Not far from Hamamatsu Station lies the legendary shop "naru Soba." It was the place I chose the moment I decided to hold this event in Hamamatsu; it's a wonderful shop I personally admire. Having the cooperation of the owner, Gori-san, and the many staff members to let us rent out the place meant that the image of a perfect finale for the two days was already set. Without a doubt, it is and will continue to be a hub for Hamamatsu's food culture, and it's a truly authentic spot.

Every corner of the shop is filled with owner Gori-san's attention to detail, and it’s so cool. As you can see from the photos, the food prepared for this day was a true masterpiece. The way the food was arranged and presented, and of course the taste, was truly exceptional.

To finish, we slurped up freshly made soba noodles with their signature walnut sauce. It is truly exquisite, so if you haven't tried it yet, you should go as soon as possible.

I ate with all my might, deeply moved by the consideration and the effort that Gori-san, his wife, and the staff put into making us enjoy ourselves.

By the time the two-day adventure was over, the participants were all well-acquainted. People from around Nagoya said they definitely wanted to come back to Hamamatsu to play, and those from around Hamamatsu said they would go visit Nagoya in the same way. We were truly happy to hear those words. That was exactly the important theme of this RIDEALIVE Shizuoka. The four of us wanted to be a "means" to achieve an "end"—meeting people through cycling or going to interesting places. I believe that going on a two-day trip by bicycle is the perfect way to encounter so many people, towns, and shops, and to do interesting things.

The four of us, having chosen work that involves introducing "bicycles"—tools that enrich our lives—to many people, were wrapped in a sense of fulfillment. We were happy to spend such a dreamlike two days surrounded by so many smiling faces. I am sure everyone who participated felt the same.

Living by the seaside, which I have been familiar with since I was a child, and seeing these views at Lake Hamana synchronized in a way that made me feel very nostalgic. It was a two-day experience that brought back summer memories from my childhood. This time, I did not ride a bike, but participated by supporting the food for all the participants. Spending a wonderful space together through the single tool of the bicycle was a truly precious experience. When I come next time, I want to ride my bike and zip through this town just like everyone else.

I have a feeling I’ll meet new, wonderful people and places then.

There is still so much of Hamamatsu's charm that we don't know about.

To all involved, the staff, and the participants—thank you so much.

Let’s play again.