CJA2501 The Secrets of Japan
Welcome to Tokyo !!! Exciting - isn't it? It is pretty obvious that everyone is looking forward to the upcoming days of exploring this exotic country. Some have already arrived a few days earlier to see some of the sights in Tokyo and, of course, to ease the jet lag. The group meets in the hotel lobby and I am delighted to see some familiar faces again. First, Jule and I hand over the motorcycles to the riders, as they are already parked here at the hotel. As our briefing room and the restaurant for our first day's dinner are outside the hotel, we simply have reversed the usual order.
The first day of riding our motorcycles in Japan! Off we go at last! The two groups are ready for departure from the hotel in Tokyo. Today we set off for Kawazu. Admittedly, the first stretch on the highway out of Tokyo is not particularly breathtaking, but for those who live more or less in the countryside at home, it's still an eye-catcher. Especially as we get a really good impression of how incredibly huge Tokyo is with the almost seamlessly connected cities next to it. But as soon as we leave the more populated areas and sweep over the curves of the Hakone Mazda skyline, we are taken away by the sight of Japan's famous cherry blossoms. The last highlight of the day should have been Mount Omuro. A long-extinct volcano that looks like a gigantic, upside-down rice bowl. However, it felt like at least 2000 Japanese people had the same plan before us, as they were all already queuing at the chairlift. We didn't want to waste time with waiting, so we were content to enjoy the beautiful cherry blossoms in the park next to Mount Omuro - together with a few more Japanese people, of course :) We arrive in Kawazu in the early evening, full of first impressions and enjoy the evening in our cozy ryokan by reviewing the day over a good, typical Japanese dinner.
Well rested and after a delicious breakfast, we rode on to Yamanakako today. This small town is located right next to Mount Fuji. The winding roads on the Izu Peninsula, including a spiral bridge, are a motorcyclist's dream and they give us a good foretaste of the riding fun we will have in the coming days of our tour of Japan! The main attraction of the day would have been Japan's most famous mountain: Mount Fuji. And we would have loved to admire it from all the good places that we were sure to have seen during the day. Unfortunately, the weather was rainy and very cold and we didn't get to see Japan's most sacred mountain because it was completely covered in fog. Maybe we'll have another chance tomorrow. Instead, we arrived early at our destination Yamanakako and were able to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of our secluded hotel and a hot bath in the onsen.
Wait a minute. Didn't we say at the beginning of this blog: it's time to pack away the skis and enjoy the fresh breeze on the motorcycle? Seems like something went wrong with the planning. Because skis would definitely have been a more appropriate fun tool today! As we wake up in the morning and look out the window, we can hardly believe our eyes. Winter wonderland! Right outside. The entire landscape is white. The only thing missing from the large fir tree at the entrance is the Christmas lights. It´s April first, but this ain't no joke... Instead of chasing curves, we spend the day hiking in the snow and chatting in the lobby. There's plenty of time to get to know each other better, and of course, we unpack many stories from previous Edelweiss tours! In the afternoon the time has finally come! Our motorcycles are loaded and we shake them down the steep, icy descent. Down on the country road we hop on our bikes and arrive at our next hotel just in time, shortly before the dinner buffet closes. Since our luggage is still on its way, the whole team dines in yukatas, a very elegant Japanese bathrobe, you could say. What a (cool) day! This will certainly be remembered for a long time!
Half of the group is leaving early this morning, as we have a ferry ride ahead of us first thing in the morning. And as the ferry only loads a maximum of 10 motorcycles on one trip, we are splitting our groups up between two ferries. The entire day of riding today offers us Japanese life to watch as we pass by. The further we get towards Kumano, the more country life we get to know. In contrast to Tokyo, there are many more older people in the countryside. One can also see that the big money is not made here. The winding road offers us breathtaking views of the sea and the rugged coast line. Once we arrived in Kumano, we all relaxed after the first three eventful days of riding and unwind in the hotel's onsen. Spending the night in this traditional, beautiful ryokan is a real highlight.
Von Kumano aus fahren wir heute nach Kyoto, der kulturellen Hauptstadt Japans! Wir freuen uns schon alle darauf, die Stadt an unserem morgigen Rasttag kennenzulernen. Auf ungefähr der Hälfte der Strecke kommen wir nach Koya-san, ganz offensichtlich einer der spirituellsten Orte Japans. Die Tempeldichte dieses Ortes ist extrem hoch und wir könnten hier eine Woche verbringen, und würden dennoch nicht alles gesehen haben. Das Mittagessen im Tofurestaurant ist eines meiner persönlichen Highlights. Worüber so manch einer die Nase rümpft ist hier wahrlich eine kulinarische Köstlichkeit, die ich persönlich so bei uns in Deutschland zumindest noch nie gegessen habe.
A whole day in Kyoto! Everyone uses the time on the rest day as they wish. But everyone should treat themselves to at least one or two highlights of Japan's cultural capital! Of course, there are countless things to see. For example, the Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion. Or the Fushimi Inari-Taisha with its thousands of orange torii gates. The geisha district of Kyoto is worth a short visit. If you're lucky, you might catch a glimpse of a real geisha. A visit to the bamboo forest is impressive, and then there are the various markets where you can sample Japanese cuisine at small food stalls. If you are open to a completely new experience, you can indulge in petting animals in one of the pet cafés. And of course there are countless other curiosities to discover.
Some of our group want to spend more time visiting the impressive castle in Himeji - Himeji-Jo. For others, a short visit or a photo from the outside is enough. After breakfast, we put everything we need back on the bike and set off for Himeji. The fascinating routes through the Japanese forests are definitely the highlight of the trip. It was a completely different cultural experience for us to see the many Japanese people having picnics in the grounds of Himeji Castle. They are all came to celebrate the splendor of the cherry blossoms.
Eiheiji, or more precisely the Eiheiji Temple, is our next destination. We will spend the night on the grounds of the famous Zen monastery. As we have a longer riding day ahead of us, we will cover part of the route on the highway. Then we will disappear into the forests in this area for a while. The location of our lunch will elicit a grin or a grumble, depending on your political orientation: The town is called “Obama”. The quiet drive through the countryside around the Mikata Five Lakes is rather relaxing despite the beautiful winding road. The view from the highest point is very impressive. Once we arrive in Eiheiji, we enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of our beautiful monastery hotel.
This morning, we are first inspired by the spirituality of the Eiheiji Monastery. We take the time to walk through the monastery in silence and get an impression of the life of the monks who have been working here for many centuries. While some simply stroll through the monastery and its gardens, some early risers in our group have already attended the monks' meditation ceremony at 4 o'clock in the morning. The area around Takayama and Eiheiji is also still covered in snow. As a result, many roads are still closed for the winter. As a result, we are forced to take a wide detour around this area with a loop to the northwest. However, before we ride to our hotel today, we make a detour to Shirakawago, the small village known for its traditional gassho-zukuri houses. Once we arrive in Shirakawago, after a delicious lunch in one of these houses, we admire their unique architecture. The roofs are modeled on the praying hands of a monk. The real reason for the steep slope of the roofs, however, is the amount of snow they have to withstand for several months here at the foothills of the Japanese Alps.
From Shirakawago, we will continue towards the Japanese Alps today. We will arrive in Hirayu in the afternoon. But first we head south again to the small, picturesque village of Gujo. A curious highlight awaits us there: we visit a plastic food factory. Here in Japan, many restaurants want to make it easy for foreign visitors and display plastic food so that those who don't speak Japanese know what they are getting to eat. This has given rise to a profession in its own right. Hirayu is one of the popular onsen resorts. We have already arrived in the Japanese Alps and you can tell from the slightly sulphurous smell that there must be some hot springs here. We will spend our second rest day in Hirayu.
WHAT A DAY! Even if we have a rest day today and some of our group are taking the opportunity to enjoy it in a relaxed way, there are definitely enough riders who want to join us for a good half day on the bike. Others take the opportunity to explore the surrounding area on their own. Today's motorcycle tour takes us to the former, still very well-preserved post station in Narai-juku. There we get a very good impression of what traveling must have been like in the past, when there were no cars or motorcycles. Narai-juku was one of 69 stations on the Tokyo-Kyoto route, which was used by both travelers and traders. We enjoy an early lunch with typical Japanese PIZZA! Wait.. that´s Italian cuisine. Believe it or not, but we needed a little break from fish, rice and soba. With a hint of chill spice on our tongue we get back on our bikes! There are some twisties waiting for us outside. The sky is blue, the roads almost empty and in the distance rise majestic, snow covered mountains. The scenery is fantastic! This moment when you smile in your helmet, because everything seems to be just right!
Well-rested, we get ready for another great day of riding on our motorcycles. Fortified with a particularly delicious, typically Japanese barbecue breakfast, we set off. Our destination for today is Kusatsu, another famous onsen resort. Near the town of Matsumoto, there is a very special highlight: we visit a wasabi farm! This seasoning paste, which is extremely popular in Japan, is made from wasabi, a horseradish-related herb that grows here. In Japan, there is virtually no dish that doesn't use wasabi in some form. The subsequent ride to Kusatsu is simply fantastic, and everyone enjoys the winding road through the mountains. Perhaps we'll have a little time left in Kusatsu to visit the Yubatake hot spring. The Yubatake hot spring is a hot spring in the middle of town. The sulfurous water rises from the mountain so hot that you have to let it cool down before using it for an onsen bath. Especially in the evening, the illuminated pool creates a special atmosphere.
Today the route to Nikko Tochigi is on the program. The roads take us over two of the most famous volcanoes when it comes to anime or manga. We ride up both volcanoes via the beautiful, wooded route and enjoy a coffee or lunch at the respective crater lake. Near Tochigi Nikko, we want to visit the magnificent Toshogu Shrine before reaching our destination for the day, Tochigi Nikko. Toshogu Shrine is known for its ornate architecture. It is a fascinating place full of history and spirituality. Another eventful but wonderful day on the motorcycle comes to an end.
On the last day of our Japan Tour, we are on our way back to Tokyo. The morning gives us another fantastic ride along a winding mountain road. Riding fun guaranteed! The Motegi Twin Ring and the famous Honda Museum - the Collection Hall - are our highlights of the day. Even if we have to cover the last 100 kilometers on the freeway, the ride with the Tokyo scenery in the background is still very impressive. Once we will have arrived in Tokyo, we return our motorcycles with a heavy heart, but looking back to our experiences of the last two weeks over a well-earned boot beer. It is a bittersweet moment, because we all know that this trip will remain unforgettable. New friendships have been formed and we will all take the experiences of this motorcycle tour and the beauty of Japan home with us in our hearts.