I am thinking of taking vacation this autumn season. My plan is to travel most of kansai areas, hiroshima, shikoku and most importantly cycling shimanami kando. I am not sure whether traveling through bicycle with backback and laptop feasible or not? I will take Shinkansen from tokyo to hiroshima at start. Has anyone done this? How realistic is it?
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It’s definitely possible. Logistics of getting a bicycle is the only concern but the actual doing it part is not crazy at all.
Are you worried about something specifically? There are cycling routes all around, google Japan cycle routes and you will get tons of info. If you are thinking of camping, the site Nap Camp will let you search and reserve campsites.
A pal of mine did it, 6,000 miles on a bike, published a book about his adventure. Smoked, drank, laughed, took photos. So it’s definitely possible. Leigh Norrie, 6000 miles on a bike in Japan or something.
A few years ago some middle-aged dude got all worked up about something, stole a mama-chari (bicycle for Moms with kids), and rode it from Osaka to Tokyo . If he can do it, I’m sure you can too!
If you have a bike bag, you can take it on a train. I don’t know about delivery services.
Japan is super bike-able, once you’re used to it! Drivers are accustomed to cyclists (more or less) as long as you’re fairly respectful. Others have mentioned that with a bike bag you can travel on a lot of trains. I believe bike shops here will also assist with sending your bike if you ask (I’ve never done it personally, but friends have), but it will cost a decent amount. You’d also have to power through that conversation, of course; finding an English-friendly bike shop will be difficult, especially outside of the major cities. If you run into trouble and need help on that front, PM me and I can type up something for you to show to the shop (like, “I want to send this to Osaka, please write how much that would cost and how long it would take”).
In general, though, Japan is a great place to bike around in! Lots of convenience stores/ vending machines, lots of hostels, pretty friendly populace, good infrastructure (despite a dearth of bike lanes). Try it out! If you make it to Kyushu/Kumamoto I’d be happy to take you on some stunning climbs through the Aso caldera.
Biked for a month on Shikoku. Camped at the free campsites and had a great time. Took the bike on the train once. Kinda annoying to take it apart but other than that no problems. For shipping it you would have to get a box somewhere. Maybe from a bike shop?
Don’t take a backpack, get proper saddlebags. Other than that… enjoy. It’s quite easy.
You can definitely do it pretty comfortably. There are manga cafes all over the place for sleeping cheaply. It’s all about the road choice, choose roads that aren’t busy and you’ll have a good time. No need to plan much in advance.
– Logistics: Will be easy. Get a lightweight bike bag on Mercari, reserve an seat on the Shinkansen with oversized luggage. Also have a look at all the ferry options Japan has to offer.
– Equipment: Do not use a backpack, you will regret it after a few days. Get pannier bags for your bike. Either waterproof or with a cover+ plastic bags inside. A smaller handlebar bag is also a great QOL addition.
– Laptop: Are you taking it with you because you need to work? If not, leave it at home. It’s heavy and you will have less to worry about when you get caught in the rain.
– Accommodation: There’s a great Google maps overlay for free campsites in Japan. Don’t have the link but you can google it. If you need to bring your laptop for work, better use hostels, since even the most basic camping gear adds up.
– Route: I’m not sure why you chose Hiroshima-Tokyo specifically, but there’s a lot of “civilization” to cross, and biking next to trucks is a pain. The Japan sea coast is amazing for biking. Small villages, many campsites. Eg. one could take the ferry or Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kitakyushu, then cross to Shimonoseki and bike East via Hagi, Izumo, Tottori until Kanazawa or Kyoto, then take the Shinkansen back to Tokyo.