This blog is about travelling through Japan on a bicycle. Initially on a foldable bicycle (Brompton) and more recently mostly by road bike (Spezialized)... but also by train, ferry, plane, bus or any other transport, if sea, weather, mountains or the like come between me and my desire to ride.
I have tried to summarise information that could be potentially helpful also for other bicycle travellers through Japan, such as list of bicycle roads, helpful web pages etc.

Thursday 26 March 2020

Bye-bye Tokyo, Hello Osaka 東京さよなら、ハロー大阪

Bicycle: 5.0 km
Train: 550 km
Route: Tokyo to Osaka
Total riding time: 0:23 h 
Total ascent: 241 m 
Average speed: 14.3 km/h
Weather: Dark, no rain, and surprisingly warm in Osaka, 17 C in Tokyo and 18 C in Osaka


Today was my last day in the Tokyo office and it seems I "fled" from Tokyo just in time before the partial lock-down (well, not really lock-down, just friendly request from the government to stay at home on the weekend). Here in Osaka so far the government is not planning any lock down measures. 

So I said goodbye to my nice hotel in Tokyo where I am now greated and treated as a regular customer (stayed there so far 3 times and always in the exact same room, which I happen to like a lot), jumped on my bike (in my office outfit), cycled down to Shinagawa station, got myself a ticket for the next shinkansen and jumped on a very empty train. Normally trains between Osaka and Tokyo are quite full, but now with Covid-19 in each row there were maximum 2 people (instead of 5). I tried wearing a mask, but I really cannot breathe with these things. So I affronted the danger of virus contamination barefaced. 

In Osaka I unfolded my bike, and rode down the street to my monthly apartment, which happens to be also again the exact same apartment as last time. Slightly far from the office, but actually a quite nice apartment and with a bicycle parking lot. 

From now on, more cycling in Kansai region!

BTW, if you are wondering if I can put all my luggage of 10 weeks of business trip to Japan on my folding bike... well, no. But that's where Yamato Kuroneko is playing its part. 



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