GW2025 D5 a bit of everything

Route 1: small round of Naoshima
Route 2: Takamatsu - temple 82 - 81- back to Takamatsu 
Bicycle: 63 km
Ferry: 32 km
Total ascent: 907 m
Riding time: 4:54 h
Weather: sunny but not hot, 20C

With everything ongoing at work, and with building the house, I didn’t have a lot of time to organize this Golden Week trip. I reserved the hotels a few weeks ago, but that was about it. So I didn’t realize that for the museums in Naoshima, one now needs a reservation. So when I finally checked yesterday evening, I saw that there was no more reservations possible for the entire week. Luckily I didn’t go yesterday in the rain, hoping to be able to see museums. It is likely I wouldn’t have been able to access them. There are a few that during the art triennial are accessible without reservation, but they also run a reservation program at the same time, so probably if you turn up without a reservation you’re just stuck in a long queue waiting. In the rain.

So I went today in perfect weather conditions, however, my bicycle wasn’t in perfect conditions. I noticed in the morning that the rear tire had only a little bit of air left in. Luckily, there was a bike shop right in front of my hotel which left the pump outside on the pavement. So I filled the tube there, cycled to the port, took the ferry over to Naoshima, but by the time I arrived on the island, the tire was very soft again. I got a pump at one of the bicycle rental shops in the harbor, but also had a look at the tire and it was clear that this tire hadn’t a hole, rather it lacked the rubber from too much riding.

So I just did a quick round of Naoshima, to the few pieces of art that are actually accessible on a day where all the museums are closed. These were the same pieces of art I already saw back in 2016 when I was here for the first time. Back then no reservation for any of the museums was needed. I just remember that we were waiting in a small queue in front of one art exhibit, but that was about it. And that was also in the middle of golden week. So clearly this art triennial has taken off in popularity, plus there are many more international visitors to Japan and this area.

Naoshima is probably best known for its “pumpkins” designed by Kusama Yayoi.

Pumpkin 1:

Pumpkin 2: 

And even a “traffic” sign for the pumpkin:

Next time I come to Naoshima I must be better prepared with reservations for some of the museums. Probably it is better to visit the island outside of the triennial.

While on the island, I called a bicycle shop in the harbor of Takamatsu and confirmed that they would be able to replace the tire. After my quick round of the island, I took back an early ship to Takamatsu got the bicycle repaired while I was having lunch at the station.

This left me with the entire afternoon free for another ride. On Shikoku there’s a pilgrimage to 88 temples that are spread around the entire island.When I came to Takamatsu yesterday, I saw that there were two on a mountain just outside of the city, so I planned a ride there.These were temples, 82 and 81.

There was even another pumpkin.

I had actually been to both of these temples nine years ago on my very first trip to Shikoku. Back then we were traveling by car. Actually, I remember letting my ex-husband out at the bottom of a path up to temple number 81, so that he could hike up, while I was driving up. I would not have imagined to ride up this mountain by bicycle back then.

I was actually surprised how many meters of elevation this mountain/hill was. 

On the way down back to the plains, I was rewarded with the spectacular view over towards Sakaide. 

On the ride back to the city, I tried finding smaller roads. In some places I succeeded, in others, not so much.Japan simply outside of the major megalopolis like Tokyo, Osaka, etc., is a car country. We forget that living in Tokyo.

Nippara Cave

Route: Ome - Nippara - Haijima
Bicycle: 69 km
Train: 105 km
Average Speed: 16.8 km/h
Total Ascent: 832 m
Riding Time: 4:05 h
Weather: Sun and clouds, warm, but an early start helped, 26 C

Probably my last ride before the summer heat does grip Tokyo and the rest of Japan (probably with the exception of Hokkaido... but no plans to go there anytime soon). Today I did manage to get up early take a train before 6:30 am and start already at 8:30 am in Ome. A few weeks ago I had cycled from home to Ome... but today, that was only an option for cycling back... not for cycling out, as it is going to become too hot. Thanks to the early start I was already in the shadows of the forest when it started to become hotter. I took it easy (as always), cycled up to Ome first, had a break there for some onigiri, and then onwards to Nippara. A dead end road along a mountain valley full of green, a wild flowing river ... 

... and at the end surprisingly a village.

Above the village is a lime stone cave which claimed to have some stalactites and stalagmites, well... it has some not very impressive stalactites but it is still a great cave and so coooooool (but just about okay).

All this without ever leaving Tokyo! 

On my way up I had noticed a small restaurant with fishing pond besides the street which seemed to have a nice terrace overlooking the river, so instead of having lunch at the cave I road down and had a surprisingly good (but small) pasta dish here while watching the paying fishermen not fishing any fish. 

On the way back I had considered riding all the way back to home along Tamagawa... and while it was getting cooler.. it was still pretty hot, so decided to give up on that idea, and take a train back from Haijima. But instead of going home, went to a famous bicycle shop, in principle only to get a new saddle (as my old one had broken a few weekends before when I feel while standing with the bike)... but turned out there were other things also to fix... so finally I handed in my bike for the next 4 weeks for a general overhaul. Was about time after about 25,000 km!

D1 Karuizawa to Nagano (a try)

Route: Tokyo - Karuizawa - Nagano 
Bicycle:  km

Train: 160+

Average speed:  km/h
Total ascent:  m
Weather: very sunny and warm for November, 17 C

Riding time: h

For my first day of this 4 day weekend I had planned a long, but continuously and gradually downhill ride from Karuizawa to my hotel for the next few days in Nagano. 

The weather was perfect, sunny and relatively warm for early November. 

However the ride didn’t go to plan. Although I had changed my tires to tubeless only a few weeks ago, an enormous nail entered in the tire and the sealant wasn’t able to close the hole. 

Luckily the mishap happened at a parking lot, so I had comfortable space to try to put an inner tube in and continue. I tried and tried but didn’t succeed. Then someone from the parking lot who turned out to be also a cyclist came over to help. He managed to put the tube in, but it turned out that the inner tube I had been ferrying around for years was also broken. My savior then went to have lunch but offered to drive me afterwards to a bicycle repair shop. Which he did with his entire family. The shop he had chosen was surprisingly far away, but open and I got fitted with a new inner tube, went to the next train station and got by car to Nagano.

A few months later I tried with a friend who likes repairing bicycles to change the inner tube on my front wheel. And although we were sitting comfortably in his apartment, I wasn’t even able to get the tire off, nor was I able to put the tube in. A further few weeks later I bought a tubeless tire repair kit, but currently have tubes still in the tires so just hoping for the best. 

Spontaneous auto-repair

Bicycle: 13.7 km

Route: Shin-Osaka to Bicycle Repair shop

Total riding time: 1:06 h 

Total ascent: 60 m 

Average speed: 12.4 km/h

Weather: Cold, slight rain drops, 12 C

On Sunday on the last part of my ride downwards Yodogawa, something started to sound really bad in my bicycle. Like a small stone being inside the front wheel. I tried to see if I could understand where it is and how to remove it... but to no avail. As I want to ride this weekend again, I decided to bring it directly to a brompton repair shop to see if they could fix the problem. Only that about 3 km into the ride whatever it was that caused the sound, had popped out and the problem fixed itself. I anyway rode all the way to the shop, just in case they could understand what the problem might have been. Which well, they couldn't... fair enough, there was no longer a problem when I arrived at the shop. 

The only interesting thing to report about this ride, is that I came by a big shrine (which I didn't visit) in Tenma... which I will visit some day in the future. 

GW 2019 - Day 4 - Omiwa, the oldest shrine in Japan 大神神社日本一番古い神社へ

Bicycle: 38 km
Train: 86 km

Route: Yamatoyagi - Miwa - Tanzan Jinja - Yamatoyagi

Total riding time: 3:23 h

Total ascent: 588 m 
Average speed: 11.0  km/h

Weather: cloudy, but no rain and relatively warm and humid,  18 C

After breaking my saddle yesterday (after more than 5000 km) the first thing I did today, was getting to a bicycle repair shop. I was lucky enough that it broke here, not too far from Osaka, where there are several brompton sellers. I called ahead of time, and when I arrived a few minutes after he opened his shop at 11:00 he had the saddle already ready there, waiting to be installed.

It was even a very convenient place to get to from Yamatoyagi, with the express train only 2 stations away and then 1 km by bike. So already at 12:00 I was back in Yamatoyagi and ready for the ride of the day, a continuation of Day 3. 

I started with Hibara shrine. On the way there, as so often here in Nara prefecture, I came through the tranquil country side, where new rice plants were being grown for being planted later. 

Hibara shrine is mainly famous for its 3-arched Torii, a very unique shape. Apart from that there isn't a lot around, but the place is wonderful, so relaxed, on the foot of one of the holiest mountains in Japan, with the Yamanobe-no-michi coming through, and even more importantly a small restaurant where to enjoy a bowl of noodles in the shadow of a large roof. Perfect place for a lunch! 

Omiwa Jinja then wasn't very far. It is announced over the plain by this gigantic, but modern torii.

The actual shrine then is at the foot of Miwa Mountain, which in itself is the main "building" of the shrine, as it is believed that the entire mountain is a god. However to climb it, one needs to get a permit (I think it is more like an entrance fee) and one needs to be back at 16:00. So that can still be on a future "to-do list" for tourism in Nara. 

The normal torii's at this shrine are also somewhat special, with no horizontal bar:

Some of the gods here seem to like Sake and raw eggs a lot, but need the sake to be opened for them... At the round well instead, there is holy water that the mountain (= god) gives. 

When planning the route, I saw an other apparently interesting shrine, Tanzan Shrine. Only problem, it is in the mountains... This didn't stop me though, as I was thinking, well, if it gets totally impossible, I can always just turn back. 

On the way to the shrine, I also stopped at this extremely idilic lake, with some azaleas flowering: 

But then I continued on, higher and higher, stopped only briefly for a waterfall (would have been nice to get into it):

And finally made it to the peak where the shrine is located. I went also partially because shrines normally don't have any closing hours, and it would have been still enough light to see it... however - maybe because it was a temple in the past - this shrine actually has closing hours... and was already closed. So I guess this one remains on the "to-do" list. It looks very interesting... only problem is that mountain it is on. It wasn't really nice to ride up to it (I rode only until the intersection where the street goes towards the shrine, afterwards I pushed my poor bicycle). Nevertheless Strava awarded me a QOM (Queen of the Mountain)... solely thanks to the fact only 2 women ever tried with Strava on to climb that specific part of the hill... and the other one must have been much slower still when pushing her bicycle up. 

What I did achieve however was the highest ascent so far in my Garmin/Strava career. 588 m in total and 516 m at the top of the mountain! Starting from only 20 m elevation down at Yamatoyagi. 

So well, there was nothing else but to ride down again, on the other side of the hill. And actually riding down a hill so steep isn't that much fun either. However the landscape was really nice, albeit a bit foggy:

After this record ride, I was entitled to a visit in an onsen. Actually in that same onsen I was already 1.5 years ago, a big super-sento with different pools outside including one to lie in the water (one of my favorite ways how to enjoy onsen) and a lukewarm one, with a TV set, everyone was attentively watching. On were TV comedy shows and the countdown to the new Reiwa 令和 area, which will start at midnight.

My last picture of Heisei 平成: April 30th of Heisei 31.

GW 2019 - Day 3 - Yamanobe no michi 山の辺の道

Bicycle: 22 km
Train: 500 km

Route: Tokyo - Tenri (by train) - Yamatoyagi

Total riding time: 1:49 h

Total ascent: 163 m 
Average speed:  12.3 km/h

Weather: cloudy and at the end light rain, 14 C

After the brief stint in Tokyo, I am back in Kansai, in Inner Nara prefecture, in the same accommodation in Yamatoyagi, where I was already 1.5 years ago during my great trip through Japan.

In the morning I took a Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kyoto and then a normal train onwards to Tenri. Tokyo station was quite full, but everything well organized, and as I had bought my reserved seat already at the end of March, all very relaxed.

When I planned the route for today yesterday, I apparently had planned it to start in Nara... but I forgot, and throught I had planned it from Tenri. I only noticed the error when I started up the Garmin at Tenri station. But no problem, as the route was coming through Tenri, and actually looking at it in retrospect it was much better to start from Tenri than to add the additional kilometers for starting in Nara. The weather today was not very stable and finally around 17:00 it started raining, which was right the time when I finished my last temple of the day.

But let's start in Tenri. I followed my preplanned route and came to what I thought was the first attraction of the day, an ENORMOUS temple complex in Tenri. I think I have never seen in Japan a temple complex as large and as organized for masses of worshippers as this place. It somehow reminded me of the Vatican. I parked my bicycle in an enormous parking lot and went ahead with my touristic duties.

What i found was a large temple seemingly supposed to host thousands and thousands of worshipers. However when I arrived there were only a few, as attested by this picture with the shoes:

Inside an enormous tatami-clad hall, but nearly empty:

Nothing really interesting in that enormous hall though. At least for my tourist eyes.

I then continued on the "balcony" that surrounds the temple and only there I felt how big this complex really was. It isn't only this main hall but a lot of additional halls, a large courtyard (more about that one later) and in the surrounding many , large hotel type constructions. The hallway around the temple deserved special attention by the worshippers, going down to their knees, cleaning it. And yep, it was immaculate.

Initially I had this impression that something was going to happen, but yet nearly no one was here. That changed rapidly. Within a few minutes the courtyard filled with organized groups of people. All standing in a row behind their assigned group number. These worshippers were mainly students (in their sport uniforms and workers, in their respective work uniform).

Before...

... and 15 minutes later

At times this temple must get so busy that below there are entires numbered like in football stadiums.

I left the complex before the highlight of the day and continued to my first official destination, Isonokami shrine. When planning the route, I had in mind the Yamanobe Michi, which while being a hiking trail can be in a certain way emulated also on a bicycle. With a mountain bike the hiking trail itself would most likely also be ridable. I even managed to ride some parts with my brompton. 

At this shrine instead of deer, it seems that chicken are venerated:

Apart from that peculiarity, it is a nice but to my eyes unremarkable shrine.

From there on, I loosely followed the Yamanobe no michi and came through very nice landscape with old, still quite well preserved villages along the way.

The region is well known for its autumn colours, but I would say that also in spring the different types of green on the mountains, are also very nice. In some fields these small pink flowers were blooming, and along the way I also saw a few wisteria in bloom. 

Further along the way, is Chogakuji, a very quaint temple in the middle of nature. I bought my entrance ticket from an old buddhist monk (?) who however was watching Judo in TV.

I had practically the entire temple to myself, we were essentially only two tourists at the temple. And this in Golden Week! However it is obviously not one of the main temples and it was starting to rain. Actually the very light rain transformed into a more persisting, yet still light rain. So after a quick visit, I retreated, searched for a spot under a roof to get me all dressed up. When I was last travelling through Japan in autumn 2017, my rain cloths were not up to the challenge. This time I only brought a rain cape, and at least with this relatively light rain it worked well. It doesn't get too hot under the cape, so no sweat that accumulates. However it also produces quite some wind resistance. On the positive side, however that with the helmet also the rain cape hood stays in place. So finally I managed to arrive at my accommodation dry. 

I am repeating accommodation from 1.5 years ago, a small guest house in Yamato-Yagi which I quite liked. In the evening I went to a local restaurant here closeby and then worked on my blog posts, as well as on planning my next days.

For tomorrow, the first agenda point will be to go to Osaka (by train), in order to get a new brompton saddle. The old one broke when reassembling the bicycle in Tenri. Luckily I am not too far from bompton civilization and found even one in Tokyo, that had saddels. But tomorrow more about this.

Bicycle Repair

Bicycle touring Japan - Bicycle repair

This blog post is about how my brompton gets fit for the next weeks of touring through Japan.

The days in Tokyo I have used to get my poor brompton seen by a brompton specialist just to make sure everything is still in order. Well, now I have a new rear tire (the profile was quite worn down), and even more importantly new rubbers on the brakes, which were very worn down. Plus apparently the "bottom bracket cardridge" needed to be exchanged due to some manufacturing error. I hadn't heard about that recall, but this got fixed immediately as well. 

And here it is, all fixed in front of its much more colourful cousins: