Cycling in Japan

Wow what an amazing trip! Cycling in Japan is a truly fantastic and interesting cycling trip.
What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
There are several - The friendliness and courtesy of the Japanese people, the traditional inns, the cuisine and the well-maintained roads, the incredible bullet train.
What did you think of your group leader?
Tatsuya ( Tea ) is a fantastic group leader. He loves his country and imparted so much knowledge of local customs and etiquette in only two weeks it felt as if I had been in Japan for months. Nothing was too much trouble for him either on or off the road
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
There isn't much need for a wide selection of "off the " bike clothes as you change into local dress ( provided ) almost immediately on arrival at hotels and inns. There are washing and drying facilities in most hotels. Take cash as Japan , perhaps surprisingly, is not a credit card culture
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I can't recommend this trip highly enough!

This is a great holiday for those who enjoy cycling in great scenery and want to learn a bit about Japanese culture and the Japanese way of life en route. It offers a bit of everything and includes great cycling, lovely countryside, traditional inns with traditional food, rooms, sleeping arrangements and hot springs. The guides make sure that all venues that offer education and enjoyment are visited during the cycling, so that overall one is left with a feeling that one has achieved some insight into Japan which is a very different society from ours. It was an inspirational trip with wonderful guides who made sure that we experienced all that there was to experience.
What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
There were many inspirational moments on the trip and it is difficult to name just a few. There was a lovely ride for about five miles on the Noto peninsula; there were so many coastal views that we often stopped every few miles for a photo. The traditional inns were a unique experience which we felt privileged to share. If we had been doing this trip on our own without a tour guide I'm sure we would have missed out on these unique experiences. The cycling in the mountains and experiencing the autumn colours was heavenly. The good weather and blue skies helped of course. Tokyo and Kyoto were fascinating places and we did a lot considering we were there for only a couple of days.
What did you think of your group leader?
Our group leader, Tatsuya Yamasawa, was exceptional. He was very organised and methodical and made sure that the tour ran smoothly. He was kind, very friendly with an excellent sense of humour and camaraderie. Nothing was too much trouble for him and the whole group was so appreciative of all that he did for us. He was a credit to Japan and we all fell in love with the country partly due to him. We could not praise him highly enough.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
In terms of advice I would say that the cycling is moderate to challenging. Our group was very good and no one had any problems, but some hills did require a bit of puffing. I certainly wouldn't recommend anyone to do this trip unless they were used to cycling up to 50 miles at a stretch over undulating terrain. Travellers should also be flexible as traditional inns and traditional food are very different from what we normally experience in the west. You have to be prepared to bite the bullet and eat the raw fish, the seaweed, the octopus legs and the snails if you want to experience a traditional meal. It's worth it though to experience something truly unique.

Japan- an incredibly fascinating country with a culture like no other. The 2 week bike trip was a wonderful way to start to get to know Japan. Of course cycling is the best way to travel anywhere but having guides that explain their beloved country, teach you some of its culture, try to teach you the social skills that the Japanese excel at, getting you to test all the interesting food, giving history lessons and nature lessons, explaining the Shinto or Buddhist religion all the while giving you a great cycling experience makes the entire experience beyond memorable. The choice of the route gave us a good variety places to see. Staying in the Japanese inns ( ryokans) was amazing and definitely a must on any Japan trip. The food is an experience all on its own and if you are a fish lover than you will be in paradise. I really felt that the trip was complete and didn't just focus on one element of Japan so I never felt that I had too much of any one thing which was great. The description of the tour corresponded to what the trip really was and that is always appreciated. In the end, I didn't have too many preconceived notions of what I would be seeing and I can tell you that I was constantly amazed and ended up having enormous respect for the Japanese and their way of life. I thought my own country of Switzerland was well run but Japan wins on that respect. Kudos to the people of Japan and their being so courteous towards us tourists. Weeks later I am still feeling the effects of this trip and it is wonderful. Oh and thanks to Mother Nature for blessing us with the cherry blossoms.
What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The most inspirational moment for me was anything involving how their society functions. The quietness on the public transport ( no talking on cell phones), how orderly the cities are in what could be chaos, the esthetic of beauty in every detail, the cleanliness, the courteousness everywhere, the most amazing toilets, the taking off of shoes, the lack of crime, the precision of the trains or metros, and I can go on and on. I was just gobsmacked.
What did you think of your group leader?
Well is there a word better than incredible to describe Tatsuya or Mitch? Tatsuya, besides being a really interesting person with a very subtle sense of humour, was really a wonderful guise. Very attentive to our needs and our safety and an amazing sense of organisation. Not easy getting a group through crowded metro stations and onto the bullet trains or biking through a city but they made it easy. He has a great wealth of knowledge of all aspects of Japan and really explained things well. I immediately had confidence in him and therefore didn't really need to think about anything other than riding my bike and experiencing Japan. Mitch and Tatsuya were a great team and this being a first run trip makes it even more unbelievable at how well run it was. They both had a huge amount of patience with us and stayed calm at all times and I know that they are always thinking of the next part of the trip and that their work is never done but I never felt this. They took great care of us and I appreciate how attentive they were with me being a vegetarian. Highly recommend these guides and I thank them for the fabulous experience.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
One of the advantages of Japan is that on many of the nights in the inns you wear kimono like robes- so you don't need that many clothes other than cycling. As far as the Japanese baths the women and men bathe separately which wasn't very clear in the instructions and do follow the pre- bathing ritual if there are Japanese there at the same time. If you are vegetarian it can be difficult at times but do buy nuts at the convenience stores to compensate for some lack of protein. Being vegan here would be quite difficult.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Nothing left to add. Great trip once again .