Exploring the land of the rising sun
Before the tour had even begun, a few of us found ourselves already wandering through Tokyo—eager to catch a first glimpse of Japan and let the excitement build for everything still ahead. Tokyo reveals itself in layers: sleek high-rises brushing the sky, quiet temples tucked between streets, neighborhoods glowing under endless neon, and shopping in every shape and form imaginable. And then, of course, there’s the food—every corner offering something unforgettable. It felt like the perfect beginning to our adventure in Japan. Our welcome briefing in a private bar, and dinner in a very traditional restaurant made it for a great start with the group together. Now off to bed and be ready to start our ride tomorrow!
Our first riding day! Always extra exciting and everybody is looking forward to ride our beautiful motorcycles. First objective is to leave Tokyo behind us. Without any problem we arrive for the first coffee stop along the coast. Further it goes into the mountains with the Hakone turnpike and Izu Skyline as highlights. At our lunch stop there are hundreds of bikers enjoying the weekend. Some really unique models! At mount Omuro, an extinguished vulcano, it's very crowded so we continue along the cost. Upon arrival at our hotel we can congratulate each other for a successful first riding day. Kanpai!
Our second riding day started off with some rain, but since we were all well prepared, this wasn’t going to stop us. Leaving the hotel, we drove away from the coast and into the mountains. The light rain and low-hanging clouds made the landscape look very mysterious, and it was an absolutely beautiful ride. After just a few kilometres, we came to the Kawazu Nanadaru Loop Bridge — a spiral that takes the road up in three complete circles, like driving up a corkscrew. Once we got higher on the mountain pass, the fog rolled in, but every so often it would clear, revealing amazing views of the landscape. From our coffee stop, we also had a beautiful view of the valley filled with clouds, with parts of the hills and the lake below still visible. In theory, we should have been able to see Mount Fuji from here, had it not been for the thick clouds blocking the view. During our lunch stop, the clouds became even thicker and visibility dropped significantly. The place was called “Lake View,” but “Lack of View” would have been a more suitable name today. We expected this to continue for the rest of the ride, but as soon as we reached lower ground, the sky cleared and we even got some sunshine. Sadly, the road up to Mt. Fuji is closed for the next few days due to snow and generally poor weather conditions, but spending some extra time at our hotel — with a bar and multiple spa options — isn’t a bad alternative. Luckily, the clouds around Fuji cleared up quite well later on, so we were able to see a large part of the mountain, creating a very interesting and mysterious view.
What a day what a day! Japan has many faces. One of them is a little wet. The country is green for a reason and we got to enjoy some drops of rain. But bikers as we are it wasn't a problem. Everybody made it safe and that's the most important thing. Upon arrival there were complementary drinks and snacks and and dinner we could fill or body with well deserved new energy.
Due to the ferry ride we took this morning, we had to get up a little earlier and split into two groups because of the limited space on each ferry. That meant some of us got to enjoy the ride a little earlier, while the others could take a bit more time at breakfast. The weather also played along in the morning. After all the rain we had yesterday, the blue sky and sunshine were very welcome! We got to see many other faces of Japan. Rugged coastline, rain forest, steep cliffs and extreme curvy narrow roads. What an adventure! And again, upon arrival at the hotel, there was free beer, snacks and grilled fish!
Our good old friend the sun has decided to accompany us today on perhaps the most beautiful ride of the tour. First we have the Pacific ocean on our left side and then it's into the mountains! Nice curvy roads, big rivers and fresh air: what more can a biker want? Coffee and culture. Plenty of that in Koyasan. This is one of the most sacred places in Japan with over 100 Buddhist tempels. Very impressive and inspiring. Almost as impressive is the twisty road after lunch, with again rivers, waterfalls and forests. Entering Kyoto goes very smooth and we can already see some of the beauty of this former Japanese capital. And look! Kon has prepared boot beer! A worthy end to a perfect day!
The former capital of Japan, now home to around 1.5 million inhabitants, is a fascinating city with a unique and almost magical atmosphere. The list of things to do is endless, so it can be tricky to decide where to start. Luckily, Edelweiss Tours comes with the best tour guides (a title awarded by my mom), and we make it easy for everyone by showing you some of the city’s highlights. We chose to walk downtown, admiring Kennin-ji and strolling through a beautiful garden along the way. We then visited Kōdai-ji, one of the oldest temples in the city, which also features a serene bamboo grove. We wandered through the grounds, taking in the wonderful views of the buildings nestled within the beautifully maintained gardens. While walking through the geisha district, you can see many charming old houses that have now been transformed into theatres and restaurants. This is also the place where you’ll spot many tourists in rented kimonos, which makes strolling around a real treat—you see beautiful and elaborate kimonos everywhere. After that, we dove into the bustling Nishiki Market. There’s an incredible variety of fish, meat, and vegetables, as well as more unusual offerings like grilled sparrow and deep-fried eel. It’s fascinating to see, and delicious too! We opted for something a little less exotic but still authentic: Kobe beef burgers—they were amazing. They even come with plastic gloves, because the beef is so juicy that it would otherwise drip all over your hands. However, getting those gloves off when they’re covered in grease is quite tricky, so washing your hands afterward might actually be easier. Still, it certainly feels a bit more refined! Tonight, we’re heading out for a fancy teppanyaki dinner. Seating is arranged around a hot plate where the chef prepares the food right in front of you, turning it into a form of show cooking. The restaurant we’ve chosen is considered one of the best in town, so it promises to be a very special evening.
After a wonderful day exploring the many sides of Kyoto, it was time to get back on our bikes, leave the city behind, and head toward Himeji. The ride began on a stunning forest road—narrow streets winding through dense woods, with the occasional small town tucked quietly in between. It was the kind of scenery that almost demands your full attention, leaving little room to drift back to the incredible food and karaoke from the night before… almost. We stopped for coffee at a place we had picked out, only to be greeted by a lovely lady who politely told us she wouldn’t be opening until 11. Even after we pointed out that we were a group of 18, her answer didn’t change—fair enough, and honestly, part of the charm. Lunch made up for it. We found a great Hawaiian-style spot and, for a change, swapped noodles and rice for hamburgers. It felt like a small but very welcome break from our usual menu. Of course, this being Japan, there was a quirky twist—a purple bunny making an appearance alongside the burgers, just to keep things interesting. By the end of the ride, the rain had properly set in. With the weather turning, we decided to skip visiting Himeji Castle for the day and save it for the morning instead, before getting back on the road.
Good morning, another day in paradise! As yesterday the sky was grey and wet, we decided to visit Himeji Castle in the morning when there was a blue sky and sunshine. And what a view! Super impressive to see the huge stone walls. It's easy to imagine how the shogun and samurai lived here. After leaving the city we head into the mountains again. The ones who like small forest roads are in for a treat! Narrow, winding and exciting! How many people can say they had lunch in Obama? We did! Tasty ramen from sweet people. Arigatō. At the rainbow line, a road along the coast of the see of Japan we enjoy a stunning view. The lakes around it, with various colours make it magical. The last section of the day we ride through tree covered forests and are entering a different world. A Zen atmosphere is floating along the rivers amd rocks....
Today we got up very early so we could participate in a morning ritual at the temple in Eiheiji. We walked a few minutes from our hotel to the temple, where we were greeted by monks. They led us to the prayer room, where we took seats along the side and observed the ceremony. It was very fascinating to see the amount of care they put into every part of the ritual—from moving objects to the correct place and making sure the candles were straight, to the bows and other movements in the ceremony. Now that we have filled our spiritual batteries for today, it is time to recharge our regular ones and take a little nap or relax before we start our ride. Back in the saddle we drove over mountain passes, along many rivers and beautiful forests. The beauty of Japanpan keeps on surprising. Lunch is in the little town of Shirakawa. Known for lovely farmer houses of which the roofs resemble praying hands. Hundreds of years old and still standing. After being on tour for over a week we start to feel really at home. Eating with chopsticks feels natural...
During our briefing this morning, Jan mentioned it would be some light drizzle outside. It turned out this was Dutch drizzle—what in most places is referred to as rain. Before we really got on the road, it had already pretty much dried up, and our morning ride was dry. First, it was off to visit the Gujō-Hachiman Castle, with arguably the best driveway ever. A tiny one-way street twisting up to the castle—an absolute pleasure to ride. The other place we visited was a small shop and production place for plastic food. This is a big thing in Japan, and you see it everywhere. It was very nice to see everything from sushi to beer in very realistic displays. From then on, it started to slowly get a bit cooler, and some drops began to fall. Temperatures dropped to 1 degree Celsius, which translates in Fahrenheit to: cold. We had a lot of rain, then hail, then a bit of snow—so a little bit of everything today. We will spend two nights at our hotel, giving us all time to relax in the onsen and enjoy a very tranquil time in Japan!
Last night it got very cold, and we even had a bit of snow. Coming out to greet the bikes in the bright sunshine, with blue skies, made for a lovely sight—with still some ice and snow on a few of the bikes. Two of the bikes weren’t very motivated for a ride today and needed a little help to get going, but that was soon sorted. There were two groups of riders today. Since this is a rest day, everyone could do whatever they wanted. One of the groups went for a bigger ride to make the most of the beautiful weather. The other group only did a short ride to a cable car, took the lift up, and enjoyed the view from there.
It's a great feeling when you wake up and you see the sun, blue skies and snowy mountain tops. Even better when you get to ride! Today's first is a very interesting wasabi farm. Ice cream, beer and coffee; all with wasabi. After trying some wasabi ice cream and a few other unusual snacks, we made our way to see the famous bathing monkeys. Even on the walk toward the pools, they were already everywhere—climbing, wandering, and completely unfazed by the visitors. Seeing them relaxing in the hot springs, splashing around while the little ones chased each other, was something really special. With some of the roads still closed due to snow, we had to take a bit of a detour. But it turned out to be a blessing in disguise—endless twisty roads, barely any traffic, and just an all-around incredible ride.
Today we're diving deeper in the Japanese mountains. A region that's created by volcanoes millions of years ago. The lakes that we're passing are also left overs of this geological process. At the Akagi shrine we make wishes for a safe journey and a long and prosperous life. And after a lovely curvy route we arrived at Edo Wonderland. This is a theme park where it looks like Japan in th 16th century. A fenomenal Ninja show and a very funny Geisha show were the highlights. All in all a great final to a great day!