Cycling 1000km across Japan on a Mamachari Part one and two:

My initial post was removed for what I assumed was mentioning a channel name; so here is the initial post plus update of our trip that I hope doesn’t break any rules!

So we’re two idiots who decided to undertake a 1000km cycling journey across Japan from Kagoshima to Osaka. This is our fourth time in Japan so wanted a challenge to see more of what the country could offer. After flying into Fukuoka for one day (amazing city; I highly recommend Ohori Park); we got the slow bus down to Kagoshima to find bicycles. Since we are pretty poor, we got the cheapest mamachari bicycles we could find and children’s helmets for the fun designs. My mate left his shoes at home in Bangkok so he’s wearing flip flops until he can find some size uk 12s which so far have had no luck.

Anyway, we started cycling in the beautiful city of Kagoshima, and our first day was spent tackling the volcanic island of Sakurajima. Wow, it’s beautiful here – challenging day indeed, with all the inclines, especially given the heat and being very white – funtimes. I burned through three coats of factor 50.

The mamachari bicycles might not be the most sophisticated or expensive bikes, but they are reliable companions so far – even with squeaky breaks and seats that don’t go quite high enough. The first day we managed 70km which took a few hours more than it should have, but there’s only so much we can do with no gears!

Anyway we’re determined/stupid enough to prove that you don’t need fancy gear to embark on an epic adventure – also documenting it all with 3 cameras (sad I know).

This journey isn’t about luxury or state-of-the-art equipment or being clever – we’re just two overweight guys embracing the spirit of adventure, trying to lose a bit of weight, pushing our boundaries, and immersing ourselves in the incredible landscapes of Japan, and the people we have met so far have been so amazing!

Part two: Kagoshima to Miyazaki

We had to find a last minute Airbnb as the first day around Sakurajima took much longer than anticipated and we feared the impending darkness on our Mamachari cycles. The only feasible one was hosted by a lovely older couple in Kirishima so we cycled around the whole bay to get there before sunset. The bay of Kagoshima is absolutely stunning and you get all sides of the volcano and you cycle from the relative safety of a bicycle lane on the coastal highway. This is a must see for any visitor to Kyushu! We knew the next day was going to be a long one, so we aimed to get up at 6am and go the whole day to our next destination, Aoshima in southern Miyazaki.

The cycle started tough on lack of sleep and right away we had to start climbing mountains. We knew we would be pushing the cycles up a lot of hills, but the first couple hours involved nothing more than a snail’s pace to the top. Now, while it isn’t the heat of summer yet; the sun is very strong in May and you will need to keep applying sunscreen through all the sweating. Near the first peak we met an actual real cyclist also going the same way, but assured him it will take us much longer, and to ‘see you there’.

What goes up must come down, and the downhill rewards were shockingly fast and full of empty roads with scenic railways and old Japanese houses (plus vending machines). The journey took us through the mostly flat town vistas of Miyakonojo with many blessed combini stores along the way to replenish the thousands of calories and litres of fluid lost. We went through country back roads and rice fields and the most amazing Japanese landscapes that I dreamed about seeing on this adventure.

But looming in the distance was the next, bigger mountain range and the toughest thing I had ever done! Up and up, half pushing my bike and half breaking my knees to scale the hills for the next few hours. Regretting our decisions to buy these bikes but ultimately being rewarded with the most intense downhill segments and nature. Issues arose when the lane for our bicycles would disappear into corners with massive trucks passing next to us and my mate almost came off his bike and had to hold onto the wall. With more sweat than I have ever produced and getting delirious; we eventually came into the Miyazaki city areas and could pretty much coast this entire route to our next place beside the sea of Aoshima and a whole home to recover for a bit.

We arrived about 10 hours after we set off, 94.32km travelled over the two mountain ranges to another beautiful seaside town with a totally different vibe to Kagoshima. It seems very much a tropical holiday getaway for Japanese and a surfers paradise ! Kyushu has shown us so many environments over the two days and the 165km of cycling, and will prove to show much more in the days to come.